The car-free Sunday movement has been steadily growing all over Metro Manila with various streets being closed to vehicles for a limited time on Sundays, allowing residents to walk, bike, and enjoy outdoor activities.
The initiative has expanded to major cities outside Metro Manila as well, reflecting the trend of cities around the world experimenting with temporary and permanent car bans
to turn streets into public spaces.
If you’re traveling to any of the cities below this summer, you might want to avoid driving in certain streets on Sunday mornings. But if you’re looking for places to achieve your daily step count or go for a run safely, here’s where you can go.
Baguio City: Session Road
Since it was launched in August 2019, Baguio’s car-free Session Road has become a top draw for weekend tourists.
Even before cities in Metro Manila launched their car-free programs, Baguio City launched pedestrianization efforts along the uphill section of Session Road. The initiative aimed to reduce traffic congestion, improve air quality, and encourage motorists to take public transportation, to decrease the volume of vehicles on the streets. Unlike other cities, which only keep streets car-free for a few hours in the morning, Baguio City’s Car-free Sundays last the whole day.
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The car-free zone roughly covers a 450m section of Session Road’s 1.7km stretch of Baguio’s main commercial and cultural thoroughfare. This bustling street near Burnham Park, the Baguio Cathedral, Baguio City Market, and SM Baguio is packed with various businesses shops, hotels, and restaurants frequented by both locals and tourists.
During its run, the main street was closed to motorized traffic on Sundays, giving a space for tourists to stroll, sample food from stalls, and creatives like musicians, cosplayers, mascots, buskers, and chalk artists to showcase their art.
The Cordillera Conservation Trust reports that since the car-free Sunday program was launched, it created an entire community around Baguio City’s Main Street, adding to the vibrancy and creativity in the summer capital.
However, according to a recent Inquirer news report: “Persistent traffic congestion" has put a temporary halt to Baguio’s Sunday pedestrianization experiment as of March 2025. The city council has asked for further study and a possible ordinance to establish rules for closing the busy main street.
If you’re planning to visit Baguio, it’s best to utilize public transpo while going around the city, especially along Session Road, to help ease traffic congestion. On a related note, motorcycles, bicycles, scooter,s and tricycles are prohibited along Session Road based on local guidelines.
Cebu City: Cebu I.T. Park and Cebu Business Park
In June 2024, Ayala Land launched Car-free Sundays in Cebu Business Park and Cebu I.T. Park, promoting pedestrianization and active lifestyles. Cebu Business Park closes Mindanao Avenue WB from Archbishop Reyes Avenue to Siquijor Road and Mindanao Avenue EB (Siquijor Road to Biliran Road) on Sundays from 5am to 10am.
Similarly, Cebu I.T. Park has implemented Car-Free Sundays closed on Sundays from 5am to 10am, closing the following roads:
- Geonzon Street (Abad Street to I. Villa Street)
- I. Villa Street (Geonzon Street to Jose Maria Del Mar Street)
- Jose Maria Del Mar Street (I. Villa Street to Abad Street)
- Abad Street (Jose Maria Del Mar Street to Geonzon Street)
Bacolod City: Lacson Street
The Bacolod city government also launched its own Car Free Sunday program in June 2024 to help promote a healthy and active lifestyle for Bacolodnons. A 1.2-kilometer stretch of Lacson Street, specifically from Ramos North Drive to South Capitol Road is closed to motorized traffic every Sunday from 5am to 9am.
Lacson Street is a vibrant hub for culture and history in Bacolod. The street is near the Capitol Park and lagoon near the Negros Occidental Provincial Capitol. It’s also a popular food trip destination, with numerous cafes and restaurants, as well as hotels and commercial establishments.
Iloilo City: Festive Walk Iloilo
Since June 2024, car-free programs have been held every Sunday at Festive Walk Iloilo, a lifestyle mall development under Megaworld inside the Iloilo Business Park. Iloilo’s car-free program runs every Sunday from 6am to 10am.
Iloilo City has also been mulling carless Sundays in Calle Real, subject to consultations with private communities and business groups in the area for its implementation. The historic street located in the old downtown district of Iloilo is home to several heritage and colonial-era buildings.
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Davao City: Coastal Road
Davao City launched its Car-Free Sunday program on the Coastal Road last December 2024. This initiative, approved by the City Council, aims to promote fitness and healthy lifestyles by providing a vehicle-free space for running, walking, jogging, cycling, and other physical activities from 4 a.m. to 8 a.m. every Sunday.
According to guidelines from the City Government of Davao, the car-free Sunday initiative covers the Coastal Road from Crossing Bago Aplaya to Crossing Tulip Drive every Sunday with the northbound (seaside) lane for running, walking, and jogging, and the southbound lane (mountainside for cycling only).
Meanwhile, Parks 1 and 2 (Bago Aplaya Esplanade, Gulf View Esplanade) are designated for leisure and other fitness activities allowed by the Davao City Parks Systems Management Board (DCPSMB). The maximum speed for cyclists is 20 kph as per guidelines.
As pointed out by the Climate Change Commission: “Establishing car-free zones lowers carbon emissions, improves air quality, and encourages active, healthier lifestyles. Beyond reducing traffic congestion, these initiatives reimagine our cities as spaces designed for people.”
What other streets could benefit from the car-free movement? Let us know in the comments section.
