12.07.2007

ciclovia









If you've ten minutes to spare, watch this short video from StreetsBlog featuring Bogota's Ciclovia program.

Every Sunday (and during holidays), from 7 am to 2 pm the city sets up 130 kilometers of roads and reserves them for biking, jogging, running and skating. It's a weekly festival that gets people out and exercising and interacting and just enjoying the city.

Clarence Eckerson shot the video and he says "Ciclovía was simply one of the most moving experiences I have had in my entire life (no pun intended)."
"What immediately comes to mind when I think back to our trip were the ubiquitous smiles on everyone’s faces wherever we went. Nearly 1.8 million Colombians out using the Ciclovia and Recreovia to de-stress, get healthy, and connect personally with their fellow citizens. Young or old, rich or poor, pedestrian or cyclist - in Bogotá everyone loves the Ciclovia."

We pinoys, the "fiesta people of asia," can so do this. Think of the old events in Baywalk, multiplied across the city.

We don't have to do it weekly. We can start with a few weekends in January when the weather is a bit cooler. Or we could do it in February to commemorate the first EDSA.

If not EDSA, then maybe could do this for the whole stretch of Commonwealth Ave. and connect it all the way to Quezon Boulevard and the Welcome rotonda.

Anyone have a line to Mayor Belmonte?

Check out more resources from Walk and Bike for Life (a site I'm sure Tutubi will appreciate).




P.S. - check out the segment about recruiting for "Streetwatch" by marketing it like "Baywatch."

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

a bike lane in QC? that'd be great. marikina's already doing this bike lane thing.

i got the link to my blog thru technorati.

Anonymous said...

Excellent video!There was a good TV program(Imbestigador-Chan. 7)last week.It tackled the poor transportation system of the Philippines.Compared it as well with our SEA neighbors.Very informative and very depressing as well.

Indiobravo

Unknown said...

UP does a version of this around the academic oval. I don't know about EDSA but I think on weekends the CBD's like Makati , Ortigas could stand a few places having this type of program.

Urbano dela Cruz said...

tutubi,

a bike lane would be great. A complete street, even better.

IndioBravo,

Mike Enriquez covered TransPOORtation, eh? I hope they also talked about solutions.

Peter,

Not a bad idea to do a carless CBD on weekends. - pero competition yan sa malls.

Roby Alampay was asking UP to go beyond a carless oval to actually running a weekend street festival.

I'd pick Roxas Boulevard from TM Kalaw to EDSA. And maybe the whole elliptical circle in QC if they can figure out a traffic re-route to commonwealth.

-= dave =- said...

For carless CBDs, I find it easier to think of a set-up in Naga City. In fact, I think Willy Priles blogged about this a few months back. One reason why it's easy is because it's already being done every fiesta time in September.

Urbano dela Cruz said...

Dave,

definitely an advantage if they are already doing it for the fiestas.

I think the smaller cities should lead the way.

How about a carless day for Baguio's downtown? Or Iloilo? Or Cebu?

I bet the firefly brigade would get better traction for complete streets in the secondary cities -who still have enough time to change their trajectories.

UDC

-= dave =- said...

speaking of changing trajectories, my latest entry about naga discusses my concerns about a possible increase in vehicle numbers.

Merry Christmas!

Urbano dela Cruz said...

thanks dave,

posted my comments on your blog.

UDC

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