What Bicycle Boom?

Wow! There' a cyclist among those cars!

Can you spot the cyclists in these photos, among all the cars?

The cyclist is the dot on the upper left.

A month ago, after the bicycle summit in Medellin, there was much talk of a 'bicycle boom' in Colombia, and across Latin America. Maybe it's true in some places, and one does see lots of bikes in specific spots in Bogotá.

But the real boom here, tragically, is in private cars. And a recent report by the DANE made it official: in Colombia, bicycle commuting is actually DOWN from last year, while commuting to work by car is INCREASING.

According to the DANE, bicycle commuting dropped dramatically from 4.4% in 2013 to 3.5% last year

El Tiempo 'Use of cars increases and of bicycles drops.'

Of course, this shouldn't be surprising. For all of the Petro administration's commendable pro-bike publicity campaigns and new bike lanes, they can't compete with the economic and propaganda onslaught pushing private car use.

'Free Parking.' Free parking is not only a huge subsidy for car driving, but also sends a message that you are supposed to drive everywhere.

But Petro could still save the situation, by supporting the London-style congestion charge he talked about upon election (but then proceeded to abandon).

There a cyclist!

Thousands of cyclists turn out on Sundays and Holidays for La Ciclovia. But few of these people go to work or school on two wheels.

When many bicyclists, like this guy, feel compelled to wear gas masks because authorities don't bother to control pollution, is it any wonder that lots of people fear pedaling?

One of the chronic traffic jams in La Candelaria. On the hill above the neighborhood the private Universidad Externado is building a huge parking garage. 

Any bikes in sight?

Blog by Mike Ceaser, of Bogota Bike Tours

Touring Through La Candelaria

By the Mercado de la Concordia, a traditional mariket.

This afternoon, the city carried out the first of what are supposed to be many cultural/historical bike tours of the city center, this one focused on women. It's an example of ways that the administration of Mayor Gustavo Petro is trying to promote bicycling in innovative ways - albeit small ones. It's also a nice way to get more use out of the bikes the city is lending on weekdays along Ave. Septima. 

Pedaling above Bogotá's skyline. 

But, unfortunately, the Petro administration has done little about the sort of urban troubles which make cycling unpleasant and dangerous, such as pollution and chronic traffic congestion. During the short tour thru La Candelaria, the group had to squeeze past sometimes aggressive cars on the always-congested Carrera 4. Later, we passed below the huge parking garage which the Externado University is building on Bogotá's Eastern Hills. Altho Petro has said many times that private car use should be restricted and clean transit encouraged, the city still approves projects like this monstrosity, which will only eliminate green space and compound traffic congestion and noise and air pollution in the city center.  

The event was sponsored by the Instituto Distrital de Recreación y Deporte (IDRD) and the Secretaría de la Mujer.

On Jimenez Ave., accompanied by TransMilenio.

On La Plaza del Periodista. 

Passing by El Mercado de la Concordia.

Squeezing along one of Bogotá's many perpetually congested streets.

The group rides below a monstrous parking garage which the private Externado University is building on Bogotá's hillsides. This project, like many others, will only worsen traffic congestion, and noise and air pollution in the city center.

On a La Candelaria street.

In la Calle del Embudo, near La Plaza del Chorro de Quevedo.

By Mike Ceaser, of Bogotá Bike Tours

Bogotá's Fifth Bicycle Week

Bogotá's fifth Bicycle Week kicked off today with events in the National Park, including contests for working bikes and weird bikes, bike races and other fun stuff.

As always, I wish that these events included promotion of practical and mundane biking, particularly bike commuting. Instead, there's the bicycle-as-toy and these forums. But we've had plenty of forums and speeches already.

A flying start for Bicycle Week.

A future cyclist learns to pedal. 

 Cycling advocate Green Man makes friends.

Jesus David Acero, bicycle point man at the IDU, says he hopes public bikes will be rolling by mid-2013.

Bike license plates for sale in a flea market say 'One Less Car', 'More Pedal, Less Motor' and others.

Weird bikes. 

By Bogota Bike Tours

A Bicycle Not Built for Three

'Share Your Car' - if only they would. 

During a bike tour today, we met these three young people in the Santa Fe neighborhood. Bogotá's  government has started a well-meaning by pointless campaign to get people to share their cars - something which will happen only if they create real incentives or fines to spur people to change their driving habits. But these three did the city's campaign one better, by sharing their bike. In a city with low rates of car ownership and high rates of poverty, this sort of bike sharing is a common sight. I often see parents pedaling home with schoolchildren perched on the bike's bar or on the back - and sometimes even both places.

Making a special delivery near Palo Quemao Market.

On a bicycle built for three. 

'Move Yourself - Enjoy the Open Air.'

By Mike Ceaser, of Bogotá Bike Tours

Bogotá Pedaling Backwards?

Public bicycles in Santiago, Chile

Traditionally, when Latin American urban cycling came up, Bogotá, Colombia was the subject. After all, Bogotá pioneered the Ciclovía and built the region's largest network of bicycle paths.

But all that was several mayors ago. Bogotá's recent mayors not only have ceased extending the bicycle route network, but they've let much of it decay. And, while La Ciclovía is great, parts of it have been chopped off, mostly to make way for extensions of the city's Transmilenio express-bus system.

Meanwhile, other Latin American cities have been moving forward with bicycle promotion, and some of what they're doing is impressive.

Mexico City's Ecobicis

In Mexico City, where the city loans out bikes for Sunday rides, they've created a public bicycle system called Ecobici and are building 94 kilometers of bicycle lanes (named Ciclovias), including one along Paseo de la Reforma, the city's principal avenue. The great importance of these changes are that they give cycling greater visibility and status. Isolated bike lanes are controversial even among cyclists, but when cyclists have their own, protected, lane along La Reforma that sends a strong message: Non-motorized transport is important and deserves respect!

You won't get far on this Bogotá Bike Lane

Santiago, Chile is also extending its bike path network, and its La Providencia neighborhood has created a public bicycle system which is expanding.

But perhaps Buenos Aires, Argentina deserves the laurels for its biking plans. The city is not only planning a public bicycle system and building 100 kms of bike lanes, it also offers city employees subsidies for bicycle purchases.

Bicycling in Buenos Aires (where you don't have to dodge pedestrians)

How about Bogotá? Unfortunately, with the exception of the bike parking structures at four Transmilenio stations - which opened only years after being built, Bogotá's recent advances for cycling could fit inside this number: 0.

Certainly, none of these projects are easy or uncontroversial. Some cyclists call separated bike lanes dangerous, saying that they segregate cyclists, who should have equal rights with cars on the road. That makes sense in London, Toronto and Melbourne, where traffic is civilized and drivers respect cyclists' rights. But in  Bogotá many people will dare venture out on two wheels only when they feel protected in a special lane from the chaos of the city's aggressive motorized traffic.

Where do I go from here? Between a bus and the curb on Bogotá's Seventh Ave. 

And it's not clear how viable a public bikes program would be in Bogotá, particularly in the center. After all, the National University tried the idea on its campus, which is surrounded by a fence, and finally had to give up after too many bikes were damaged and stolen.

It also appears clear to me that the best thing Bogotá can do for cycling doesn't even relate directly to cycling. That would be to tame the city's traffic (through demand management) and take real steps to reduce pollution. For this, hopefully the ongoing extentions to the city's Transmilenio system and the implementation of the Integrated Public Transit System (SITP) will finally modernize the buses reign in the traffic chaos.

One that's done, then bike lanes and a public bicycle program could just succeed.

By Mike Ceaser, of Bogota Bike Tours

Bogotá's Bicycle Day

Every day should be 'bicycle day'. November 14 was Bogotá's bicycle day. The day celebrated bikes, but unfortunately did not promote practical cycling. The emphasis unfortunately was on acrobatics and zaniness.

By Mike Ceaser, of Bogotá Bike Tours


Some scenes in the National Park.

See the daring young man on the flying bike!

These bikes are called Harleys (without the noise). 

The weird bikes competition. 

One-of-a-kind Harley wooden bike. 

This man, who trains dogs, pedaled a dogmobile. 

Green Man, who has a one-man campaign to green up Bogotá's mindset, made an appearance.