In Bogotá, Activists Are Fighting Against a Backslide in Pedestrian Safety

Since the mid-1990s, urban activists have held up Bogotá as an example of what a municipal government can achieve when it sets its mind to making a city safer and more friendly to people traveling by bicycle, foot, or mass transit.

The Colombian city was the birthplace of the Ciclovía-style event, in which streets are car-free for the day, allowing citizens to use the space for playing and relaxing. The model has since been widely adopted by cities around the world, including Los Angeles, New York, and San Antonio. Under one-term mayor Enrique Peñalosa, Bogotá launched a comprehensive bus rapid transit program, and cars were prohibited from parking on the sidewalk in busy parts of the city. Mayor Antanas Mockus, who served one term before Peñalosa and one term after (1995-1997 and 2001-2003), was also a champion of the pedestrian, and famously hired 400 mimes to ridicule drivers who violated traffic rules. Under Mockus, traffic fatalities in Bogotá fell by 50 percent.