Traffic impact plan pushed for new residential, commercial projects in Cebu City

The increasing residential developments and subdivision developments in Cebu City has prompted a proposal to create a measure to require developers in the city to submit a traffic impact plan for their development projects in the city. | CDN FILE PHOTO

CEBU CITY, Philippines — New residential developments and subdivisions in Cebu City may have to reconsider their location especially if they can cause traffic in the area.

An ordinance proposed by Councilor Jerry Guardo will require all residential and commercial and subdivision developments to pass a traffic impact plan for the surrounding streets.

Guardo said the continuous economic boom has invited more people to live in Cebu City, which in turn caused the rise of residential high-rise buildings in the downtowns and subdivisions in the uptown barangays.

The economic boom also invited more investors to put up businesses in the city.

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The councilor said the rise in population and businesses had caused increased traffic jams in the city’s streets, with more motorists and people joining the traffic.

The proposed ordinance aims to include the developers in finding a solution to the traffic by coming up with their own traffic impact plan before they will be allowed to proceed with their construction to ensure that their developments will not cause traffic jams.

“The main purpose of a Traffic Impact Plan is to determine the traffic generated by a development project and how the generated traffic affects the existing conditions and level of services of the transportation system in the area,” said Guardo.

The ordinance would require all developers to pass a traffic impact plan before the Office of the Building Official (OBO) can give them permits for their land subdivision applications, site plan approvals, building permit approval, development agreement, zoning and rezoning application, environmental assessment, special-purpose districts, and changes to general and/or specific plans.

Developers would need to identify the current transport problems around their desired location and help make solutions for these traffic problems.

This would mean that the development would also incorporate proper entries and exit in their properties to make sure the incoming and outgoing traffic would not cause traffic congestion in the street.

These traffic impact plans are subject to the approval of the Cebu City Council, which may give their recommendations for changes or improvements on the plans before finally giving the developers their permission to proceed with the projects.

Violators of this ordinance will be fined P5,000 and suspension of their project if necessary.

There are exemptions to the ordinance, however, as the residential houses, residential apartments with less than 20 units, community centers such as parks, and storage facilities will not be required to pass a traffic impact plan.

Guardo said the developers have to take part in helping solve the traffic problem as they are the main contributors of the traffic jam, yet they will benefit the most if these traffic jams are solved. /dbs