Cicloruta sign in Bogotá A holistic city vision and plan for streets, green spaces and green transport is a foundation for high-quality city life. But what exactly is it that makes for an urban landscape that supports the good life? In this posting I focus on mobility, a critical key to urban health. Mobility in a sophisticated urban life is the ability for anyone to get around a city safely, quickly, and with little or no stress.
In most cities today, a minority has a stranglehold on the space allocated to transport. This minority (and it is a minority in most cities of the world) is city dwellers who use cars. Big-city space is scarce, and with one person in a car taking up an area that could accommodate dozens in a bus or streetcar, or maybe 6 on bicycles, cars tend to overwhelm urban infrastructure and rob everyone of quality mobility.
Large cities around the world are looking for solutions to the mobility problem, and those that have succeeded have almost invariably placed limits on the automobile. These successful cities have built accessible and efficient public transport systems. Some have gone a step further, making bicycling a safe and viable option for all urban residents, revolutionizing urban life in unexpectedly nice ways. Innovative street design, incorporating bicycle paths, is central to the plans of any city aiming for the highest quality of urban life.
In most cities today, a minority has a stranglehold on the space allocated to transport. This minority (and it is a minority in most cities of the world) is city dwellers who use cars. Big-city space is scarce, and with one person in a car taking up an area that could accommodate dozens in a bus or streetcar, or maybe 6 on bicycles, cars tend to overwhelm urban infrastructure and rob everyone of quality mobility.
Large cities around the world are looking for solutions to the mobility problem, and those that have succeeded have almost invariably placed limits on the automobile. These successful cities have built accessible and efficient public transport systems. Some have gone a step further, making bicycling a safe and viable option for all urban residents, revolutionizing urban life in unexpectedly nice ways. Innovative street design, incorporating bicycle paths, is central to the plans of any city aiming for the highest quality of urban life.
A bike path wending it's way through Parque el Virrey in my neighborhood in Bogotá. Bicycle paths take many forms, but can simply be defined as designated lanes for bicycle use. Ideally, these paths are segregated from automobile and other traffic, although the reality in dense urban areas is that bicycle lanes are often shared and/or just added as an afterthought to existing streets with no separation from vehicular traffic.
The development of bicycle infrastructure (but not bicycle usage) tends to closely follow socioeconomic indicators such as high income and high education. The countries best known for providing excellent paths for bicyclists include the Netherlands, Denmark, and Germany. Cities with a similar reputation include Montreal, Portland, Perth, Barcelona, and even New York as of late. But one city ranked near the top for its biking infrastructure is a bit out of place in this elite group of wealthy countries and cities: Bogotá, the capital of Colombia. Bogotá consistently ranks among the top ten cities globally for biking, and it provides a model for many other cities in the developing world. There's a fascinating history behind Bogotá's unlikely rise, and I recommend you take a look at Martin Herrndorf's blog on this topic here.
The development of bicycle infrastructure (but not bicycle usage) tends to closely follow socioeconomic indicators such as high income and high education. The countries best known for providing excellent paths for bicyclists include the Netherlands, Denmark, and Germany. Cities with a similar reputation include Montreal, Portland, Perth, Barcelona, and even New York as of late. But one city ranked near the top for its biking infrastructure is a bit out of place in this elite group of wealthy countries and cities: Bogotá, the capital of Colombia. Bogotá consistently ranks among the top ten cities globally for biking, and it provides a model for many other cities in the developing world. There's a fascinating history behind Bogotá's unlikely rise, and I recommend you take a look at Martin Herrndorf's blog on this topic here.
View of the Coliseo El Campin from a pedestrian/bicycle bridge. Bogotá, although nestled in the high Andes and with an impressive mountain backdrop, is generally a flat city that is ideal for bicycle transport. The planners of the cicloruta (Spanish for bike path) system in Bogotá have used this flatness, and the city's grid pattern, to make for an extensive system (over 300km) of separated bike paths that efficiently take you just about anywhere in the city. I have ridden across nearly half the system in my five months in Bogotá, and generally the experience has been excellent. The system is well-maintained, and despite the rainy climate and sometimes bad air pollution along major roads, it's a wonderful way to get around the city.
The paths here are used for leisure and exercise, general transport, and have a surprising number of people delivering goods of great variety - from hot meals to metal piping. I could just as easily exchange the word 'people' with 'men', however, when describing users of the ciclorutas. My impression is that male bikers greatly outnumber female bikers, especially on weekdays. I can only speculate as to why (maybe security concerns or an idea that it's not a feminine way to get around). A recent article in Transportation Alternatives gives some answers to a similar question in New York City.
Finally let me clarify that despite its extensiveness the cicloruta system in Bogotá is not, in my observations, used like systems in Amsterdam and Copenhagen as a primary mode of transport for office workers. But this is a topic for another posting.
The paths here are used for leisure and exercise, general transport, and have a surprising number of people delivering goods of great variety - from hot meals to metal piping. I could just as easily exchange the word 'people' with 'men', however, when describing users of the ciclorutas. My impression is that male bikers greatly outnumber female bikers, especially on weekdays. I can only speculate as to why (maybe security concerns or an idea that it's not a feminine way to get around). A recent article in Transportation Alternatives gives some answers to a similar question in New York City.
Finally let me clarify that despite its extensiveness the cicloruta system in Bogotá is not, in my observations, used like systems in Amsterdam and Copenhagen as a primary mode of transport for office workers. But this is a topic for another posting.
A bicycle path along Carrera 11 with beautiful newly planted trees. Despite my optimism about biking in Bogotá, it does present certain challenges and frustrations. In cities such as Amsterdam, with a long history of urban bicycling, a common culture of biking has developed wherein every Dutch person seems to instinctively know the basic rules. Pedestrians and vehicles usually stay out of bike lanes, bicyclists signal to each other to indicate turns, and a general level of biking civility is maintained. In Bogotá its more of a free-for-all. Pedestrians routinely walk in bike lanes, cars and other vehicles (and vendor carts) block the routes, and in any situation where a bicyclist needs to enter a proper street, it can be dangerous. There is a general lack of respect for bicyclists (and pedestrians) by drivers in this city. Cars do not tend to slow down and yield to bicycles - even if there is a stop sign demanding this. What's needed here is more verkehrsberuhigung, a wonderful compound German word for traffic calming, a concept the embraces the view that streets are public spaces that should be shared equally by all users. Typical traffic calming strategies include speed bumps, curb extensions, and signs indicating pedestrian/bicycle crossing areas.
Ciclovia on Carrera 15 at Calle 87. In addition to its ciclorutas, there are additional opportunities for bicyclists in this huge metropolis. Every Sunday and national holiday Bogotá closes over 120km of city streets to traffic and from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. the streets are the domain of bicyclists, pedestrians, rollerbladers and others luxuriating in the usually off-limits expanses of space devoted to the automobile. This practice is called ciclovia and the city estimates it provides exhaust-free exercise space for over 1 million people and it is hugely popular here. There are few better ways to get in touch with the local scene in Bogotá than to ride or stroll down one of the closed streets on a Sunday morning. It's a festive occasion and a whole industry has arisen to cater to the needs of those out on the streets. There are well-organized vendors selling drinks, fruit and other snacks and bicycle repair stands lining the streets. Ciclovia is a practice that should be adopted by cities all over the world, and it's not isolated to Bogotá. I've seen a similar, if less well-organized, program in Guadalajara, Mexico.
Empty spaces waiting for trees along a Bogotá bike path. For my work with CitiNature, the ciclorutas of Bogotá provide a natural space for projects, as they are inconsistently greened. Biking under a green canopy adds visual pleasure to a ride. Trees give a fresh smell to the air, provide protection from the tropical sun and act as a buffer with traffic. In some areas, the vegetation along the paths is lush, in others patchy or nonexistent. There are many spaces that may have once been planted with trees and bushes that today are empty - easy targets for a greening project. .
There are also many un-pruned trees that obstruct bicyclists. It's not uncommon to have to duck as you ride to pass through some areas. I envision a project wherein CitiNature will help train volunteer pruners to do this job, as is done in New York City.
There are also many un-pruned trees that obstruct bicyclists. It's not uncommon to have to duck as you ride to pass through some areas. I envision a project wherein CitiNature will help train volunteer pruners to do this job, as is done in New York City.
A sign marking the end of a cicloruta. The opportunities open to bicyclists in Bogotá add to the quality of life in this city and with increased cycling - especially for commuting to work - the physical environment of Bogotá can further improve.
To purchase a bike in Bogotá and start making a difference, check out Martin's excellent recommendations.
To purchase a bike in Bogotá and start making a difference, check out Martin's excellent recommendations.
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