More Bike Lanes for Bogotá?

Studying a map of proposed bicycle lanes in the IDU this morning. 

A cyclist steers around pedestrians on a
sidewalk bike lane in central Bogotá.

The administration of Mayor Gustavo Petro, who recently said that pedestrians should have top transit priority, followed by cyclists, then public transit and then finally private cars, has proposals to build close to 200 kms of new bicycle lanes. At a meeting this morning in the Urban Development Institute (IDU), officials said they're studying some 185 kms of new bike lanes and evaluating whether they'd be on sidewalks, as many existing lanes are, or on streets, as the mayor has proposed.

Each design has problems: Many sidewalk lanes consist of little more than stripes painted on the pavement and cyclists have to dodge pedestrians, potholes and delivery vehicles. But if the lanes are in the street, cyclists will have to battle cars and motorcycles, which will certainly not respect cyclists' territory. And, it puts cyclists in the direct aim of exhaust pipes connected to motors burning dirty fuel and lacking pollution controls.

The sort sidewalk 'cicloruta,' or bike lane, which we don't need. 

What happens when bike lanes are in the street: This truck found this bike lane to be a good place to park. 

Two of the streets proposed for new bike lanes are Carrera Septima and Calle 19.

Ave. Septima might have room for a bike lane, particularly if the city builds a light rail line down its middle. 

But where would a bike lane fit on Calle 19?

And how many cyclists would dare to ride up the street behind smoke-spouting vehicles like these?



I made these two videos today, in a period of about twenty minutes - and they were only two of many smog belching vehicles I saw.

Priorities for cyclists? On 19th a cyclist waits for a long time for a chance to cross.

Finally, he grabs a chance to cross. 

Once across, he continues on the sidewalk. 

By Mike Ceaser, of Bogotá Bike Tours

Public Bikes on Seventh Ave.

Attendants and bikes on Seventh Ave. 

Bogotá's long-promised public bicycles system appears no closer to reality. But, in what will hopefully spur officialdom to get it moving, City Hall and the IDRD have set up a low-tech, small-scale bike lending program on the pedestrianized stretch of Ave. Septima between 19th and 24th Sts.

The aluminum-frame bikes are lots nicer than needed
for five level blocks of Ave. Septima.

Right now, they've got 16 bikes, stationed in two spots, by 19th St. and 24th. But they have more bikes available and intend to expand, an attendant told me. The bikes are nice ones, with aluminum frames. And security isn't bullet-proof: attendants make sure users have a valid photo ID, and take a photograph of the person with ID and bike. Users are supposed to remain only on the five blocks of Seventh Ave. which are closed to cars while the bridge over 26th St. is replaced as part of the TransMilenio expansion project (The new bridge is supposed to be completed in 100 days.)

Encouragingly, an attendant told me they lent bikes 130 times today, which was happily rain-free. Yesterday was tougher, however, because of cold rain and protest marches.

"When the protests finally ended, the rains started," an attendant lamented.

Students, local employees and "even business men in suits and ties," used the bikes. Not a single one was stolen, altho I can't imagine it'd be very difficult for someone to present a fake ID and then dart down a side street into the Santa Fe neighborhood, where a stolen bike would be easy to hide.

This five-block project isn't very practical for transport, altho officials should consider expanding it to include spots near universities along the Eje Ambiental. But it demonstrates, once again, that real demand exists for public bicycles in Bogotá, and that this city of traffic jams may be missing an opportunity by not pursuing the idea, as Medellin is.

Users riding five blocks on loaned bikes. Each loan includes a helmet, but few got used. 

A bicycle stand. 

By Mike Ceaser, of Bogotá Bike Tours

Bogotá's Suddenly Bikeable Seventh Ave.

Where cars normally rule, now it's bikes and pedestrians. 

Walking across the bridge over 26th St. 

Bogotá's normally chaotic, congested and contaminated Seventh Ave. has suddenly become bikeable, thanks to the demolition of the bridge over 26th St. - at least for the seven blocks between 19th and 26th Sts.

While it's only a short stretch, and cyclists and pedestrians still have to fight traffic and pollution to the north and south, to the city's credit it's made a real effort to create a 'humane' transit scheme for the car-free stretch of Seventh Ave. (Which will last at least five months and might be extended to Plaza Bolivar, and even made permanent).

To the north of 26th, they also added a useful bike lane, altho the barrier can't protect against the chronic pollution.

Are these improvements signs of bigger things to come? We can only hope.

Seventh Ave. in normal times. A bicyclist fights his way amidst traffic. 

In normal times, cycling along Seventh Ave. is not child's play. 

The bike lane has even made Seventh a tourist attraction. 

The bicycle lane's presence doesn't mean it's respected. 

The city also created this bike lane near the old Bavaria brewery. It's useful, but the pylons orovide no protection from noise and pollution. 

Is this just temporary, or the start of a more bikeable Bogotá?

By Mike Ceaser, of Bogota Bike Tours

Scenes from La Ciclovia

Cycling on Seventh Ave.

The recent weeks have been great ones for Bogotá's Ciclovia, with sunny days and nary a drop of rain. (But the rainy season is nye....)

With the demolition of Seventh Ave.'s bridge over 26th St. as part of the TransMilenio expansion, the city incoprorated a detour onto Carrera 10. It's not perfect, but give the city credit for giving La Ciclovia its due importance. Building of the new bridge is supposed to take five months. Cross your fingers!

La Ciclovia is not just for cyclists. Here, a bunch of skateboarders. 

In the National Park, hundreds of people participate in public aerobics class, called 'La Recreovia.'

Aristobulo, who repairs bikes by the National Park.

The Ciclovia has been detoured onto Carrera 10 during the replacement of the Seventh Ave. bridge over 26th St. 

Dogs get their exercise, too. 

A learner on two wheels. 

In the National Park, kids play roller hockey.

One of the nice things about Bogotá's Ciclovia is the number of kids out riding bikes. Hopefully, many will become lieftime cyclists. 

By Mike Ceaser, of Bogota Bike Tours

Car-Free Day is Not Bicycles Day

A cyclists carries his son on 13th St., which was wonderfully uncongested today. 

Today was Bogotá's annual Car-Free Day, intended to get auto-addicts to think about new ways to get around.

Cyclists use a bike lane
near Jorge Tadeo University.

One of those ways is cycling. Disappointingly, however, I didn't see a whole lot more cyclists than usual. Here are photos of a few of them.

This bike lane behind the Central
Cemetery was blocked by four
of these carts in one block's distance. 

Cyclist vs. TransMilenio.

A bicyclist crosses a street near Jorge Tadeo University. 

At the Universidad Central, the parking lot attendants told me that about 80 people had arrived by bike - some eight times the usual number. However, that was probably partly because the university organized a bike ride out to some wetlands. At the neighboring Universidad Jorge Tadeo, the parking lot attendants said that 23 cyclists had arrived - only a few more than 15 people who normally pedal to campus. And, they added, the number had plummeted from the more than 50 who pedaled to campus during last year's Car-Free Day. All of this despite the fact that the university sent out an e-mail reminding people that free bike parking was available. (Bicycles park free there every day, in fact.)

What could the city do to get more folks onto bicycles, at least this one day? How about bike lanes right down the middle of major avenues? How about public bicycles, at least for one day?

Traffic actually moves at rush hour in central Bogotá. Ordinarily, at this hour of the evening this street is a traffic jam. 

Cycling thru the usually congested and chaotic streets of the Santa Fe neighborhood. 

A flooring company uses the 'Car-Free Day' - right beside a car advertisement. 

Universidad Jorge Tadeo's uncrowded bicycle parking lot. 

At the Universidad Central they set up two extra racks for bikes. 

By Mike Ceaser, of Bogota Bike Tours

Medellin's Public Bicycles Roll Forward

EnCicla riders ready to roll. (Photo: Medellin Transit Dep't)

While Bogotá's 'public bicycles' gather dust somewhere, Medellin is expanding its own system.

Bogotá would appear to lend itself more to public bicycles: it's a big, flat, dense city with a reputation as a cycling pioneer - and lots of traffic jams. But Medellin has been rolling forward with its program, called EnCicla, while Bogotá's is parked.

Jesus David Acero, the program's administrator and an official with Medellin's transit office, said Medellin's program has succeeded thanks to careful groundwork and planning -and most of all support from municipal and regional officials.

Medellin had cycling experts design its system, Acero said, and used specially-designed bicycles, together with software to manage the system.

Medellin's pre-designed bicycles.
(Photo: Medellin Transit Dep't)

In contrast, Acero says, Bogotá employed ordinary bicycles and neither carefully planned its pilot public bicycles project, nor has produced a thorough analysis of its results.

Still, Bogotá's public bike test program, called BiciBog, was quite well received and got good use - at least in its north Bogotá station. The south Bogotá trial received less demand, perhaps because many of the residents in the lower-income area have their own bicycles, as well as because of competition there from bicitaxis.

But Bogotá officials haven't indicated when or whether they'll continue the system. Acero says, however, that officials from the administration of incoming leftist Bogotá mayor Gustavo Petro have indicated interest in creating a public bike program here.

Meanwhile, Medellin's public bike program is still technically in its pilot stage, but has been extended until March of 2012 and expanded from being available to only the students of two universities to the public in general. Not one of the bikes, which are equipped with GPS trackers, has been stolen.

Currently, the program has 145 bicycles, 105 of which are in the city and 40 in a rural park area and 11 parking stations. Users pay nothing and get to use the bikes for one hour at a time. Those who go over the limit lose borrowing privileges for three days.

Bogotá's public bicycles in action. They weren't designed for shared use, however. And they're now collecting dust. (Despacio.org)

How much more the program can expand, Acero says, will depend on how much support they get from politicians and businesses. During 2011, the city funded the program with one (American) billion pesos, but Acer's hoping to get five times that much for 2012. Users have indicated a willingness to pay for the service, but only about 1,000 pesos per ride, so the program is seeking business sponsors.

The Medellin government "will have a hard time not expanding the public bikes program," Acero says, "because it's been very well accepted."

But Acero expresses lots of frustration about Bogotá's lack of progress. In fact, at this writing the folks in charge of BiciBog have yet to deliver their final report, which has been postponed at least once.

EnCicla's Facebook Page.

By Mike Ceaser, of Bogotá Bike Tours

La Ciclovia is Good Business!

Ciclovia-type events' economic benefits far outweigh their costs. 

Bogotá's fun, healthful Ciclovia is sometimes described as 'the world's longest street party.'

But it also gets criticized as a frivolous luxury which should be restricted to reduce inconveniences for cars. A few years ago, a congressman tried and failed to cut back La Ciclovia's ending time to noon from 2 p.m. for just that reason.

Kids ride new bikes on Bogotá's Ciclovia. 

After all, everybody knows that automobile drivers are doing something important, while joggers, skaters and bicyclists are wasting time which could be better spent burning fossil fuels.

But now a study published in the Journal of Urban Health finds that Ciclovias, which were pioneered by Bogotá, are good for the economy, too.

The researchers looked at four Ciclovia-type events: in Bogotá and Medellin; Guadalajara, Mexico and San Francisco, California.

The researchers tried to evaluate to what extent the Ciclovía events increased participants' physical activity and also calculated the events' costs. Bogotá's Ciclovia came out first on all points. Firstly, it's the cheapest per-capita of all of the events, at only U.S. $6.00 per participant per year, compared to $6.5 for Guadalajara, $23.4 for Medellin and $70.5 for San Francisco. That's likely because of the Bogotá Ciclovia's great number of participants and greater frequency than the events in other cities. What's more, the Bogotá Ciclovia also produced more savings per peso or dollar invested than the other Ciclovias, all of which were 'profitable,' according to the study. Bogotá's Ciclovía returned between $3.23 and $4.26 for each dollar invested, Medellin's $1.83, Guadalajara's $1.02 to $1.23 and  San Francisco's $2.32.

Doing aerobics in the Recrovia, part of the Ciclovia. 

The 'profits' include only saved medical costs, and not the healthier people's greater productivity at work, which must be substantial.

The return on investment is lots bigger than that produced by a gymnasium or a swimming pool because the infrastructure - roads and parks - is already built.

Of course, La Ciclovía's real value is in the improved quality of life it produces. But cold economic numbers like these justify La Ciclovia for businessmen who are addicted to their cars, or even sell cars.

Comparative weekly costs of various physical activity programs. Bogotá's Ciclovia is the furthest left.
(Graph: BikePortland.org)

Thanks to this 'silly and inconvenient' Ciclovia event, their employees are happier, more productive, miss fewer days of work and have lower health care costs.

Now, if only Bogotá would improve cycling conditions during the other six days of the week!

See also: Study: Health benefits outweigh costs of ciclovia events

By Mike Ceaser of Bogotá Bike Tours