In this video (see below), we meet Evan Kay, his wife Ella, their dog, their bikes, and the railbike project they designed to use on rail trails to access more nature and adventure.
Evan and Ella ride MTB – a lot. Like most other MTBers, off-trail riding is their passion and purpose. They like to explore remote places and go on adventure rides.
Evan is an engineer who grew up loving farming, fishing, and family – and combining these passions with his technical skills is at the heart of this project.
Evan and Ella live in Vermont (New England, USA) where there are several disused railroad lines. There are many similar remnants of the old train networks across the USA, and seeing these got Evan curious about how to use these railroads to reimagine family adventures.
The challenge was to combine his technical skills with his love of outdoor MTB adventures. Inspired by seeing other riders adapting their bikes for railroads, Evan and Ella started working on ideas to use the rail to reach ever further and remote locations.
In this video, we see the evolution of their project to adapt their MTB bikes to ‘ride the rails’ – or railbiking as it is known.
A central aim of this project was to experience nature using active pedal power generated through their mountain bikes.
The initial design was based on three main needs. First, they wanted to use their mountain bikes as the drive mechanism. It also needed to be stable and safe. And third, they wanted both riders to be parallel (side-by-side) and not front-to-back (as in tandem like other designs). There is a platform between them that carries all their cargo and the dog with minimal effort.
I was really inspired by Evan’s ingenuity and skills in being able to utilise what is already there, yet often overlooked (in this case the abandoned rail trails) as an opportunity to extend their bike riding adventures – as well as creatively self-manufacturing an adaptive MTB frame that is unique and purposeful. So inspiring to see a design makes it easier and more comfortable to go further, for longer on a bike.
I also love that the whole family can literally ‘go along for the ride’ together!
Gives a new meaning to ‘off-(t)rail mountain biking’!
This time last year I was in Lunsar (Sierra Leone) undertaking my bikes-for-education fieldwork.
I often think of what I saw, felt, learnt, and experienced there.
The trip was exciting, profound and challenging.
I sift through my research journal and field notes, diving into them, drinking in the details of memories brought back to life in full technicolour.
So many significant moments that won’t make it into my thesis.
Moments like Mariama and the Addax Aunties singing me in.
Addax school distribution. Girl-student-new bike. Photo: Nina Ginsberg.
It is late afternoon and everyone is hot. We are in Addax and have just finished a long day delivering a school bike distribution program at the only high school for miles around. We are far from anywhere. It took a long, rutty, dusty trip squished between Kao (precariously pillion-perched behind me) and Ben upfront. I marveled as Ben cheerfully bounced the struggling moped over the dirt road to get us here, two at a time, earlier this morning. He made numerous trips shuttling all the staff members to the school collection point. I admire his skill and grace as he navigates the precarious transfer in such harsh conditions – hard work(er) indeed. It is so remote. There is no way to walk the distance or drive on this surface. Access is so limited. As I wait for the others, I think of the isolation and the implications of this walking-world for the women and girls who live here. Inconceivable. Humbling. Unsettling. I wonder what it’s like for school girls riding bikes here.
After a day at the school, Ben ferries us individually to a family a few kilometers away to gather, rest and await our return transport back to Lunsar. We will be here for a while. As the ‘guest’, I was the first of Ben’s deliveries, but on arrival I see Jak magically got here before me. I wave to him from the other side of the yard. I watched him do great work today, explaining in Kriol basic bike maintenance to the students. He was a superstar. He smiles and nods to me and accepts a drink of water as he collapses into a nearby plastic chair. Ben grins and tells me to wait here and rest: he is going back for the others. No problem I say. He takes off in a cloud of red dust. I look around me.
I see a young girl approaching me. It takes me a moment to realise she is one of the students from the school. She was in the workshop we ran. Attentive and confident, she had shuffled students around to position herself to sit next to me all morning. I liked her bold style. She had smiled shyly at me the whole time. Walking towards me now, she has changed out of her school uniform which is why I didn’t recognise her. Her clothes are oversized, stained and threadbare. A dirty white singlet hangs limply over a patched-together skirt. The material seems awkward on her lithe frame. Barefoot. She looks so vastly different from her clean, coordinated, green school uniform replete with white socks and lace-up black brogues. It’s hard to believe she is the same girl from an hour ago. Her name is Mariama. It means ‘gift from God’. She gives me a glorious smile and takes my hand.
Family hub: the cooking shelter. Photo: Nina Ginsberg.
Mariama leads me to a shelter to meet her family. There are many of these ‘family clusters’ around here – hidden, unknown, near-inaccessible. ‘Here’ is a grouplet of three ‘dirty brick’ huts. I’m surrounded by extreme poverty. The huts are dotted around a cleared centre which is the hub of all family life. In the middle is the cooking place. Under a corrugated iron roof held up by poles, I take my lead from the older women and join them around the open fire pit.
Mariama is animated as she tells the women about me. They smile while looking me up and down. Small groups of young children appear and mill around, watching, listening, whispering, giggling. Some of the kids sit on their mothers and watch the braver ones sit near me. An overheated dog snoozes as a wretched little chick walks over it. A rubbish pile smoulders nearby. An assembly line of freshly made mud bricks is drying off to the right, and a collection of single-use alcohol sachets are littered on the left. Flies buzz. Everywhere I look, skin sparkles as sunlight catches diamonds of sweat. The fragrant, sweet smell of red palm oil simmering in a cauldron wafts through the compound. I hear birds calling in the surrounding bush. Clumps of overgrown tallgrass tower at the edge of the clearing and rustle noisily in the wind. The women are clicking their tongues, quipping in Temne, and raising their eyebrows in my direction. They find me amusing. I sit down quietly on the closest stone.
Snoozing dog and wretched chick. Photo: Nina Ginsberg.
Mariama’s English is good and she translates our introductions, adding explanations and embellishments freely. We chat, suspended in time. Refreshments materialise. We talk about family, life and women’s business. After a while, I feel a shift in the mood. The conversation peeters out. Silence. I wait. Mariama’s mother nods to her daughter, who turns to me with a massive smile. Something has transpired, but I’m not sure what. I hold the moment, and the other women do the same.
Mama looks directly at me. I meet her gaze and hold, watching her intently. She has my full attention. She nods at me then closes her eyes. I watch her breathe. Time flattens. Tenderly and gently, Mama starts to clap. Refrain. Then she starts to sing in Temne. Lowly evanescence. Her lilt is stirring and ephemeral. The Aunties are nodding. The wind stops to listen. Mama’s voice is clear as it reaches out, rising and falling, pouring in and spilling over, flowing between and rippling through. I feel her voice seep into my bones. The Aunties join in. Snoozing dog opens an eye, sighs contentedly, and returns to slumber. The singing is rich and resonating, full of emotion and vitality. My heart pines. The timbre is achingly melodious. I listen, transfixed. After a few rounds, the lyrics change. I hear my name, ‘Nina’, included. My scalp tingles. All the women watch me as they increase in volume and enthusiasm. I am barely breathing. Mariama is singing too. She turns to me with bright eyes – what an angelic gift. The singing is still building. I feel what she is going to say before she says it. I don’t need words to know what is happening. ‘It’s for you’ she says, ‘they are singing you in.’
This is not your traditional academic article: no big words, no theory no-one understands and no in-text references.
This piece is perceptive, personal and poignant.
It is only 2.5 pages and is an embodied exploration of what is seen, said, felt, performed and experienced during international travel.
It centres on my return trip home (to Brisbane, AUS) after doing bike PhD Fieldwork in Sierra Leone.
In it, I share some moments of ‘Encountering the Return’ trip that any traveller would instantly recognise.
Anyone who has ever been overseas or in an airport will relate to this article.
I wanted to capture how time, space, place, bodies, objects, movement and feelings are all co-implicated in re(co)creating the fleeting moments that make up our lives.
A long time ago I read an article onDesign Boom by Juliana Neira detailing an incredible underground automated bicycle parking system in Japan. The first installation was in 2013 and since then, many of these systems have installed around Japan. The ECO cycle system is a remarkable technological design and as our cities become more and more crowded, solutions such as these that are not common in Western countries (but are elsewhere) might offer some ideas for how innovative technological designs could help address issues of urbanization and contested spaces. Enjoy. NG.
Watch the video above for a great demo of how ECO cycle works.
Created by Giken, ECO Cycle was launched in 2013. It is as an automated mechanical underground parking lot for bicycles and today there are over 50 parking stations in Japan (with plans for global expansion on the way).
ECO Cycle is an automated bicycle parking facility developed with the concept of ”Culture Aboveground, Function Underground”. With a compact entrance booth, it requires minimal space above ground and provides more than 200 parking spaces underground.
The entry to ECO Cycle is compact and unobtrusive. It has a unique press-in technology, making it a powerful option in urban districts where it is difficult to acquire land. The entrance/exit booths are above ground (at street level), while the rest of the ECO cycle structure is underground and it is completely computer-controlled automated. Surveillance sensors make sure the bikes are safe, eliminating theft through the use of a personal tag or card, making it easy for anyone to use.
Average storage and retrieval time is 13 seconds. (I know right….WHATTTTT!!!??) . To dock your bike, you push the bicycle forward to the front of the entrance door. The front wheel shutter opens, activated by the IC tag attached to the bike. When ready, you push your bike forward and insert the front wheel into the slot. After it has been inserted, it is clamped and fixed. You then step off the sensor map and press the ‘drop-off start’ button and the rest of the operation is completed by the machines which take your bike underground to storage.
You retrieve your bike by using your storage card and your bike is automatically retrieved for you. Amazing!!!
Gilken also says that ECO Cycle is earthquake resistant – a big plus in places like Japan where earthquakes are an ongoing issue.
Image: Design Boom
I can see there are many benefits of ECO cycle not least of all because it saves (above ground) public space and offers great protection for bikes from theft, weather and damage.
From a sustainability perspective, I am concerned about the amount and source of power needed to operate the whole venture – it seems ironic to ride a bike to support the environment, only to have your storage methods produce a bigger carbon footprint than you just saved by riding.
As we move towards a more contested and complex future where riding bikes is going to play a critical role, it will be imperative to be open to experimenting with new designs that encourage biking, active transport and more sustainable practices. In highly populated cities (like in Japan) have accessible, cheap and reliable bike parking is a great way to encourage more people to cycle.
Although not 100% perfect, the ECO cycle provides an innovative example for considering new ways in which technology, space, people and bicycles might be better accounted for in large cities.
Ocean Academy student Micheal. Image: Planterra Foundation
Belize is a small Caribbean country in northeastern Central America. It has many beautiful islands and atolls and is a popular tourist destination.
However, life for locals can be difficult. Belize is ranked 166 in the world based on GDP, around other lower-income countries like Lesotho, Suriname and Timor Leste.
Caye Caulker is one of Belize’s beautiful islands. Like many other islands, it has shifted from traditional life to embrace a different way of life in order to survive. Caye Caulker’s now depends on ts hospitality and tourism industry. While tourists enjoy natural environs and leisure activities, life is very different for locals.
Being such a small island, there are limited services. Previously, the Caye did not have a high school. This meant that when local children turned 12, they would have to move to the mainland if they wanted to continue their studies. This is not only financially difficult, but having a young family member away can be stressful and add extra pressure for struggling families, so many would not continue their studies and stay on the Caye. This meant there was a growing population of youths who had not completed their education.
Addressing a Critical Need
This situation is an obvious problem for the young students and families of the remote island of Caye Caulker. In many cases, it is not possible for students to travel to the mainland to receive a quality education.
This barrier leads many by the age of 12, to choose to quit school and join the workforce. Nation-wide, only 40% of secondary-aged youths are enrolled in school.
Opening a local high school – Ocean Academy
The Ocean Academy school opened in 2008 as the very first community high school on the island of Caye Caulker.
There are currently 58 students enrolled in the Academy.
Its programs aim to reduce school dropout rates and reverse the growing unemployment issue by providing hands-on and practical tourism education, in addition to the traditional curriculum.
How Planterra Foundation helped
Planeterra raised donations to fund needed bicycles and other materials for the Ocean Academy to develop a student-led bicycle tour of the island. Planeterra also connected the Ocean Academy to a market, G Adventures travellers, on some of G’s tours that visit the island.
This activity is included into some of G Adventures, and bike rentals are available for all travellers, with proceeds funding educational programs for the students at Ocean Academy.
Impact: Student-led bike tours
This project aims to provide youth on Caye Caulker with training for future employment opportunities. It is a social enterprise in tourism, giving students from Caye Caulker’s Ocean Academy the chance to practice guiding skills while giving traveller’s a unique experience on their visit to Caye Caulker.
Ocean Academy prepares students for careers relevant to island tourism and conservation science. In order to ensure the success for the new program, Planeterra supplied Ocean Academy’s Bike with Purpose program with 40 extra bikes at the beginning of the partnership.
This meant students could show tourists around, gaining valuable leadership, communication, business and tourism skills that can then be taken forward. Costs for the student-led bike tours all go to the students.
This is a wonderful example of how bicycles can be used to help support local education, families and employment opportunities. Key to this approach is integrating and enhancing already established local initiatives (the Academy) as well as addressing a need that has immediate and long-lasting positive impacts for local youths and their families.
Some academic publications are a bore to read, but there are the rare few that are accessible and engaging.
Today, I am sharing one that fits that bill. It is a reflection piece in the most recent issue of the Journal of Narrative Politics. It is by Manu Samnotra.
This article includes 7 vignettes, each of which shows various insights into Manu’s Florida bike-university-international lifeworld. I have chosen one particular vignette, to share here, which is the fourth in the paper (pg 62-63) which is the shortest vignette. It was originally presented as a one-paragraph moment. I chose this piece as it is concise, familiar and accessible (clearly written and articulated and not overly theoretical – thank goodness!).
Although it is an academic publication, it is a personal piece that bike riders can relate too. Elsewhere in the article, Manu explores themes or family, mobility, education, immigration/citizenship, friendship, community and more.
Manu’s writing is not at all cumbersome or heavily referenced (which is a unique feature of the Journal of Narrative Politics). I’d recommend checking out the whole article (see below). I have changed the layout of this section to better suit the blog format. Enjoy! NG.
Samnotra, M. (2020). Pedaling from Courage. Journal of Narrative Politics, 6(2).
We were on our bicycles on our way to the university, rolling on a path unmarred by borders and hierarchies. We saw two figures in the distance.
Pedaling.
Perhaps we registered its novelty; in this neighborhood where we rarely saw any children, and where there were no cars parked during the day, it was strange to see pedestrians walking in the middle of the street. Whirring. We were discussing what we might cook that night for dinner.
Pedaling.
We hear voices now, distant voices, and there is shouting. The road is much smoother in this part of the ride. Whirring. We exchange glances. As we get closer, we notice that the figures in the distance, getting nearer to us every moment, are not white. The color of their skin became apparent before anything else.
Pedaling.
We see now that one of them is gesticulating. Sticking arms out sideways, questioning.
Pedaling.
We notice now that one of them is a man. We hear his words clearly. He is angry. He is insulting her. Whirring. He is demanding that she stop what she is doing and acknowledge him. A few feet away, and we realize that the woman is walking ahead of the man. Whirring. Her body is stiffened, but not in the way that suggests that they are strangers. Whirring. She is trying to maintain a distance between them. As we are about to cross them, the man stretches forward and punches her. It grazes the back of her head. She stumbles but quickly regains her footing and keeps walking.
Pedaling.
We two cyclists look at each other.
Pedaling.
We are already a block down the path before we realize what we have seen. Whirring. No, that is not right. We know what we saw. Whirring. It just takes us that long to acknowledge what we have seen. She wants to stop pedaling. Our bikes come to skidding halt. She was always braver than me. I tell her not to stop.
Pedaling.
We cover the rest of the distance until we reach the university where we finally consider what we have seen.
Manu Samnotra teaches political theory at the University of South Florida. He can be reached at msamnotra@usf.edu
You might have seen this story in the news recently. If not, you need to know about it! It is an inspirational story of fifteen-year-old Jyoti Kumari who rode a second-hand bicycle 1, 200kms with her disabled father as pillion to get home amidst India’s coronavirus lockdown. Amazing! Enjoy. NG.
Image: Inquirer.net YouTube.
Mohan (father) is an e-rickshaw driver who sustain a fracture knee during a road accident. They had travelled to seek medical attention. Their family lives in Gurugram (a suburb of the Indian capital Delhi) and his young daughter Jyoti went with him to look after him while he recovered when the lockdown started on 25 March.
So Jyoti decided to buy a bicycle and like thousands of other Indian migrant workers have done since March, make her way home.
Using the money they had left (Rs2000) she bought a second-hand hot pink bike with a rack on the back for her injured father to ride pillion. They left home only with a bottle of water and she rode him non-stop from Sikandarpur in Haryana to Darbhanga in Bihar with only brief stops at Palwal, Agra and Mathura.
The trip was 1200km. Keep in mind the blistering heat and that they had no money for food along the way and relied on the kindness of strangers.
Jyoti said she was exhausted from the trip and that “It was a difficult journey”. She also said “The weather was too hot, but we had no choice. I had only one aim in my mind, and that was to reach home. It was a decision taken in desperation”.
Her efforts have made global headlines and won hearts on social media.
Their trip highlights the plight of migrant workers caught in the lockdown. Activists say her story highlights desperate measures migrants are taking under the Covid-19 lockdown in India
The Indian Express reports Mohan (father) says they survived with the help of “several well-wishers” on the road. “We were lucky. Jyoti pedalled for eight days, making brief stops at Palwal, Agra and Mathura. At some places, we would get a proper meal, sometimes just biscuits, but we managed”.
Jyoti’s bike ride story viral internationally (just look it up on the internet or on a news service) and their journey internationally highlighted ongoing issues such as the precarious situation of migrant workers, inequity and access to healthcare and how the most disadvantaged are being impacted by COVID-19.
Jyoti gained popularity due to her kindness and effort- and has had offers of financial help.
Jyoti’s riding also caught the attention of the Indian cycling Federation.
Impressed by her fortitude and stamina, Cycling Federation of India Chairman Onkar Singh said he was “extremely impressed” and that “it’s no mean feat for a 15-year-old to pedal with her father for eight days at a stretch over more than 1,200 km. It shows her endurance levels”.
She has been invited to try out for the national cycling team having proven her stamina.
“Once she is out of quarantine, we will bring her to Delhi to conduct trials, where we will ascertain if she can be groomed into a serious cyclist. And then, it’s up to her if she wants to pursue a career in cycling. We can even transfer her to Patna or any other centre that’s closer to her village. Ultimately, she has to make the choice” Singh said.
What an incredible story!
Image: Inquirer.net YouTube.
Content for this post was sourced from news sources: The Indian Express, the ABC and Inquirer.net (YouTube) which the images/stills are from.
As I sit at my work desk forcing myself (at time unconvincingly) to focus on my bike PhD research, I feel Kissime (my bike packing bike) glaring at me through the walls.
The indignant heat of her inattention radiates out, burning my skin 12 feet away.
Okay, Okay!
On a longer break, I maneuver closer to her for reassurance and flick on YouTube.
Together we sit, hand in grip, enjoying the latest offering from Katrin Hollendung. We have an unspoken agreement to go on a similar epic adventure (just as soon as the PhD is accepted).
Katrin Hollendung is a German adventure bike-packer who started posting her international rides on YouTube only in the last 12 months.
Her page is my new favorite reprieve.
So what do I like about it? You mean aside from the fact that she travels to awesome locations, riding her bike for love, not ego and takes the time to enjoy the uniqueness of it all? ……Well, it’s not in English. She usually travels with one, select intrepid buddy. Oh, and she gets super, extra, EXTRA kudos points for having ridden the Cairngorms (Scotland), where I lived for 2 years.
In Katrin’s videos, there is a good mixture of riding ups and downs, local culture, odd encounters, breathtaking vistas, necessary language and personality readjustments and a bit of local history and storytelling mixed in with Katrin’s reflections of life, two wheels and the world at large.
I like that the videos are no super polished or over produced – they are personable, interesting, approachable and at times daggy….. you know….normal!
Her videos range from 15 mins to 37 mins and are purposefully narrated with English subtitles. Here are a few of her trips:
I appreciate not only the trip itself, but the amount of video editing and work Katrin puts into sharing her bike packing adventures.
As I look lovingly over at Kissime, (who, for now at least, is consoled), I relish Katrin’s adventurous spirit and patiently await the time when I’ll be out there exploring trails with Kissime and mate, just like Katrin.
On U.S. roads there are 6,000 pieces of litter per mile, on average.
Seth Orme and Abby Taylor set out on their bikes for an epic five-month, 4,700 mile trip across the US – during which they cleaned up 2,130 pounds of trash.
Their journey has been documented in the REI film Leave it Better.
(Below is the trailer. Link to the full 20-minute film for free at end of this post).
Background
One of the main seven tenets of Leave No Trace outdoor ethics is to leave it as you found it. Generally, this is a common-sense approach to preserve the natural or historical beauty of private or public land; it should look untouched when you leave it.
But why not leave it better? In 2015 Seth Orme started a project he calls, Packing It Out, a continuous mission to leave the places he and his companions visit not just as they found them, but better.
For the first-ever Packing It Out trip in 2015, Seth thru–hiked the Appalachian Trail (AT) alongside his friends Joe Dehnert and Paul Twedt. Over 2,200 miles, they packed out 1,100 pounds of trash that was found along the trail.
The following year, Seth and Paul continued the project by hiking a grand total of 2,650 miles from the border of Mexico to Canada along the Pacific Crest Trail. On this trip they cleaned up 720 pounds of trash en route.
This year, Seth traded his hiking boots for a bike and recruited his friend Abby Taylor. On April 26, 2017, Seth and Abby set out on a cross-country bike tour to pick up trash along the way.
Epic US bike trip to pick up trash.
Their route took them from Georgia to Washington State, including a circuit of stops at National Forests, scenic areas, campgrounds, etc., hosting trash cleanups and conservation-theme clinics as they rode.
For 5 months, their goal was to explore the country, meet people, spread the word on ‘Packing It Out,’ and continue their message of environmental stewardship.
At each destination, whether alone or with a group, Orme and Taylor cleaned up trash, totaling more than 2,100 pounds over the course of the trip.
What a fantastic trip and a timely challenge to all riders (and people).
I know I have been stopping more often to pick up rubbish on my bike rides. I hope people, both ON and OFF continue picking rubbish and progressing conversations about sustainability, plastic pollution and conversation.
This blog prides itself on bringing news, ideas and projects from all over the world. Previously we have posted a range of South American stories including several from Peru, Brazil and Colombia. Surprisingly, this post is about South America, but comes via a longer report from the Hindustan Times no less! At a time when we are feeling very insular and localised, it is a good reminder that others internationally are experiencing similar conditions, but perhaps meeting it differently. Pedal on, South America! Enjoy! NG.
A woman rides a bicycle next to Barra da Tijuca beach, amid the coronavirus disease outbreak in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Image: REUTERS via Hindustan Times.
Capital cities in South America such as Bogota, Lima, Quito, Santiago and Buenos Aires have expanded bike lanes, closing off miles of roads to cars, in an effort to ease crowding on public transport to maintain safe distancing.
From Bogota to Buenos Aires, rising numbers of residents in some of South America’s major capitals are getting on their bikes as the coronavirus pandemic drives city officials to expand bike lanes and promote cycling as a safe way to travel.
Capital cities such as Bogota, Lima, Quito, Santiago and Buenos Aires have expanded bike lanes, closing off miles of roads to cars, in an effort to ease crowding on public transport to curb the spread of Covid-19 and maintain safe distancing.
South America is now battling the global pandemic with many cities still under strict or partial lockdown, and Brazil ranked second globally in total cases of the virus, behind the United States.
People go for a walk and ride bikes as the country has managed to get the coronavirus disease under control, in Montevideo, Uruguay. Image: REUTERS via Hindustan Times.
“COVID has been a fundamental factor in achieving what nothing else could have – expanding bike lanes and network length by orders of magnitude instead of slowly and timidly as before,” said Carlos Pardo, senior manager at the Washington- based New Urban Mobility Alliance, a group of cities, non-profits, companies and operators of mobility services.
“COVID made governments aware that it wasn’t a big risk to implement a system of bike lanes,” Pardo told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.
‘In the drawers’
Plans to expand bike networks in cities, such as Lima, have been in place for decades but officials hadn’t pushed cycling as a sustainable means of transport until the pandemic hit.
“Many cities had the stuff in the drawers. The plans are ready .. the bike lanes have been identified for years but hadn’t been built,” Pardo said.
In Lima, where about 7 in every 10 people use public transport, promoting alternatives to ease overcrowding on buses and the subway is a priority as the city tries to stem the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.
“In Peru, there’s been a huge change. The minister of transport has made cycling a key policy,” Pardo said.
The government has announced plans to create 300 kilometres (185 miles) of temporary bike lanes in the coming months across Lima.
“I suspect that many of the temporary bike lanes are going to become permanent. There is momentum,” Pardo said.
Bogota already had a 550-kilometre (340-mile) network of bicycle lanes criss-crossing the capital before the coronavirus outbreak.
Since Bogota’s lockdown started in late March, 80 kilometres of temporary bike lanes have been added, which are now set to become permanent.
Under the lockdown, about 300,000 trips a day are being made by bicycle, mostly by essential workers, and nearly 70% of people riding bikes today used other forms of transport before the pandemic started, according to Bogota’s secretary of mobility.
A woman rides a bicycle next to Leblon beach, amid the coronavirus disease outbreak in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Image: REUTERS via Hindustan Times.
This story has been published from a wire agency feed with modifications to the original text.
