Bogota: Edging Back From the Brink

Thanks in part to its former Mayor Enrique Peñalosa, Bogotá has received international acclaim for its transportation system. This article describes how the changing political tides of Bogotá have shaped and stalled this vision, and what the future may hold for sustainable transportation in Bogotá. Before 1998, streets were inhospitable to bicyclists, buses were filthy and dangerous, and pedestrians had difficulty navigating the poorly-maintained sidewalks. Beginning in 1998, Mayor Peñalosa overhauled transport policy to give priority to pedestrians and bicyclists and to develop a high quality mass transit system. TransMilenio, an innovative BRT system, was planned, designed and opened during the Peñalosa administration. TransMilenio could move passengers at a capacity and speed comparable to most metro systems. Last year, the citizens of Bogotá defeated the re-election bid of Peñalosa, and voted instead for Samuel Moreno. Initially, the new administration was promising no more investment in TransMilenio. Investment was to be directed to the metro and elevated highways instead. However, feasibility studies for the metro are expected to take three years, and construction would take a minimum of three to five additional years. In addition, neither the central government nor the city has the money to build what is being proposed. As a result of these difficulties, the Moreno administration has changed their stance and announced that construction on two additional corridors of TransMilenio will commence in late 2008. The mayor also has promised to build an additional 20 kilometers of bikeways. Groups of citizen advocates have begun to form to protect the BRT and bikeway systems. With this engaged citizenry and the announced expansion of TransMilenio, it is hoped that Bogotá will continue to be a worldwide model for sustainable transport policies.

• Record URL:
  https://go.itdp.org/pages/viewpage.action?pageId=54888235
• 
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/oclc/31056686
• Authors:
  • Despacio, Ando
• Publication Date: 2008

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Photos;
• Pagination: pp 14-18
• Serial:
  • Sustainable Transport
  • Issue Number: 20
  • Publisher: Institute for Transportation and Development Policy
  • ISSN: 1536-2523
  • Serial URL: http://www.itdp.org/ST/index.html

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bicycle facilities; Bus rapid transit; Case studies; Financing; Local government; Pedestrian areas; Politics; Public participation; Sustainable transportation; Urban transportation policy
• Geographic Terms: Bogota (Colombia)
• Subject Areas: Pedestrians and Bicyclists; Planning and Forecasting; Policy; Public Transportation; I21: Planning of Transport Infrastructure;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01121642
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Feb 17 2009 12:30PM