CITIES all over the world are creating more livable environments with protected bike lanes in their urban fabric. Paris — recently the most prominent example following its hosting of the 2024 Olympics — has expanded its bike lane network by over 300 kilometers since 2014, under the leadership of Mayor Anne Hidalgo.

It effectively increased the number of bike-friendly streets in Paris by 35 percent. Hidalgo didn't just focus on bike lanes; she added over 100,000 secure bike parking spaces throughout the city. The results were phenomenal — around 11 percent of passenger trips around the city are now done by bicycle, compared to only 5 percent in 2019.

In the Philippines, 36 percent of households have at least one member who pedals regularly, and households with bicycles outnumber those with cars by a ratio of 4:1. Which means it's also possible to make our cities healthier and more livable by creating and expanding networks of walking and cycling infrastructure.

Instead, we often take huge, backward steps. One of the saddest stories this past week was the desperate feedback from cyclists stuck in traffic on Manggahan Bridge in Pasig City after bike lanes were removed. Oscar Nava, a fellow mobility advocate, posted photos of the bridge and described the situation on his Facebook post:

"I asked a bike commuter, waiting behind a car in traffic at Manggahan Bridge, about the recent removal of the bollards and separators that reduced the bike lane to nothing. He commutes daily and, when asked about the change, he raises his arms in helplessness, a sad, almost tearful look of disappointment on his face, as if to say, 'What can we do?'"

There are similar situations all over the country due to the ignorance or insensitivity of decision-makers. Officials believe incorrectly that the removal of bike lanes will enable motor vehicles to go faster. But what happens is traffic slows down further since more motor vehicles fight for road space reclaimed from the bike lanes. In the end, no one gains, everyone loses. Worse, the most vulnerable road users are endangered.

The experience on Manggahan Bridge is instructive. Before barriers were removed in early August, the protected bike lanes along the bridge were filled with bicycles moving at a steady pace. The protected bike lanes provided a safe pathway for cyclists, allowing them to move faster than cars.

Today, without the protected bike lanes, the bridge is congested with heavy motor vehicle traffic. The removal of the protected bike lanes did nothing to ease the flow of traffic. Previously, most bicycles traveled in an orderly fashion along the bike lane. Now, bicycles and motorcycles weave in and out of every available space on the road, filled with hazards and on the verge of chaos.

Bike lanes are often criticized when no bicycles are seen using them. But it often means that cyclists have traveled ahead of those stuck in traffic, demonstrating the efficiency and utility of the bike lane. In the case of the EDSA Busway, the absence of a bus does not mean the lane is not used. On the contrary, bicycles and buses are among the most efficient modes of transportation in cities and deserve to have dedicated road lanes. And, like a sidewalk, a bike lane continues to serve an important road safety purpose, even when empty.

After I read Oscar Nava's Facebook post and absorbed the tragedy captured in his pictures, I addressed a comment to Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto: "Mayor Vico, Pasig City's good governance is unrecognizable in these photos of Manggahan Bridge. Before the removal of the protected bike lanes, those on bicycles had a relatively safe and flowing pathway, despite the heavy traffic on the bridge. You were not only protecting the most vulnerable road users (of which Pasig has many), you were also sending a signal that those on bicycles, who are efficient users of road space and nonpolluting, deserve to have a fair share of the road space."

"The recent removal of the protected bike lanes, as these pictures show, delivered no traffic improvement; it only made travel more difficult and unsafe for the many thousands of bicycles. More Pasig City cyclists will be at risk of death or major injury from road crashes. For sure, some of them will decide to switch to using a car or motorcycle (making traffic and pollution worse) the very outcome you want to avoid," Nava added.

The relentless growth in numbers of motor vehicles and the impossibility of commensurate expansion in road space for cars and motorcycles have worsened traffic in many Philippine cities, even during non-rush hours.

We need to preserve, improve and expand our bike lane networks because in the near future, bicycles may be one of the few options for mobility around our cities independently, with reasonable and predictable travel times. Let us make our streets friendly, comfortable and safe for bicycles because, one day soon, we, as well as our friends and family members, may need to use the bike lanes to get around.

Robert Y. Siy is a development economist, city and regional planner, and public transport advocate. He is co-convenor of the Move as One Coalition. He can be reached at mobilitymatters.ph@yahoo.com or followed on Twitter @RobertRsiy.