Nicolas Torre and his bicycle
NICOLAS Torre III was appointed general manager of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) in the latter half of December 2025. From the day he took office, Torre has been concerned about the worsening travel experience of Metro Manilans. Some of his proposals have been shot down, but I admire his tenacity and his willingness to break away from conventional but ineffective car-centric approaches.Torre gets it — the need for efficient, safe and sustainable travel options that do not require a private car or motorcycle. His positive messages about bicycles and improving our cycling environment are on point. I would argue that Torre has already done more to raise public understanding of the viability of bicycles as daily transport than any other Filipino public official. In his capacity as spokesman for the MMDA, his pro-cycling advocacy is a welcome and refreshing change.Torre knows cycling from personal experience. In 2011, he regularly biked 27 kilometers (km) each way daily from Sto. Domingo in Quezon City to Camp Bagong Diwa in Bicutan. In those days, he experienced more predictable and shorter travel times on a bicycle, compared with using a car. He also appreciated, I’m sure, the cost savings and health benefits. He also must have observed the many thousands of Filipinos moving around quietly and efficiently by bicycle, without generating heat or harmful emissions. He understands the risks they face as vulnerable road users.The potential benefits from more people on bicycles are huge. In 2021, the policy advocacy organization, AltMobility PH, released a report quantifying the social and economic benefits from cycling (Bikenomics: Assessing the Value of Cycling in the Philippines by Zaxx Abraham, Sarah Arrojado, Cola Cobarrubias, Ira Cruz, Patrick Jalasco, Chinee Leobrera, Keisha Mayuga and Regina Mora. Friedrich Naumann Foundation and AltMobility PH, 2021).This is what they found: Using a bicycle instead of a car can save a household about P281,462 per year; this leaves a family with more money for food, health care, education and savings. If only 5 percent of trips within Metro Manila are made on bicycles, society gains P738 billion in health cost savings annually.When it comes to fighting climate change, bicycles are also one of the best weapons available. In terms of reducing carbon in our atmosphere, attracting more people to cycle instead of using a motor vehicle is like planting trees. Converting 5 percent of car trips in Metro Manila into bicycle trips can save 57,000 tons of CO2 emissions annually, equivalent to planting 2.31 million trees.Torre knows that bike lanes and road-sharing are not a popular topic in certain circles. Many local officials (and many car and motorcycle users) hold the view that bike lanes are often empty, create traffic and should be removed (or converted into motorcycle lanes). Because there has been visible opposition to bicycle lanes (including from within MMDA), Torre deserves our commendation for his willingness to challenge such misplaced views and to push for road sharing, the safety of vulnerable road users and the greater good.Torre is passionate about his advocacy for cycling. On Jan. 29, 2026, he rode his bicycle to inspect bike lanes on his route to the office at MMDA. In the media interview that followed his bike lane audit, he delivered several important messages: that roads should provide space for all road users and that journeys of 15-20 km are very much feasible on a bicycle, requiring less than an hour of travel.On Feb. 1, 2026, Torre joined a bike ride of the Tiklop Society of the Philippines (an organization of users of folding bikes) to campaign for protected bike lanes and more road space for vulnerable road users. In response to media questions, Torre cited the need to reduce car-dependency by making cycling a safe and attractive travel mode. He mentioned the many economic and health gains for the individual as well as the benefits to society of having less road congestion and pollution. He recommended that bike lanes be established on many more major roads in Metro Manila (in addition to EDSA), noting that Metro Manila with its compact area was easily bikeable, distance-wise.On Feb. 3, 2026, Torre engaged the public on his Facebook page, inviting suggestions for making cycling to work more attractive. He started with his own suggestion: lockers and showers at work places so that cyclists can freshen up after a bike ride. His online invitation for suggestions has since attracted a huge number of responses, with protected bike lanes garnering a very high number of mentions.If Torre can get the MMDA to support his cycling advocacy, it may be the first time that all three major transportation-related agencies in the metropolis — the Department of Transportation, Department of Public Works and Highways, and the MMDA — agree that protected bike lanes deserve a larger and fairer share of existing road space. We could be on our way to creating a metropolis-wide network of high-quality protected bike lanes and achieving Torre’s dream of a bicycle-friendly Metro Manila. That would be welcome news indeed.Robert Y. Siy is a development economist, city and regional planner, and public transport advocate. He is a co-convenor of the Move As One Coalition. He can be reached at mobilitymatters.ph@yahoo.com or followed on X @RobertRsiy.
2026-02-06 16:16:00