Factors and policies explaining the emergence of the bicycle commuter in Bogotá

Abstract

The capital of Colombia, Bogotá, managed to include the bicycle in its recent sustainable transportation efforts attaining a remarkable increase in bike ridership. The bicycle is one of the three general strategies that the city has recently implemented, along with car use reduction and transit prioritization. What is the story behind the urban cycling process in Bogotá? What were the actions and policies that led to an increase in the cycling share from 0.58% in 1996 to 9.10% in 2017? Through interviews with different actors that have operated in close relation to this process (officials, transportation experts, advocates, academics, and bicycle practitioners), we identify and analyze the key factors that influenced Bogotá’s increased bicycle use in recent years. Clear policies in mayors’ planning documents, a latent bicycle culture, advocacy groups, and continuity in effective local policies produced a series of processes that led the city to achieve high levels of bike ridership. In Latin American cities various successful cases promoting urban cycling have been undervalued and given little attention. Results can be relevant for other cities, especially in Colombian and Latin American settings, to promote the bicycle as a better sustainable transportation within the urban context.