Photos: A Preliminary Study on Traffic Congestion in Katipunan (in the Vicinity of Ateneo de Manila University)

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(Click on the photos to see a larger image.)


6:00 a.m.


6:00 a.m


6:00 a.m

6:00 a.m.

6:30 a.m.

6:30 a.m.

6:45 a.m.

6:45 a.m.


6:45 a.m. (Xavierville)

6:47 a.m.

7:00 a.m.

7:00 a.m.

7:00 a.m.

7:30 a.m.

7:30 a.m.


7:30 a.m.

(All photos taken by Raffy Saldaña. All Rights Reserved.)
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While pondering on the problem of traffic congestion in Katipunan Avenue in the vicinity of Ateneo de Manila University, I decided to do my own data gathering (to be used in my mathematical modeling and computer simulation studies of traffic dynamics).

This morning (14 August 2008) I woke up early and took photos and video clips of the "evolution" of traffic congestion in the area of Katipunan Avenue which includes the Katipunan-Aurora fly-over, the intersection of Katipunan Avenue and Xavierville Avenue, the road from Aurora Avenue to Katipunan Avenue coming from Marikina City proper, and Ateneo de Manila University Gates 1 and 2. This area includes the u-turn slot for vehicles going South and making a u-turn towards North.

Some Notes and Observations:

1. I took photos from 6:00 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. in the following times: 6:00 a.m., 6:30 a.m., 6;45 a.m., 7:00 a.m., and 7:30 a.m.

2. From a smooth traffic flow at 6:00 a.m., traffic flow becomes heavier with peaks occuring at 6:45 a.m. in the intersection of Katipunan Ave. and Xavierville ave. , and at 7:00 a.m. in the right side of the Katipunan-Aurora flyover going to Ateneo (from the south).

3. Traffic flow eases starting at7 :15 a.m. and becomes relatively smooth at 7:30 a.m.

4. Gridlock occurs between 6:45 a.m. to 7:00 a.m. in the intersection of Katipunan Ave. and Xavierville Ave. due to the heavy volume of vehicles trying to make a u-turn under the Katipunan-Aurora flyover.

5. The two-way two lane traffic at Xavierville Ave. becomes a one-way three-lane street due to impatient drivers who occupy the left lane to make a right turn to Katipunan Ave.

6. The heavy volume of traffic occurs between 6:45 a.m. to 7:00 a.m. because at this time period grade school students (including prep and kinder) are being brought to the Ateneo Grade School through Gates 1 and 2. The Ateneo Grade School students must be in their classrooms before 7:15 a.m. because the customary flag ceremony (which signals the start of the schoolday) begins at 7:15 a.m.

7. Clogging in a portion of Katipunan-Aurora flyover occurs around 7:00 a.m. because vehicles going towards North are being deterred by vehicles exiting from the Ateneo Gate 2.5 and those vehicles entering Gate 2.


Raffy Saldaña
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