Car-Free Day is Bicyclists' Day

Cyclists ride down the newish bike lane on Carrera 7, over Calle 26.

This year's Car-Free Day, held Feb. 1, was supposed to be dedicated to pedestrians. 

Its star performers, however, were the bicyclists. 

Evening rush hour on Carrera Septina.

Calle 26, usually a long parking lot on weekdays, was a big bike lane yesterday.

And Calle 26 today, Feb. 2. Notice the difference?

Normally, it's difficult cycling across Paloquemao's parking lot. Yesterday, cyclists owned it.

Blog by Mike Ceaser, of Bogotá Bike Tours

A Nice Day for (the Few) Cyclists

A bicyclist enjoys open road space on the normally car-choked NQS today.

Today's extra Petro-sponsored Car-Free Day appeared to motivate more Bogotanos to stay home than to switch to other forms of transit. But for those who did use their bikes, the open street space and lower pollution did make cycling lots more pleasant.

For the first time that I can recall, the Car-Free Day included a Ciclovia, normally just on Sundays and holidays. 

But even with all that, the number of cyclists didn't seem much greater than normal.

Bogotá's occasional Car-Free Days, while well intentioned to change people's transit habits, are too few and far between to accomplish much. Instead, Petro should back the London-style congestion charge which he promised us upon election, but then abandoned in the face of political opposition.

According to El Tiempo, bicycle - or, bike parking lot - use rose 9.2%, SITP bus use rose 19% and pollution dropped 15%.

Contrast with a cyclist trapped in traffic on a normal day.

A few cyclists on La Ciclovia on 26th Street near the Universidad Nacional.

Bicycles - well, a few of them - use a bike lane near the Universidad Nacional.

This bicyclist on the NQS near Palo Quemao today had lots of space.

Not so nice for cycling: The same stretch of NQS on a normal, polluted, traffic-choked day.

By Mike Ceaser, of Bogotá Bike Tours

More Bikes, Fewer Cars - For One Day

A momentary bicycle-jam on Carrera Septima as these cyclists wait for a light to change.

Air pollution dropped 21%, and the city was lots quieter and more peaceful during Bogotá's 2015 Car-Free Day. And, even compared to previous years, my unscientific impression is that this year many more cyclists turned out. 

But will they pedal again another day?

Lots of pedalers turned out today - but how many of them will pedal tomorrow?

Not all the streets are as cycle-friendly as la Septima. This guy's maneuvering between buses on Carrera 10.

Don't ride behind me. Nearby, a bus belches smoke. It's Car-Free Day, not pollution-free day, silly.

Back on the friendly Carrera Septima. 

This usually congested street in downtown was so clear that these guys could ride against traffic.

The IDRD's public lending bikes reappeared today. But will they tomorrow?

A moto-bici illegally uses an exclusive TransMilenio bus lane. 

This year for the first time no-car day was also no-motorcycle day. But, insanely, the prohibition did not extend to the moto-bicis, bicycles equipped with gasoline engines, which make lots of noise and pollute more than do many cars.

But today's El Tiempo also carried this disastrous new item: New car sales as ahead of last year's record new car sales.

Blog by Mike Ceaser, of Bogotá Bike Tours