Transmilenio and cycling policy: the inspiring story of Bogota

The TransMilenio (a bus system with its own exclusive right-of-way) is an unprecedented and rather improbable innovation, which has involved both city dwellers and urban transport professionals, industry, institutions (public and private), and academic circles, and has thus become a great collective and civic affair. The city's cycling policies also represent a strong break with the past, They have not hesitated to convert corridors reserved for highways into a quality green network that includes bicycle lanes, or to block the main roads for the benefit of a real Sunday event, which the ciclovias have become, as bearers of a new urban culture. The efficiency of these policies appears to be very high in various respects: high ratio between the collective financial means allocated and the societal benefits; direct or indirect interest of all social categories; benefits on the quality of urban life; land and real estate gains; new urbanity; support for the development of a new professional know-how.

Autorentext

Ich bin Geograph und Stadtplaner von Beruf. Meine Tätigkeitsländer liegen in Europa, Afrika und Lateinamerika. Ich habe in Beratungsunternehmen für Studien und Entwicklungsprojekte sowie in halbstaatlichen Unternehmen gearbeitet. Ich unterrichte seit fast 30 Jahren an der ULB, UCE, UN, UNILU und USS.