Latest ITDP Project Updates

Mexico City’s First Bicycle Boxes

2010-01-21T18:41:00+00:00

A typical bicycle box in Mexico City’s Condesa neighborhood.
Photo credit: Bernardo Baranda, ITDP

The Institute for Transportation and Development Policy has worked with the Mexico City Environment Secretary on the improvement of a four-street intersection in the Condesa neighborhood. The aim of the project was to make this crossroad safer for pedestrians and cyclists.

The city built 12 curb bulbs by locating bollards, which take away some space from the cars and allow the pedestrian and cyclists to travel more safely. The project includes painted pedestrian crosses and the first bicycle boxes in all of Mexico City.

This is only the first step of the project’s initial phase: the city plans to modify at least 13 important intersections around the area where the public bike system, named Ecobici, will be operating this year.

Bollards protect pedestrians
Photo credit: Bernardo Baranda, ITDP

Transjakarta Transforms Jakartans’ Travel Behavior

2010-01-21T00:30:00+00:00

From The Jakarta Post
See the original post here.

Ratna Yunita, Jakarta

Jakarta is the capital city of Indonesia with some 8.5 million inhabitants and about 3 million additional commuters during weekdays.

No wonder, since metropolitan Jakarta is becoming the largest and most populous city in Southeast Asia. These numbers result in a series of problems, one of which is the transportation system.

Since the 1970s, the Jakarta administration has tried to reform Jakarta’s transportation system by producing policies to solve congestion problems.

Those policies have been confirmed by experts who have recommended that that the most appropriate mode of transportation for Jakarta is the one that can transport as many people as possible, in a fast, safe and affordable manner.

The latest and most significant change was made during the Sutiyoso era when the former Governor of Jakarta promoted the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system which has become known as Transjakarta. Launched on Jan. 15, 2004 with an initial total of 12.9 kilometers in service length, Transjakarta, also became known as the busway.

It has been criticized by many since it has taken over a lane from previously normal road space, reducing space available for other vehicles.

Beside these critics, there is much appreciation for the existence of the Transjakarta especially from its users. They say that Transjakarta is a breakthrough in the Jakarta transportation system that has increased their mobility. Many of them have chosen to leave their private cars at home and take the Transjakarta to work.

“I took Transjakarta from home to the nearest shelter to the parliament building. I save 40 minutes during peak hours compared to driving my own car,” said Nusron Wahid, a parliament member.

Transportation problems can be solved not only by making physical changes to infrastructure, but also by gaining public support. The system is now serving eight corridors with a total of 124 kilometers in road length, served by a total of 385 single buses and 23 articulated buses, so public acceptance is important in making the system successful.

The number of Transjakarta passengers keeps increasing over time. From January to November 2009, Transjakarta served approximately 6.8 million passengers per month, which is an 11 percent increase from the same period last year.

However, public acceptance could still be boosted. There has been an initiative by the users to increase public acceptance by establishing a forum where they can exchange information and discuss how to improve the system.

The forum, named Suara Transjakarta (Voice of Transjakarta), was launched on Feb. 2, 2004. “Transjakarta is a boon for the Jakarta transportation system that brings not only new physical infrastructure, but also adds new socio-cultural trends to Jakarta public transportation,” said David Tjahjana, Coordinator of Suara Transjakarta.

Indeed, there is a huge behavioral difference for Jakartans between using the old transportation modes and the Transjakarta. Before the Transjakarta era, people could easily hop on and off the buses anywhere they liked, mostly not from the provided bus stops and shelters.

In many cases, this anarchy led to traffic chaos and accidents. There were reports of passengers being hit by other vehicles when attempting to get on and off buses, which did not always stop appropriately at the provided shelters.

Meanwhile, Transjakarta has its dedicated shelters so that passengers do not need to be afraid of being hit by other vehicles while hopping on and off the bus. These physical changes have led to behavioral changes in travel.

However, there are also concerns regarding passengers’ behavior while using Transjakarta buses.

First, there are still passengers who are not patient enough and force their way forward to get closer to the shelter door, instead of queuing. The front-liners - duty officers at the shelters - frequently have difficulties calming down those impatient passengers. Some front-liners even said that that overcrowding invited pickpockets to become active on the busways.

Second, passengers’ frequently ignore to give priority and give up their seats to elderly people, pregnant women and the disabled. Transjakarta management has put visual printed warnings on this inside the busways, but some people still completely ignore them.

Third, passengers, who cannot get seats, are frequently reluctant to proceed down the bus and they often opt to stand near the entrance door, thus obstructing others getting into the bus. Their attitude makes the buses appear to be more crowded, while actually they could still take more people standing in the aisles. As a result, passengers in the next bus shelter often do not want to board the bus, which seems more crowded than in reality, and wait for the next one.

These examples of poor behavior have caused inconvenience to other Transjakarta users. To deal with those problems, the Suara Transjakarta has set up a public education program via the listed group service, website and direct campaign events, mentioning the “dos and don’ts” in using Transjakarta.

The forum members also do “word of mouth” campaigns by advising other passengers who they meet with, especially passengers who behave improperly during trips. Hopefully, these campaign programs will help change the improper behavior of some passengers and persuade them adopt good habits.

The writer is Communication Specialist at the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) Indonesia.

Ahmedabad, India Wins 2010 Sustainable Transport Award

2010-01-12T12:20:01+00:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Press Contact: Claudia Gunter, Institute for Transportation and Development Policy
(646) 839-6479, cgunter@itdp.org

Ahmedabad’s Janmarg Bus Rapid Transit System Reduces Carbon Emissions, Dramatically Improves Residents Access
Cities in Developing World Dominate Award

Washington, D.C., January 12, 2010—The developing world is leapfrogging developed countries when it comes to urban transport, with the city of Ahmedabad, India, today announced as winner of the 2010 Sustainable Transport Award for the successful implementation of Janmarg, India’s first full bus rapid transit (BRT) system.

ITDP Board President Enrique Peñalosa stands next to Dr. Ramachandran, the secretary of the Ministry of Urban Development, Government of India, as representatives of Ahmedabad accept the award. Photo credit: Ethan Arpi

“This year’s Sustainable Transport Award nominees demonstrate the relevance of the developing world in the fight against climate change while improving citizen’s quality of life and enhancing their international competitiveness,” said Walter Hook, Executive Director of the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy. “Cities have the power to significantly reduce carbon emissions by actively seeking ways to improve transport.”

The Sustainable Transport Award is given annually to a city that uses transport innovations to increase mobility for all residents, while reducing transportation greenhouse and air pollution emissions and increasing cyclist and pedestrian safety and access.

Ahmedabad’s Janmarg BRT system is a sustainable model for the future of transportation in India, where a quarter of the world’s population lives. “BRT systems can positively impact air quality if car and motorbike drivers start taking trips by bus,” said Sophie Punte, Executive Director of the Clean Air Initiative for Asian Cities (CAI-ASIA). “This is particularly important in Asian cities, where air pollution levels are often far above guidelines of the World Health Organization.”

City residents have embraced their new BRT system; 18,000 daily passengers use Janmarg to commute to work, to school and elsewhere. In just a few months of operation, Janmarg has transformed the delivery of transit in South Asia. Janmarg uses innovative central median stations pulled away from the junctions. Bus stations feature passive solar design, an inexpensive way to keep stations naturally cool. The city is making continued efforts to be a leader in sustainable transport, including incorporating high‐quality pedestrian facilities in some corridors, as well as bicycle lanes. Ahmedabad has initiated car‐free days and recently announced more.

For the first time in the six-year history of the Sustainable Transport Award, all of the nominees are cities in developing nations. The four honorable mentions go to Cali, Colombia, for transforming citywide BRT service with MIO; Curitiba, Brazil, for opening a new BRT line and city park on a former federal highway; Guadalajara, Mexico, for completing a full BRT system in less than two years and at an affordable cost; and Johannesburg, South Africa, for creating Rea Vaya, Africa’s first BRT and the first public transit system that connects Soweto to the downtown district.

The official award ceremony will take place tonight, January 12, 2010, from 6:00-7:30 pm at the Hilton Washington, 1919 Connecticut Avenue NW. Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan, New York City Department of Transportation, will be the keynote speaker. The event is hosted by Enrique Peñalosa, ITDP Board President and former Mayor of Bogotá, Colombia. To attend, please RSVP to Claudia Gunter at cgunter@itdp.org or +1 646 221-7288.

The cities that received honorable mentions were all recognized for creating new BRT systems that reduce carbon emissions and create an optimal environment for pedestrians and cyclists.

The city of Cali, Colombia, is revolutionizing public transit with a complete overhaul of its transport systems. Cali opened its BRT system, called MIO, introducing a new type of service that allows the buses to work both within and outside its dedicated corridors.

Curitiba, Brazil, continues its sustainable transport heritage to link land use policy to transport interventions, including not only buses but also cycle ways, public space and pedestrian access.

“Curitiba has laid the foundation for innovative transit,” said Kathryn Phillips, a transportation policy expert with Environmental Defense Fund based in Sacramento. “Everyone recognizes it deserves to be an honorable mention recipient for the 2010 Sustainable Transport Award.”

Guadalajara, Mexico, opened a full BRT system in just two years. This rapid implementation shows the city’s courage and its political dedication to delivering public transport access to its residents.

“The Guadalajara Macrobus BRT System is an extraordinary example of farsighted leadership, good planning, and effective implementation,” said Daio Hidalgo, Senior Transport Engineer, EMBARQ, The World Resources Institute Center for Sustainable Transport. “Macrobus is now fully operational just two years after the idea was embraced by the local authorities, with high quality and extraordinary performance.

“Nominations to three major Latin American cities (Cali, Curitiba and Guadalajara) for this year’s Sustainable Transport Award reaffirm the leadership role adopted by this region of the world to develop cleaner and more efficient transport systems,” said Sergio Sanchez, Executive Director of the Clean Air Institute. “Examples like these should enlighten other Latin American cities and elsewhere to keep moving to build more competitive cities, while improving air quality and reducing greenhouse gas emissions”.

The city of Johannesburg, South Africa, opened the first full BRT in Africa, and completed the first mass transit investments in the city since the fall of apartheid. Rea Vaya is the first public transit system to link the previously disadvantaged Soweto area to the central business district.

“In under three years, Johannesburg opened a state-of-the-art BRT system that uses the cleanest buses on the continent,” said Manfred Breithaupt of Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) GmbH. “Johannesburg’s accomplishment against enormous challenges and the upgrading of the corridor in Soweto with lighting and sidewalks makes it an exceptional honorable mention.”

Chosen by a selection committee that includes the most respected experts and organizations working internationally on sustainable transportation, this year’s nominated cities have successfully addressed a diverse range of urban transport challenges. The Sustainable Transport Award selection committee includes the most respected experts from organizations working internationally on sustainable transportation. The committee members include:

• Walter Hook, Executive Director, Institute for Transportation and Development Policy
• Kathryn Phillips, transportation policy expert, Environmental Defense Fund
• Ralph Gakenheimer, Chair, Transportation Research Board Committee on Transportation in Developing Countries
• Sophie Punte, Executive Director, Clean Air Initiative for Asia Center
• Sergio Sanchez, Clean Air Institute, Clean Air Initiative for Latin American Cities.

• Dario Hidalgo, Senior Transport Engineer, EMBARQ, The World Resources Institute Center for Sustainable Transport
• Manfred Breithaupt, Senior Transport Advisor, GTZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit)
• Heather Allen, Senior Manager, Sustainable Development, International Association of Public Transport (UITP)
• Choudhury Rudra Charan Mohanty, Environmental Expert, United Nations Centre for Regional Development (UNCRD)

The Sustainable Transport Award is given each year during the annual Transportation Research Board meeting in Washington, D.C. Past winners include:
2009 – Mayor Michael Bloomberg, New York, United States, for making bold moves to achieve the ambitious goals of PlaNYC 2030.
2008 – Mayor Bertrand Delanoë, Paris, France for implementing a range of innovative mobility solutions with vision, commitment and vigor.
Mayor Ken Livingston, London, United Kingdom for expanding London’s congestion charge program and developing other low emissions programs that dramatically impacted air quality.
2007 – Mayor Jaime Nebot, Guayquil, Ecuador for revitalizing the downtown, creating dynamic public spaces, and instituting a new public transit system.
2006 – Mayor Myung-Bak Lee, Seoul, Korea for the revitalization of the Cheongyecheon River and the implementation of its bus rapid transit system.
2005 – Former Mayor Enrique Penalosa, Bogotà, Colombia for the TransMilenio bus rapid transit system, bicycle integration, and public space reclamation.

For more information, photos, and videos about the award and a list of past winners, visit http://www.st-award.org.

For more information please contact: Claudia Gunter, Institute for Transportation and Development Policy, +1 646 839-6479, cgunter@itdp.org

###

Janmarg, The People’s Way BRT, Opens in Ahmedabad

2009-09-25T17:49:00+00:00

Passengers aboard Janmarg
Photo credit: Chris Kost

In August 2009, the Ahmedabad, India, bus rapid transit system, termed “Janmarg,” or people’s way, began trial operations, becoming India’s first fully-featured BRT service with median stations, level boarding, and central control. Janmarg has the potential to help revive the image of public transport in Ahmedabad and in India. The enclosed stations of the BRT system have become some of the finest quality public spaces in the city.

A bus pulls into a station. The new enclosed stations protect passengers from the weather and are some of the most attractive public spaces in the city.
Photo Credit: Chris Kost

Since its opening, the BRT system has been the subject of numerous articles in local media outlets.

Selected media coverage:

August 4, 2009
“BRTS Will Focus on Moving People, Not Traffic”
Daily News & Analysis

August 1, 2009
“Best Practice BRTS Wows World”
Daily News & Analysis

August 1, 2009
“BRTS skips, hops for that perfect run”
Times of India

Rea Vaya: We Are Going!

2009-09-25T17:33:01+00:00

Inside the Rea Vaya terminal
Photo Credit: Chris Kost/ITDP

In August, the Rea Vaya bus rapid transit system in Johannesburg, South Africa, began its starter service, fundamentally transforming public transit in the city. Connecting Soweto to downtown, this is the first real public transit system that has been implemented since the end of apartheid.

Passengers wait to board Rea Vaya
Photo Credit: Chris Kost/ITDP

People who normally have to crowd into small minibuses now have enclosed stations with real time information displays to inform them when the next bus is coming. The system has opened to rave reviews. Click here to visit the Rea Vaya web site: http://www.reavaya.org.za/

Selected media coverage:

September 15, 2009
Rea Vaya Buses Record 16.000 Commuters Daily
All Africa
http://allafrica.com/stories/200909160156.html

September 1, 2009
“City Claims Rea Vaya a Success”
The Star
http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=181&art_id=nw20090901181303828C113572

September 1, 2009
“Rea Vaya calls for change in habits”
The Star http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=3102&art_id=vn20090901034840597C882034

August 31, 2009
MSNBC via Associated Press
Johannesburg gets public bus service
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32618233/ns/world_news-africa/

August 31, 2009
“S. Africa Starts Bus Service to Fix Apartheid Legacy”
Bloomberg
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601116&sid=aEyp5FB6WfHk

August 30, 2009
“Rea Vaya BRT”

News 24
http://www.news24.com/Content/SouthAfrica/News/1059/5dc6cd2643d7434ba48e125f52624c1d/30-08-2009%2010-13/Rea_vaya_BRT_

Enrique Peñalosa Proposes Urban Vision for Brazilian Cities

2009-07-23T21:17:00+00:00

In Rio de Janeiro, Mayor Eduardo Paes (left), Enrique Peñalosa (center), and State Transport Secretary Julio Lopes (right) inaugurate shared-use lanes in Tijuca National Park. Photo Credit: Beth Santos/Municipality of Rio de Janeiro

Shiny buses transporting thousands of people, rich and poor alike, efficiently and comfortably; protected bike lanes with adolescents rushing to a soccer game or businesspeople on their way to work; retirees and children milling around sculptures in attractive public plazas – that is the vision that Enrique Peñalosa, the former mayor of Bogotá, offered decisionmakers last week when he visited Brazil’s three largest metropolitan regions. Peñalosa signed cooperation agreements in Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Belo Horizonte, giving a boost to ongoing ITDP efforts in promoting Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), bicycling, and people-friendly cities in Brazil.

The trip began in Rio de Janeiro, where Peñalosa participated alongside Mayor Eduardo Paes on a bike ride inaugurating shared-use lanes in the city’s iconic Tijuca National Park. The ride, which snaked through the lush urban rainforest to the Mayor’s official residence where a cooperation agreement between Peñalosa and him was signed, also included top decision makers from the municipal and state governments of Rio de Janeiro. ITDP is supporting the expansion of Rio’s 140 km bicycle-network (the largest in Brazil), its pilot public bicycle system as well as BRT projects.

Following an intense schedule of field visits, work sessions and meetings with officials in Rio de Janeiro, Peñalosa proceeded to São Paulo, where he signed an agreement with the City’s Transportation Secretary, Alexandre de Moraes, and met with local officials about city center revitalization and promoting bike lanes.

After speaking at an event that showcased BRT for cities preparing for the 2014 FIFA World Cup to be held in Brazil, Peñalosa continued on to Belo Horizonte, where he participated in an event on urban mobility with Mayor Marcio Lacerda, and visited the BRT corridors currently being implemented.

While Mayor of Bogotá, Peñalosa implemented a bus-based mass transit system called Transmilenio. The concept for this “surface subway” originated in the 1970’s in Curitiba, Brazil, and Peñalosa referred to the origins of Bus Rapid Transit throughout his visit. “In Bogotá, we did not invent anything new, we took the BRT from Curitiba and adapted it to Bogotá. We even used Brazilian experts to create the system,” he said.

Twenty percent of Brazil’s population, or 40 million people, live in the metropolitan regions of Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Belo Horizonte. The potential to improve people’s quality of life and reduce carbon emissions from urban transport are enormous.

DART team visits Ahmedabad, India

2009-05-29T18:20:00+00:00

ITDP and the city of Ahmedabad recently hosted representatives from the city of Dar es Salaam who came to learn more about the Ahmedabad’s Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS). The delegation included Cosmas Takule, chief exectutive at the Dar Rapid Transit (DART) Agency; Enoch Kitandu, director of system and operations, DART; Asteria Mlambo, director of transportation and development, DART; Honorable Ahmed Mwilima, Deputy Mayor of Dar es Salaam; and Dismas Fuko, from the Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation.

Ahmedabad’s initial 12.5 km BRTS corridor is in the final stages of construction. On a site visit to the corridor, the delegates had an opportunity to tour new stations and take a ride in a BRTS bus.

Officials from Dar es Salaam visit the Nehrunagar BRTS station

Seeing the live construction process helped the DART officials identify some of the pitfalls that they may encounter as they begin construction of their own system in the coming months. DART officials took home useful lessons, such as the importance of identifying utility lines prior to commencing with major construction activities. Looking at the meaningful steps that the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation was taking to rectify some instances of poor construction, Asteria Mlambo from the DART Agency remarked, “Knowing the problem is half of solving it.”

As for the non-motorized transport infrastructure along the phase 1 corridor, the delegates found some features they liked and others that need improvement. Cosmas Takule noted that the pedestrian crossings to bus stations are signalized and expressed interest in implementing similar facilities in the Dar es Salaam. Meanwhile, he felt that the cycle facilities seemed inadequate for the kind of ridership that the city can expect to have in the future.

Delegates meet with I. P. Gautam, Ahmedabad’s Municipal Commissioner, and Utpal Padia, Deputy Municipal Commissioner

The Dar es Salaam officials met with staff of the Ahmedabad Municipal Coporation, the fare collection system provider, and bus manufacturers. The delegates were impressed by the level of commitment to the project on the part of Corporation officials. Ms. Mlambo said she hoped to generate a similar level of buy-in on the part of the local authority in Dar es Salaam. “It’s very challenging to convince the public that BRT is a good idea,” she said, “but the municipality has the power to stop resistance.”

Ranjit Kamat from Kaizen demonstrates the fare collection and bus tracking devices that will be installed in the Ahmedabad BRTS system

The DART Agency will soon put out a request for tenders for physical works on the 20.9 km phase 1 network. After construction begins, the Agency plans to hold road shows for prospective bus operators.

The Largest Bike Parking Facility in the Americas (Brazil)

2009-05-07T18:06:00+00:00

Nearly two thousand commuters park their bicycles every day at the ASCOBIKE parking facility in Mauá, located in the metropolitan region of São Paulo, South America’s largest city. ITDP has been working with ASCOBIKE since 2005, promoting this best practice throughout Brazil and abroad.

The parking facility has evolved from a collection of around 200 bicycles under makeshift steel tube racks and tarp roofs to the first-class facility it is today with over 1,700 bike parks and growing.

BEFORE
Photo: Jonas Hagen

AFTER
Photo: Andrea Felizolla

ITDP created a manual for implementation of bike parking facilities using the ASCOBIKE model. It is available in Portuguese (English version coming soon!) here:
Manuel ASCOBIKE Abril 2009 (in Portuguese) [pdf size: 7.85MB]

Other Related Links:
A Refuge for Cyclists: ASCOBIKE [Sustainable Transport, ITDP’s 2006 magazine issue]
Streetfilm of ASCOBIKE Facility Watch the video!
ASCOBIKE website

Mexico City Builds First Bike Parking Facilities

2009-04-24T14:46:00+00:00

In an effort to get people to use their bikes instead of their cars, the government of Mexico City is building bike parking as part of the city’s Bicycle Mobility Strategy. ITDP Mexico provided advice to the city government for the design and location of bicycle parking facilities along streets and at mass transit stations.

Photo: Hector Puebla, ITDP Mexico

The bike parking is a standard U-shaped design cemented into the ground. This new street furniture has been approved by the Urban Furniture Commission, which means that will be the official design of bike-parking facilities for the whole city.

Photo: Hector Puebla, ITDP Mexico

Initially, these facilities have been placed on the pedestrian streets in the historic city center, but the program will be expanded in the coming weeks to important avenues such as Avenida de los Insurgentes, Eje 4 Sur, and Eje Central, as well as to parks such as Chapultepec, the Central Park of Mexico City.

Photo: Hector Puebla, ITDP Mexico

Bike parking is also being integrated with mass transit stations, beginning with the station Metro Auditorio. This station at the National Auditorium, one of the most important concert halls in Mexico City, is a signal from the government about the status that it is conferring on cycling. This facility has the capacity for 48 bicycles. Ramps on stairs are placed to help cyclists carry their bikes up or down the stairs to reach the parking facilities in the station.

Metro Auditorio’s bike ramp into the station and the bike parking within the station. Photo by: ITDP Mexico

The city is giving a message of respect and recognition to the cyclists with these types of facilities. Cyclists know that they have a place in the city and their vehicles are important too, especially when the location of the parking is in the right place.

This project is a fundamental part of the Bicycle Mobility Strategy. Close to 1,000 bike racks will be installed in the city this year. Locating the initial bike parking spots in the city center is also part of the city’s efforts to make this area more pedestrian friendly and slow traffic down. Integrating bike parking into existing transit hubs and stations and other important destinations is the next step. The facilities at the metro station Auditorio are also part of the city’s strategy to continue improving Avenida de la Reforma as the most beautiful avenue in the city.

Bike parking facilities will also be located in public and governmental buildings, as well as in the Delegaciones, or municipalities within the city, as well as the most important commercial and working zones of the city.

Bicycle School

Also as part of the Bicycle Mobility Strategy, Mexico City is planning to develop a bicycle school to teach its citizens the necessary skills to safely ride a bicycle in the city.

This program will move around the city and give courses in different communities. At the beginning, the bicycle school will target business districts, as well as important centers of the Delegaciones for the community. For this program 2,500 bicycles were purchased to use in the training courses.

The Cambiate de Carril bike. Photo by: Jesus Sanchez, ITDP Mexico

ITDP Mexico advised the officials responsible for purchasing the bicycles about the appropriate physical characteristics that the bikes should have. A city bike was developed with special characteristics (low frame for men and woman, city bike wheels, basket, fenders, rack, bell, hand brakes and reflectors) to ride safely and comfortably in the city.

Photo: Jesus Sanchez, ITDP Mexico

Curso em São Paulo: “Introdução ao Mundo Cicloviário” (in Portuguese)

2009-02-06T13:49:00+00:00

O ITDP vem ajudando São Paulo a incluir a bicicleta como parte integral do transporte urbano; tanto a parte de planejamento (o projeto funcional da ciclovia de Butantã foi doado pelo ITDP) como a parte de educação. Em 2008 a Companhia de Engenharia de Tráfego de São Paulo (CET, http://www.cetsp.com.br) e o ITDP organizaram 6 cursos intitulados Introdução ao Mundo Cicloviário

. O curso foi elaborado em parceria com a ONG brasileira Transporte Ativo (http://www.ta.org.br), e o Pro-Ciclista (grupo intersecretarial para melhoramentos cicloviários da Prefeitura), e teve o apoio da rede C40 (grupo de cidades liderando a luta contra a aquecimento global, http://www.c40cities.org). Um total de 212 servidores do município de São Paulo, e de outros órgãos da Cidade e do Estado, receberam o treinamento. Eduardo Jorge, Secretário Municipal do Verde e Meio Ambiente deu as boas-vindas à primeira turma, falando da mudança de paradigma que implica incluir a bicicleta no planejamento da cidade. Na mesma abertura, Adalberto Maluf, Diretor de São Paulo para a Iniciativa do Clima da Fundação Clinton, falou da bicicleta como uma ferramenta essencial na luta contra o aquecimento global.

97 % dos participantes avaliaram o curso como “muito bom” ou “bom,” alguns dos comentários foram: “as bicicletas podem ajudar a resolver os problemas do trânsito em São Paulo” e “precisamos de mais cursos como este!” Muitos participantes disseram que o curso foi o primeiro contato com os conceitos de planejamento cicloviário.

Juntos, a CET, o ITDP, e a Transporte Ativo planejam continuar os cursos em 2009, assim dando continuidade à conscientização do corpo técnico de São Paulo da bicicleta como modo de transporte.

Secretário Eduardo Jorge no primeiro curso – Novembro 2008

(Fonte: Jonas Hagen)

Os cursos podem ser baixados nos links abaixo ou na página seguinte, que também inclui os vídeos durante o curso:

http://www.ta.org.br/cet_sp/

Introdução ao Mundo Cicloviário - Parte 1 - A Bicicleta

Introdução ao Mundo Cicloviário - Parte 2 - Dados e Infra-estrutura

Introdução ao Mundo Cicloviário - Parte 3 - Legislação