Cycle-Ride Sundays Take Off in Mexico City

Posted: 01 Jul 2007

Related to: Mexico City Bicycle Planning, Planning & Advocacy for Cycling & Walking, Mexico
Contributed by: Bernardo Baranda, ITDP

Thousands enjoy car-free streets as Mayor Marcelo Ebrard moves Mexico’s capital into a select group of cities taking bold action to improve the quality of public life.

On Sunday May 13th the Mexico City government, headed by Chief of Government Marcelo Ebrard, began the Ciclo-Paseos, or “Cycle-Rides” program in designated streets of the country’s capital. The program encourages city inhabitants to walk, skate, or use bicycles to enjoy the city and promote non-polluting forms of transportation.

The streets chosen consist of a circuit of 14 kilometers (8.7 miles) along the well known Reforma Avenue and others close to the historic city center so that the public can enjoy some of the cultural sites and activities along the ride. Motor vehicles are not allowed on those streets between 7:00 AM and 2:00 PM on Sundays. Many cities in the world have similar programs. Perhaps the best known is Bogotá, Colombia, with its more than 120 kilometers (74.6 miles) of streets that undergo this transformation every Sunday.

The response in Mexico City to the first six Cycle-Ride events has been positive with no serious accidents to report and with an attendance of around 10,000 people. As many as 50,000 people participated when the ride was extended to other streets on May 27th and had its name changed to “Cycle-thon”. ITDP Mexico has been involved in planning the Cycle-Ride concept and is currently supporting the city government in projects aimed at improving conditions for cyclists and pedestrians.

The challenge for the program now is to keep the good momentum going and to take other integrated actions to promote non-motorized transport as one of the priorities in Mexico City’s Sustainable Mobility Agenda.