Upon entering UP Diliman (UPD), one’s eyes are immediately drawn to the lush greenery, with trees lining the sides of the car-less roads conducive to jogging and biking. This is how Isa*, a fourth-year sports science student-athlete, imagined UPD’s environment based on others’ reminiscences. However, when Isa and her teammates finally got to live on campus in 2022, the stories of car-less streets seemed more like a fantasy. 

UPD has been witnessing an increase in private vehicles on campus, exacerbating traffic congestion and increasing instances of road accidents. From September to December last year, there were 23 documented road crashes in UPD where 47 individuals were involved, as recorded by the UP Diliman Police. 

Many students, faculty, and other constituents now bear the brunt of car-centric plans despite UPD touting itself as a university that strives to promote sustainable transportation and non-motorized mobility. 

Pedestrian Perils

As a student-athlete, Isa’s life revolves around the campus. Her three modes of getting around UPD during classes and training are walking, biking, and riding the Ikot jeeps. Isa expressed, however, that walking is still her preferred means over biking due to her several encounters with reckless drivers.

“[Hindi] rin lahat sumusunod sa rules ng daan. Madaming instances na muntik kami mabunggo ng sasakyan kasi di sila nagbibigay ng way sa bikers,” said Isa. Joggers often run around the academic oval’s bike lanes due to unequal pavements on the sidewalks. This causes bikers to use the main roads, which are shared with vehicles. 

The precarious experiences of Isa and her teammates riding bikes around campus became more pronounced when university officials tried to address traffic within the campus by creating more parking spaces and opening the supposedly car-free academic oval to motorized vehicles. 

“When we did the Transport Masterplan for UPD in 2007, there was a target that we would eventually shift to a car-less academic oval. However, this never materialized. In fact, we are regressing,” said Sheilah Napalang, director of the Office of Research and Publication of UPD School of Urban and Regional Planning. 

As more cars pass through roads within the campus, the vision of non-motorized mobility in UP is further hampered. 

Car-Dominated Campus

University officials attempted to implement solutions to control the number of vehicles entering campus amid the increase in non-UP vehicle drivers using campus roads to get around Velasquez and Ylanan portals. One solution was implementing a “no sticker, no entry” policy, which required UP constituents' car users to acquire stickers to enter campus. It has, however, fallen short in curbing car entry, reportedly due to weak regulation and leniency in implementation. 

The university is also moving toward opening more roads and creating parking spaces, further constraining the spaces of students, vendors, and other constituents. Isa mentioned that during in-season games, UP officials close Ylanan Street to create parking spaces for visitors, making it inconvenient for students to enter UPD. 

This trend is set to continue as commercialized spaces increase, already seen in the congestion of Jacinto St. where Gyud Food Hob is located, identified as a hotspot for road collisions. Recently, a “short-term” parking space next to Area 2, which is just across the new DiliMall under construction, was also built. 

Such moves to accommodate more cars on campus not only stifle mobility but are also affecting the livelihoods of other constituents. For one, vendors in the old UP Tennis Court are receiving threats of demolition and displacement, with their location being eyed as the new parking space for DiliMall. 

“Nung tinanong [ang UP admin] kung bakit need ng maraming parking space, ayun daw ang kailangan sa commercial area,” said Feeny Calleja, a 50-year old stall owner in the old tennis court. Feeny questions the administration's motive behind creating DiliMall to "serve the students better," noting the expected price hike of goods to cover higher rental fees and the inconvenience of being placed on the third floor. 

Clearer Paths 

A sustainable, non-motorized mobility system is needed more than ever. For Isa, this means implementing policies that control vehicles within UPD. 

Since 2017, UP faculty member Roselle Rivera from the College of Social Work and Community Development has been researching and creating a plan to build a non-motorized transport plan in UPD. Whether this will be implemented, however, remains uncertain after the university failed to push through with the supposed plan to have a car-less academic oval. 

Creating programs that allow students to borrow bikes is also a good initiative to increase non-motorized mobility on campus, according to Napalang. However, the UP Bike Share program remains in limbo after its 2022 announcement explaining the inability to launch the program due to poor bike conditions and high demand.

Promotion of active transport has to be integrated with the reinforcement of public transit. This orientation may reduce car dependence and usage, achieved through walkable public transportation points. This also entails the necessity of properly consulted and clear plans on public transportation, which the university does not have, against the backdrop of the impending phaseout of traditional jeepneys due to the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program.  

Such moves will be challenging without broader government action to address car-centrism. Improving the public transportation system is seen as a crucial step to give more options to the community and incentivize commuting.

Once the infrastructure and policies for non-motorized transportation are genuinely prioritized at the university and national levels, the dreams of students like Isa for sustainable mobility and an environment free of cars will no longer be mere fantasies to reminisce about. ● 

*Not her real name. She has asked the Collegian to conceal her real name.