Often we hear folks speaking about nice strolling, biking, and transit infrastructure and tradition in European nations as being the perfect on the planet. Famous bicycle boulevards and crowds of individuals on bikes all around the streets are what these nations are identified for. Very few non-European cities, particularly in Latin America, ever make the Most Bike-Friendly Cities on the Planet lists. More usually than not, the photographs of cities within the Global South that come up in films and TV are soiled, poorly maintained, unsafe, polluted, and overcrowded locations. Rarely, will we see photos of the large pedestrian plazas and rapid-fire subway trains. But each time I am going again to Mexico City, I notice how walkable and bikeable the town really is. I additionally notice how I by no means have to take a look at an app to search out when the following practice or bus is coming, as a result of the following one is all the time a couple of minutes away.
Besides biking, I’m additionally actually into mountain climbing, so once I had the possibility to go to Mexico City’s National Park, Los Dinamos, a number of weeks in the past, I jumped proper in. This big National Park not solely lies throughout the metropolis boundaries, however you may bike to it. I wasn’t conscious that this park existed, as a result of though I’m from Mexico City, the town is so massive, it takes folks years to get to know and discover the town to its full extent. As my household drove from Estado de Mexico into Mexico City so we might take public transit to the doorway of the park, I noticed a number of new initiatives within the metropolis.
First, as we drove out into Mexico City, I seen the Cablebús, which launched in 2019. The Cablebus is an aerial tramway that serves as public transportation for low-income communities in sure components of the town however will quickly be increasing. This tramway just isn’t the primary within the nation. In 2016, Estado de Mexico created the Mexicable to scale back switch occasions for a number of municipalities within the state.
As we saved driving, we encountered a number of main roadways throughout the metropolis limits that had been closed to drivers and open for strolling, jogging, skating, and biking. When I requested my household what was taking place, they stated each Sunday morning and afternoon, the town pedestrianizes main streets. Although I knew this occurred, this ciclovía/open streets venture is one I had not often examine and it’s spectacular how a lot it has developed prior to now 14 years. This related system averages 50,000 folks in a single Sunday.
The targets of this program, referred to as Paseos Dominicales Muévete en Bici y Paseos Nocturnos, are to extend bodily exercise for well being and wellness, to advertise public schooling on biking, together with permitting folks to construct the boldness to make use of a motorcycle as a mode of transportation, and to advertise using bicycles as a sustainable type of transportation and recreation. It is run by the Ministry of Mobility, nevertheless it began below the Ministry of Environment of Mexico City in May of 2007, initially pedestrianizing one of many main streets of the town referred to as Paseo de la Reforma. The unique route was 6.2 miles. In 2014, as Chicago ended its Open Streets program due funding points, Mexico City saved including increasingly more streets to theirs. Today, this system contains over 31 miles of the town. This apply just isn’t solely present in Mexico City; Other Mexican cities like Guadalajara, Mérida, and Puebla additionally additionally maintain ciclovías.
In addition to the growth of this system and the growth of bicycle lanes by the Mexico City authorities which have undoubtedly elevated biking within the metropolis, I seen electrical bikes on the streets. These e-bikes don’t belong to the bike sharing program Ecobici, which began in 2010. These e-bikes belong to a Mexican startup firm referred to as DEZBA, which started releasing e-bikes in Mexico City in 2019, alongside Uber’s JUMP e-bikes. Today, DEZBA ebikes is the one different e-bike-share program that legally operates within the metropolis, though the system is restricted to only a few neighborhoods. However, there are a number of different corporations which have launched ebikes for the reason that pandemic started. Ecobici will even be increasing stations and bikes originally of 2022 via 2024, however they don’t point out any plans so as to add e-bikes as a part of their fleet. It can be fascinating to see when e-bikes start to grow to be a extra frequent mode of transportation within the metropolis.
In different good transportation information, I discovered that in 2018 Metrobús, the quick, dependable bus speedy transit system had expanded, including a seventh line to its system, in addition to added double-decker buses to its fleet to serve extra folks. Metrobús, which operates nearly like a practice, has helped ease commutes and congestion for the previous 17 years. It is estimated that 1.8 million folks use it on a every day foundation.
The Mexico City Metro remains to be in want of enhancements, upgrades, and growth. Last yr, a Metro overpass collapsed as a result of development deficiencies that induced structural failure, killing 26 folks and injuring 79 others. This tragic incident revealed the inequality in entry to protected and environment friendly infrastructure for sure communities. With modernization initiatives within the works, and a practice that may join Mexico City to Toluca, the capital of Estado de Mexico, the federal government is vowing to enhance development and security requirements.
There are many points that also have to be addressed to really protected, equitable, and environment friendly transportation in Mexico City. However, it’s well past time for the city planning world to cease overlooking the various successes of Latin American cities like Mexico City to search out revolutionary methods to enhance strolling, biking, and transit.