Mexico City - Cycling on a Sunday!

Travel: December 2008 - Posted 28 October 2009

If you find yourself wandering about the streets on a Sunday, and arrive at the Avenida Reforma, which is one of the main boulevards in the city, you may wonder what happened to all the traffic. If you're thinking that there is some sort of festival on, you're only half right. Its a festival that's been going on every Sunday in Mexico city for more than 2 years, and one that steps up a gear once a month when 30km of roads are free of cars to form a circuit known as the "Cicloton" with around 70,000 participants.

Mexico City is a place that has a bad reputation as being big, polluted and dangerous. Its a city that is home to as many as 20 million people, so this is bound to be the case. Unlike many other cities, Mexcio city appears to be taking large strides forward in improving conditions for residents and the environment.

While it would be easy to dismiss events such as this as just window dressing, and a distraction from real problems, it looks like the city is also serious about improving public transport infrastructure. It already has an Extensive Metro system that currently spans over 200km, with a 12th line currently under construction. Above ground, there are numerous projects being developed such as dedicated bus lanes and extensive new bicycle lanes.

While Cycle-Sunday may be partly about symbolism, sometimes these things are a powerful precursor to change. Other cities could do worse than to give it a go, and have a car-free fiesta!