N Insights
By Doc Ian Mark Q. Nacaya
Perspectives on Leadership and Community Life
Traffic congestion has become one of the everyday challenges facing Cagayan de Oro, particularly along Father Masterson Avenue and the rapidly developing uptown corridor. As educational institutions, commercial establishments, hospitals, and residential communities continue to expand, so too does the number of vehicles using this vital road network. While road widening and new road links remain necessary, one practical and globally proven solution deserves renewed attention: the strategic establishment of small and large roundabouts, or rotondas.
Many European countries, including the Italy, Netherlands, France, Germany, Spain, and the United Kingdom, have long adopted modern roundabouts as an effective traffic management system. Instead of forcing vehicles to stop repeatedly at signalized intersections, roundabouts keep traffic moving through continuous circular flow. Motorists simply yield before entering and proceed toward their chosen exit with minimal interruption.
The benefits are significant. Traffic congestion is reduced because vehicles spend less time idling at red lights. Fuel consumption and vehicle emissions decline. Travel times become more predictable. More importantly, roundabouts reduce the likelihood of severe collisions by eliminating high-speed right-angle crashes that commonly occur at conventional intersections.
During my incumbency as a Member of the Sangguniang Panlungsod of Cagayan de Oro, I delivered a Special Report before the City Council plenary urging the Roads and Traffic Administration (RTA) to conduct a comprehensive feasibility study on establishing roundabouts along Father Masterson Avenue and its major intersections. The proposal recognized that as Uptown continued to grow, traffic management would eventually require solutions beyond conventional traffic signals.
One of the advantages of modern roundabouts is their cost efficiency. Once properly designed and constructed, they substantially reduce dependence on traffic signal installations, electrical consumption, signal maintenance, and the recurring operational costs associated with traffic light systems. Instead of relying on stop-and-go traffic control, roundabouts allow vehicles to move continuously at safe speeds, making traffic management both more efficient and more economical over the long term.
Imagine a coordinated network of appropriately designed roundabouts beginning from the Nazareth Rotonda and extending toward the major intersections along Father Masterson Avenue. Smaller single-lane roundabouts could serve neighborhood intersections, while larger multi-lane roundabouts could efficiently accommodate higher traffic volumes near major commercial and institutional centers. Such a system could significantly improve traffic circulation while complementing future road expansion projects.
Of course, this is not simply a matter of constructing circular islands. Every proposed location must undergo professional traffic engineering studies, vehicle simulation modeling, pedestrian safety analysis, drainage assessment, and public consultation. Roundabouts must be introduced only where they are technically appropriate and supported by sound engineering principles.
Around the world, cities that have embraced modern roundabouts have demonstrated measurable improvements in traffic efficiency, road safety, fuel savings, and environmental sustainability. For a rapidly growing city like Cagayan de Oro, these lessons are worth studying seriously.
Urban mobility is no longer measured solely by how many roads are built, but by how intelligently those roads are designed. Continuous movement often proves more valuable than repeated stopping.
As Cagayan de Oro continues its journey toward becoming a highly urbanized and competitive city, it is timely to revisit practical, evidence-based solutions that can improve mobility without imposing unnecessary long-term operational costs. The proposal to establish strategically located roundabouts along the Father Masterson Avenue corridor remains worthy of renewed technical evaluation.
Good cities do not simply respond to traffic congestion – they anticipate it through smart planning, sound engineering, and forward-looking governance.
Author’s Byline
Dr. Ian Mark Q. Nacaya is a public administration scholar, urban governance practitioner, and former six-term City Councilor of Cagayan de Oro City. He also served as a two-time Sectoral Representative to the City Council, first as SK City Federation President and later as Liga ng mga Barangay President, and was a three-term Majority Floor Leader. He is the Founder of NACAYA Public-SectoralDev Insights Consulting and serves as a graduate school professor in public administration courses.
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