“REDUCING TRAFFIC CONGESTION ALONG

MAGSAYSAY AVENUE, BAGUIO CITY THROUGH

THE REDEVELOPMENT OF LA TRINIDAD JEEPNEY
STATION”

Ancheta, Rudkei Jhon

Angor, Joshua John
Barredo, Amos Jacob
Briones, Jayel Lance
Estacio, Clark Alexander
Moster, Yvonne Angel Mae
Tugare, Arl Dwane

Department of Architecture, School of Engineering and

Architecture, Saint Louis University, Philippines
AR 4201 Research Methods
Instructor: Ar. Sheena Assayco

Author Note

Email: [email protected]
Mobile: +63 998 276 0205
Abstract

Baguio City has a rapid traffic congestion rate due to the cause of high-rate
migration, rapid urban growth and tourist influx. Magsaysay Avenue along La Trinidad
Jeepney Terminal is one of the most traffic-congested roads. According to studies, the
Transportation Terminals link is a link between cities to cities that improve the flow of the
transportation network. This project aims to redevelop a transportation terminal and address
passenger and vehicle traffic congestion, significantly reducing traffic in Baguio City. The
researchers will use an IPO framework to create an architectural solution output. The IPO
includes inputs related to jeepney and passenger traffic flow and vehicular congestion along
the RROW. Data gathering procedures for this study are Onboard Test Passenger Method,
Travel and Delay Survey, License Plate Method, Traffic Count Survey, and Simulation using
Synchro. For data analysis, the researchers will use a One-Tailed T-Test.
Keywords: Traffic Flow. Congestion, Traffic Congestion, Congestion, Traffic Flow,
Passenger Flow
Definition of terms

Congestion
- The overcrowding of jeepneys or passengers along Baguio-La Trinidad PUJ
terminal.
License plate method
- A data gathering method that determines the traffic of jeepneys within the
Baguio-La Trinidad terminal by observing their time of arrival and departure.
Magsaysay Avenue
- The portion of the whole Magsaysay Avenue in Baguio City which is from the
intersection to the portion of the road adjacent to the Pilando Center building.
Onboard test passenger method
- A data gathering method where queuing time is observed from the moment a
passenger enters the terminal until they enter their designated jeepneys during
the peak hours stated in the research study.
PUJ
- Public utility Jeepneys traveling from Baguio to La Trinidad and vice versa.
Queuing
- A waiting line that happens whenever immediate demand of something
exceeds the capacity to provide a product or service (Varghese, 2021)
Road details
- The physical features of Magsaysay, Avenue, Baguio City, Benguet (i.e. width,
one/two way, main/local road, etc.)
RROW
- Road right-of-way adjacent to the Baguio-La Trinidad PUJ terminal at
Magsaysay Avenue.
Synchro
- An infrastructure construction management software that will be used to
analyze the data from this study to understand the current traffic condition
along Magsaysay Avenue.
Traffic congestion
- Refers to the vehicular jam along Magsaysay Avenue, Baguio City, Benguet.
Traffic count survey
- A data gathering method that aims to determine the traffic condition in a
certain road by counting the number of vehicles that would pass every 15
minutes; in this study, through CCTV footage.
Traffic flow
- The interactions among vehicles, drivers, and the infrastructure, (Lieu, 1999)
specifically within the boundaries of Baguio-La Trinidad PUJ terminal at
Magsaysay Avenue, Baguio City, Benguet.
 1

Introduction
Rapid urbanisation and traffic congestion are two interconnected issues
increasingly affecting cities worldwide. As more people move to cities in search of economic
opportunities, the number of vehicles on the roads has been overgrown, leading to traffic
congestion, longer commuting times, and reduced productivity (Department of Economic and
Social Affairs, 2019). Baguio City is one of the Philippines' cities with a rapid traffic rate due
to rapid urban growth, a high rate of in-migration, and a high emigration rate, which caused a
large influx of tourists and a growing student population. The city officials made several
traffic experiments and solutions regarding Transportation Planning, but they have yet to be
completely effective. For example, coding determined based on the road carrying capacity
was issued, but this still needs to resolve the traffic and transportation issues in the City (De
Guzman et al., 2021). The officials also implement road widening and public transportation
but have yet to be confirmed if this has a full link to the city's congestion (Estrella et
al.,2017).

Transport terminals are an essential consideration in traffic flow because it is

the linkages between vehicles and citizens, being the centre of transport flow and movement
(Goetz & Rodrigue, 1999). The transportation terminal is the central node in transportation
systems. Efficient terminals can, among other things, improve the operation of passenger
transportation networks, adjust the layout of public transportation systems, and provide a
passenger guidance system (Yao et al., 2012). Unfortunately, according to De Guzman et al.
(2021), the current extreme congestion at terminals in Baguio City affects traffic, extensively
affecting the capacity of the road. That being said, this proposal aims to propose a
redevelopment of a transportation terminal and solve the congestion issue within site
regarding vehicular and passenger, causing a significant decrease in traffic in Baguio City.
For this study, the Jeepney was selected because it is the most popular, prominent, and
convenient mode of public transportation in Baguio (Bacero, 2009).

Many advanced cities have examined the development, building, and

management of transportation terminals adaptable to their communities to reduce tr affic
congestion. For example, in the study of Sun (2021), the researchers tackled the issue of the
increase in passenger flow at the passenger station of Tangshan West Comprehensive
Passenger Terminal, a train station. The study focuses on properly planning the train station
and developing a traffic organisation design. Categorised traffic flow and passenger flow
were discovered based on the passenger’s activity and transfer method. This related literature
is relevant to the study because some existing jeepney terminal area at Baguio City does not
have a permanent traffic flow and passenger flow, nor architectural features that help the
passengers identify where to proceed to perform their supposed activities. The discovered
patterns and flow from the study of Sun (2021) can be used as a framework for considering
passenger flow.

On the other hand, Yao et al. (2012) studied further the function, demand, and
structure of transportation terminals. The researchers from this study mapped the relationship
 2

between the function and structure of the transportation terminal based on the demand of the
users. As a result, they created a function-oriented concept layout model of transportation
terminals, a good framework that can guide designing the proposed jeepney terminal. Along
with the study of Sun (2021), both of these frameworks could be used together to create a
smooth flow and traffic within the terminal, considering the function and structure of the
transportation terminal.

The study by Labrador et al. (2010)., in the Philippines focuses on the traffic
flow of vehicles about traffic their results. Their Results revealed that traffics are affected by
queuing of jeepneys within peak hours along the road of selected malls in Manila. The study
followed an IPO framework, measuring jeepneys' travel time and delay based on traffic
volume and distance. The IPO framework can identify the time and distance of jeepneys
within the terminal.

However, despite existing studies about traffic and transportation terminals,

several gaps still need to be discovered. For example, none of the existing focus focuses on
something other than the flow and traffic of the vehicle within terminals or maps the
relationship between the flow and traffic of the passengers and vehicles. Also, many research
articles discussed terminals of different modes of transportation, but only some of the existing
studies discussed specifically jeepney stations. The existing studies concerning jeepney
traffic only focus on the traffic analysis of Jeepneys along the road based on time and
distance. However, no studies refer to the time and delay of the vehicle within the
transportation terminals. That being said, the following research gaps should be tackled in the
study.

Concerning the gap and research problem of the study, the enlisted research
questions are:
1. What is the quantitative value of the reduction in the traffic flow of passengers within the
site of the Proposed Jeepney Terminal to the Existing Jeepney Terminal?
2. What is the quantitative value of reducing the traffic flow of jeepneys within the site of the
Proposed Jeepney Terminal to the Existing Jeepney Terminal?
3. What is the quantitative value of reducing traffic flow of vehicle congestion within
Magsaysay Avenue along the lot's perimeter after and before the Proposed Jeepney Terminal
established?

For this paper, the researcher will use different existing studies to guide the
research framework, hence Conceptual Framework is chosen. The researchers will use the
IPO Model based on the study of Labrador et al. (2010). The researchers will also use this
existing study process and data-gathering methods but alter the locale of travel based on this
study. Instead of the relationship of jeepneys travelling from point to terminal, it would be
changing to the jeepneys and passengers' travel time from terminals' entrance to the exit.
 3

For the design and flow consideration, the researchers use Sun (2021) and Yao
et al. (2012) combined study results as a reference for the input and expected output. Since
the framework from both kinds of literature is patent to the function and flow of train
stations, there will be a significant difference in the result of this paper if the framework from
the existing studies is used in absolute. Due to the need for existing research articles
regarding the framework on Jeepney flow in Transportation Terminals, the framework from
the related literature should only be used as a guide for the design framework. This study
focuses on both vehicular and passenger, so the model must include not only the passengers
flow and traffic but also its relationship to the flow of the jeepneys. The input from the
reference used in this study is vehicular traffic data, vehicular queuing time, traffic of
passengers, and simulation. The output of this study would be an architectural design of a
Jeepney Terminal along the road right of way that improves the flow of vehicular and
passenger traffic within and in the station's proximity.

The PUJ Data aims to answer research question number two, while the
Passenger Data purpose is to satisfy the data of research question number one. On the other
hand, the Road Inventory Study helps to answer research number three. The simulation will
be used to identify the flow and traffic of the proposed Jeepney Terminal so that the proposed
and existing Jeepney Terminal’s data will be compared.

INPUT

Traffic Data
Travel and
Delay Survey PROCESS
Traffic
volume Evaluation and
No. of Line analysis of survey
Road Inventory Study data.
Road Identifying site-
specific problems on OUTPUT
Details
Intersectio traffic and congestion. Architectural
ns Simulation Method Design Solution for
Traffic using Synchro v6 the specified
Count Survey Comparative Analysis terminal.
PUJ Data of Simulation of
No. of Existing Terminal and
PUJs Proposed Terminal
Flow of
PUJs
Arrival and
exits points and
time.
Data from the Simulated
Proposed Terminal
Traffic
Data
Passenger
Data
PUJ Data
Traffic Figure 1: IPO Model
Count Survey
 4

In this research study, the researchers investigated or tested the following

hypothesis:
Ho: There is no significant difference between the Proposed La Trinidad Jeepney Terminal
and the Existing Terminal in terms of traffic congestion
Ha: There is a significant difference in that the Proposed La Trinidad Jeepney Terminal has
less traffic congestion than the Existing Terminal.

This locale of the study is at La Trinidad Jeepney Station at Magsaysay

Avenue, Baguio City, Benguet. The locale was chosen because, based on observation, traffic
is rampant along Magsaysay Avenue, and passenger congestion is observed within the
terminal. Also, it is vital to solving the traffic issue within Magsaysay Avenue because it is a
prominent linkage between Baguio City and La Trinidad. The primary subject of this study
will be the Jeepneys routed to the station and passengers, both queuing in line and departing
from the terminal. The Jeepney was chosen because it is the most used mode of transportation
in Baguio City. It requires further investigation because it has the most miniature existing
studies regarding Transportation Terminals. Magsaysay Avenue will also be tested to identify
the number of vehicles passing through it. However, the counting of cars is only limited
along the RROW at the lot's perimeter since the range of the CCTV footage is limited to that
location. During the data collection, the researchers will only be limited to the site during
peak hours, at 12:00 PM- 2:00 PM and 4:00 PM-6:00 PM (Macababbad, 2011) where the
congestion of traffic is focused on the city proper terminals. The data collection will be
within four continuous weeks.

The significance of the study is categorised into Local and National. For
locals, this study will reduce the traffic congestion along Magsaysay Avenue and its
surrounding area. The proposed jeepney terminal will improve the flow of pedestrians and
vehicles along the avenue as a result of thorough planning. It will help terminate the delay of
jeepneys going to La Trinidad because of a faster processing time at the jeepney station. The
findings of this study could help improve the quality of service for jeepney passengers, and it
will directly benefit particularly students and workers living in La Trinidad. It could help
businesses operate more efficiently and reduce transportation costs as an outcome of the
reduced traffic. Overall, the proposed study on building an efficient jeepney terminal to
alleviate traffic congestion is significant because it addresses a pressing social issue, has
economic benefits, and enhances public transportation quality. Furthermore, on a national
level, the findings of this study also contribute to the understanding of the underlying
solutions in designing jeepney stations in other parts of the Philippines which can also reduce
traffic congestion. Currently, no framework discusses a model that tackles Jeepney Terminal
congestion; the framework used from this study can be used in future studies on the related
topic.
 5

Methodology
The research design of this study will be Quantitative Design to identify if the
proposed Jeepney Terminal has significantly less traffic flow of passengers, jeepneys, and
congestion along Magsaysay Avenue. The study will start by gathering data from the study
area, La Trinidad Jeepney Station, at Magsaysay Avenue, Baguio Benguet. The first group of
data that needed to be gathered was the traffic of the passengers to the terminal. To gather the
data, the researchers will use Onboard test Passenger Method. Chosen researchers would be
assigned to their designated jeepney line until they reach the front of the line to record and
observe traffic movement along the study area. Queuing time is observed from when the
researchers enter the terminal until they enter their designated jeepneys.

This survey's results will be recorded on a survey sheet. The reason for the
delay was Identified and recorded in the sheet called the Travel and Delay Survey. The Data
Gathering will be done during peak hours, with intervals of one survey sheet per jeepney
destination/ minutes. With this, the actual queuing time of passengers would be calculated.

On the other hand, the data the researchers will be gathering next will relate to
the traffic of Jeepneys within the terminal. To measure this, the researchers will use the
License Plate Method. Appointed researchers would record plate numbers of jeepneys
entering the terminal. Recorded data also includes the jeepney's arrival time to departure.
With this, the queuing time of jeepneys within the terminal is calculated.

The following method is the Traffic Count Survey. The researchers will
submit a request letter to the Baguio Command Center to receive a copy of the CCTV footage
along Magsaysay Avenue in front of La Trinidad Jeepney Station. The researchers would also
request that the government provide a Road Inventory of the study locale. The researchers
then will count the vehicles along the road from the video. Every 15 minutes, the traffic
counts have recorded intervals in a provided tally sheet.

The traffic count data was used in Synchro to simulate the existing traffic
situation of the terminal. Interpreted data includes the factors and causes of delay, traffic, and
characteristics of the adjacent road. The interpreted data will then be used to create an
architectural design that will eliminate or lessen the traffic congestion within the terminal.

After the proposed design is complete, it will be run on Synchro for simulation
with the same data gathered for simulating the existing traffic to see if traffic and congestion
would still generate within the proposed jeepney terminal. The data analysis would be used to
compare the data of the two simulations to identify if the traffic congestion had a significant
change from its existing situation. Because the alternative hypothesis assumes that the
proposed jeepney terminal has less congestion than the existing one, the data analysis used
for this study would be a One-Tailed, T-Test.
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