Mayor Benjamin Magalong said the city needs to build as many parking buildings as possible as one of the solutions to easing the city’s worsening traffic problem.
In the meeting of the City Development Council attended by punong barangays and civil society groups in the city, the mayor said the city is looking into at least 10 sites on which to build car parks.
“We need to build enough (of these parking facilities) to accommodate if possible all the 64,000 vehicles plying the city’s roads daily based on the 2018 survey and that does not include the 2019 vehicles vis-à-visthe city’s total road capacity of only 15,000 vehicles,” the mayor said.
The areas eyed for car parks are the Ganzasite to accommodate 550 cars, the private lot along Abanao Street, the owner of which already agreed to construct a modular parking structure, the site of the City Hall Annex at the Baguio Fire Station where the city plans to put up an eight-story building with parking facility with 450 to 500 slots;
The old city library site which upon development will devote two basement car parks; the Athletic Bowl where a modular parking facility will also be built; the Bibaklot along Harrison Road; the Wright Park (modular); at the back of the Baguio Convention Center where a multi-level parking building will rise with 800 slots; the Government Service Insurance System property near Victory Liner; and at the Bayan Park at Bayan Park Village.
The mayor said he will continue to negotiate with concerned groups and individuals as well as lobby for funding for the parking plans to materialize. – Aileen P. Refuerzo
