Environmental group Greenpeace urged Filipinos to realize and appreciate the significance of having protected bike lanes in building better and more livable cities, particularly in Metro Manila.

Greenpeace took part in the four-day “Share the Road” exercise that began on Saturday by setting up pop-bike lanes along EDSA.

The group is calling on Metro Manila mayors to advance protected bike lanes as part of a comprehensive plan to put people at the center of city planning.

The Share the Road initiative in EDSA is the second wave of the event, which was first organized at Commonwealth Ave. by Biker’s United Marshalls.

The bike lanes will be set up at six stations on the highway’s southbound side from Aurora Boulevard in Quezon City to Magallanes in Makati City until Aug. 18.

Greenpeace Southeast Asia executive director Yeb Saño sees the activity as an opportunity for people to appreciate the far-reaching benefits of establishing a cycling lane network along main roads.

“Bike lanes are not just for bikes and bikers, but for everyone living and working in cities,” he said. 

“With the right planning, they could provide pedestrians and commuters with safer, wider room to move even at a busy road like EDSA,” he added.

Greenpeace believes that because of urban planning that has prioritized motor vehicles running on fossil fuels, the resulting air pollution has made our cities unhealthy for ordinary citizens.

“Globally, cities account for 75 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, a great part of it is from fossil fueled transport. Cities that provide more opportunities for active mobility such as biking and walking will create less need for cars. This means less air pollution, and a huge opportunity for climate mitigation,” Saño said.