Sao Paulo: Courses in Bicycle Transport

Posted: 06 Feb 2009

Related to: São Paulo Bicycle Planning, Managing Traffic Demand, Brazil
Contributed by: Jonas Hagen, ITDP

ITDP is helping São Paulo get relief from traffic that regularly reaches 100 miles (161 km) of congested roadway by preparing the city for a two-wheeled revolution. In partnership with the CET (Traffic Engineering Company), the Grupo Pro-ciclista (the municipality’s inter-agency working group for the bicycle) and Brazilian NGO Transporte Ativo, ITDP held 6 courses titled Introduction to the World of Bicycle Transport in São Paulo, South America’s largest city, in 2008.

A total of 212 officials from Sao Paulo Municipality and State government institutions and PPPs received the training, and Eduardo Jorge, Secretary of the SVMA (São Paulo Municipality Environmental Secretariat) gave the opening words at the first session, emphasizing that a paradigm shift was needed in order to include the bicycle in urban planning in the city. Adalberto Maluf, São Paulo City Coordinator of the Clinton Climate Initiative, said that the bicycle was an essential tool in the fight against global warming at the opening of the courses.

The course was rated by 97% of participants as ‘very good’ or ‘good,’ and comments included ‘the bicycle can help solve São Paulo’s traffic problems,’ and ‘we need more courses like these!’ Many participants said it was their first encounter with cycle planning concepts, which have been not been received wide exposure in São Paulo until now. The city currently has 24 km of bikeways, and much of these are in parks.

ITDP, CET and Transporte Ativo are continuing to hold these courses in 2009, helping make São Paulo fertile ground for zero-emissions, zero-fatality, and zero-noise transport.

Environmental Secretary Eduardo Jorge at the first course

(Source: Jonas Hagen)

The courses can be downloaded below, or on this webpage, which also includes videos:
http://www.ta.org.br/cet_sp/

Introduction to Bicycle Transport - Part 1 - The Bicycle (in Portuguese)

Introduction to Bicycle Transport - Part 2 - Data and Infrastructure (in Portuguese)

Introduction to Bicycle Transport - Part 3 - Legislation (in Portuguese)