Cycling infrastructure is part of the EUROCLIMA+ project "Promotion and development of urban cycling in Montes de Oca and Curridabat".
1 October 2021, Curridabat and Montes de Oca, Costa Rica – In recent years bicycle transport has increased and the arrival of the pandemic has boosted it even more. Hundreds of people work on bicycles delivering orders, hundreds commute to their jobs and many more go out to run errands or recreate in their neighbourhoods. In order to meet this growing demand, and in line with the objectives of the project, the Ciclovía al Este, a network of demarcated bicycle lanes along 20 km between the cantons of Curridabat and Montes de Oca, was created. This infrastructure will facilitate metropolitan connectivity in a safe, peaceful, and decarbonised manner as part of the country's commitments to achieve the objectives of the Paris Agreement.
The two municipalities aim to provide safe conditions for urban cyclists travelling in the east of the city. It is estimated that the Ciclovía al Este will benefit 160,000 commuters per day, 138,000 residents and 75,000 university students.
During September, the implementation of the second part of the project began, which includes sections in the Higuerón, Calle Masís, Vargas Araya, El Prado, José María Zeledón and Freses sectors. The first part of the implementation was carried out in 2020 with the demarcation of the bicycle lane between Los Yoses and La Granja neighbourhood..
This initiative is part of the project “Promotion and development of urban cycling in Montes de Oca and Curridabat”, which has a budget of 400,000 euros and is part of the EUROCLIMA+ programme, financed by the European Union and implemented in Costa Rica by German Cooperation - GIZ. It was created by the Municipalities of Curridabat and Montes de Oca and is implemented by the Centre for Environmental Law and Natural Resources (CEDARENA), with the support of the Ministry of Public Works and Transport (MOPT) and the Road Safety Council (COSEVI).
"From German Cooperation we continue accompanying Costa Rica in its goal of decarbonising the economy, promoting actions in various sectors that facilitate the use of zero-emission means of transport. The bicycle has begun to regain its presence in the public space of the city and actions like this call on all people to generate a change in which we prioritise this mode of transport as a mobility alternative, as it provides benefits in health, family economy, the urban setting and air quality," said Claus Kruse, director of MiTransport of German Cooperation GIZ.
Prioritised areas
To design the Ciclovía al Este, the local governments of Curridabat and Montes de Oca took into account the cyclist profile, potential routes, public transport stations, as well as areas with appropriate speeds, the connection between the two cantons, the most frequent destinations and integration with existing infrastructure. In addition, the needs and recommendations expressed by the population of these municipalities through neighbourhood workshops in the framework of the project and, in recent years, through the country's cycling collectives, were included.
"The implementation of the Ciclovía Al Este is based on knowledge of the demand, gathered in the Urban Cycling courses and focus groups organised by the Municipality, where people from the communities and members of cycling collectives participated. In Curridabat we work to improve the real experience of people, our vision is to facilitate more and better alternatives for sustainable and safe mobility", said Jimmy Cruz, Mayor of Curridabat.
"With the creation of bicycle lanes there is a real direct impact on the quality of life of bicycle users, in economic, health and environmental issues, saving travel costs, promoting physical activity and generating less pollution. The most modern cities in the world use bicycle lanes to generate socio-economic and environmental progress, which makes us visionaries in promoting Montes de Oca as a reference city in the country", said Ana Lucía González, Deputy Mayor of Montes de Oca.
Promotion of intermodality
As part of the project, in April this year the Municipality of Curridabat signed an agreement with the Costa Rican Railway Institute (INCOFER) for the joint construction of a railway platform with bicycle intermodality in the Freses sector, specifically at the train stop behind the Colegio Federal College of Engineers and Architects.
INCOFER currently allows intermodality with folding bicycles, so that. cyclists can take their bike on the train as part of their journey. To make this process more user-friendly for all train users, a special platform will be built, which will be the first of its kind in Costa Rica. This will include an area that allows for safe folding and unfolding without affecting walkers, and adaptations to the steps so that the bicycle can be boarded easily.
The construction of this platform is scheduled for October, and the Municipality of Montes de Oca is also currently working on a similar agreement to implement this type of infrastructure in its canton.
In Costa Rica, the transport sector accounts for about 44% of net carbon dioxide emissions. This is why, in addition to improving mobility, from an environmental point of view the plan aims to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions by reducing road congestion, making it easier for users to switch from vehicles to bicycles as a means of transport. This is in line with what is stipulated in the National Decarbonisation Plan, in its Infrastructure, Mobility and Territorial Planning axis. In this regard, the Municipalities hope that this project will be a spearhead for the development of many others of the same kind in the country.
About EUROCLIMA+
EUROCLIMA+ is a programme funded by the European Union and co-financed by the German Federal Government through the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), as well as by the governments of France and Spain. Its objective is to reduce the impact of climate change and its effects in 18 Latin American and Caribbean countries by promoting climate change mitigation and adaptation, resilience, and investment. The Programme is implemented under the synergistic work of seven agencies: the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), the French Development Agency (AFD), the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), Expertise France (EF), the International and Ibero-America Foundation for Administration and Public Policy (FIIAPP), the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ), and the UN Environment Programme.
For more information:
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