It’s official: Manila City’s implementation of a motorized vehicle-free section on Sundays (or Ordinance No. 8724) will be taking effect immediately.

This means that the city of Manila will now officially join the likes of Ayala Avenue (Makati) in shutting down a major thoroughfare for pedestrians to use for leisure and exercise.

In this case, the northbound and southbound sections of Roxas Boulevard from Padre Burgos Avenue to Quirino Avenue will be closed every Sunday from 5am to 9am until the end of June.

More people in the National Capital Region get the chance to go out and safely exercise without having to worry about pollution or traffic obstructing them, and local governments and businesses see the benefits of having a more pedestrian-centric infrastructure.

For those who need to drive somewhere during these times, the MMDA has provided several detours that go around the road closures (all words from them):

1. All vehicles northbound of Roxas Boulevard shall turn right to Quirino Avenue to the destination.
2. All vehicles southbound of Roxas Boulevard shall turn left to P. Burgos Avenue to the destination.
3. All vehicles from the three bridges (Jones, MacArthur, and Quezon) intending to utilize Roxas Boulevard shall go straight to Taft Avenue to the destination.
4. All vehicles from westbound of P. Burgos Avenue intending to utilize the southbound lane of Roxas Boulevard shall make the full turn around straight to Ma. Orosa Street then turn right to Kalaw Avenue to the destination.
5. All vehicles from westbound of Kalaw Avenue intending to use the southbound lane of Roxas Boulevard shall turn left to M.H. del Pilar Street to the destination.
6. All vehicles from westbound of UN Avenue intending to use the southbound lane of Roxas Boulevard shall turn left to M.H. del Pilar Street to the destination.
7. Trailer trucks/heavy vehicles coming from Delpan Bridge shall turn around at Anda Circle to the northbound lane of Mel Lopez Boulevard to C3 to the destination.
8. All vehicles from Finance Road to P. Burgos Avenue then turn right to Bonifacio Drive to the destination.
9. All vehicles from westbound of Quirino Avenue shall turn left to Roxas Boulevard southbound to the destination.