Finally!!! You Can Park Your Bike!

The Las Aguas facility, on Jimenez Ave. 

The squeaky wheel does get the grease, at least sometimes. In a sort of landmark for Bogotá cyclists, following recent protests. The bicycle parking buildings built years ago in the Puntos de Encuento at four Transmilenio stations are finally open to receive bicycles. Now, let the cyclists come! 

The parking lots are located in the Alcala (Autopista Norte and 138th St.), Las Aguas (Eje Ambiental and 18th St.), Mundo Aventura (Ave. Americas and Boyacá) and the Tintal (Ciudad de Cali Ave. and Americas Ave.) TM stations. They're open from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays and 8 to 5 on Saturdays.

The service is free. Just bring your bike, cedula and your lock.

Parchita waits to park herself!

But we'll see how long it lasts. The city is looking for private businesspeople to run the parking facilities. But it's hard to see how anybody could pay rent and actually make money operating the things. Today, I visited the one in Las Aguas and the guard told me that only a few people a day were leaving bikes there, altho, hopefully, those numbers will improve.

The city needs to publicize the service and remember that cycling is a public benefit deserving public subsidies, because it reduces traffic congestion and pollution and improves people's health.

Blog written by Mike Ceaser, of Bogota Bike Tours.