Well, here’s another good reason to think about switching to a two-wheeler. Pasig City mayor Vico Sotto recently took to Twitter to show off his local government unit’s (LGU) new bicycle racks for public buildings and pointed out another major consideration in the bikes versus cars argument: the cost of setting up parking spaces.
“Installation of 60 bike racks for our public buildings. Around P15,000 per rack (P2,500 per bicycle slot),” Sotto shared on social media. “To get an idea of how cheap this is, a car park building costs at least P600,000 per car [parking] space.”
The government official went on to add that once you take into consideration the cost of building maintenance, the cost of a parking space is “easily” 300 times that of a bicycle’s. Look:
Of course, we’re not privy to the numbers Sotto is basing all of this on, and there’s a lot more to take into consideration here. The location and land value of a parking lot or building have to be taken into account, as well as demand. Then there’s all the red tape operators need to go through to put up a building. But damn, have you ever thought about this?
Sotto and his LGU have been very active in promoting the use of bicycles within their turf over the past few months. Early in June, the mayor announced the creation of a ‘High Priority Bicycle Corridor’ to provide residents with a safe and convenient biking experience from Barangay Manggahan to Pasig City Hall.
So, what do you think of Sotto’s assessment? Do you think the cost of putting up parking spaces is something that should be considered when buying a car versus a bicycle? Let us know in the comments, And share with us your recent experience with Pasig City’s new bike initiatives.
