The unqualified success of the car-free Via RecreActiva that takes place along some of Guadalajara’s more picturesque streets on Sunday mornings garnered international praise at last weekend’s Congreso Ciclovias conference at the city’s ITESO university.
{reg
}“It’s marvelous that we have people from many North American cities in Guadalajara, learning from your Via RecreActiva,” said Guillermo Peñaloza, executive director of Toronto’s 8-80 Cities non-governmental organization, which promotes more public friendly cities.
Delegations from Portland, San Francisco, Miami, Atlanta, Toronto, Vancouver, Chicago, Washington and around 20 other participants came to learn and share ideas about Guadalajara’s successful program that sees dozens of streets close to traffic each Sunday from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m.
A beaming Guadalajara Mayor Aristoteles Sandoval gave an upbeat presentation to the foreign delegations about the city’s achievements. “I believe the more opportunities we have to enjoy our city, the richer it will feel to be a citizen,” he said.
The mayor also outlined plans to expand the Via to Mondays and on weekend nights. Sandoval said that a proposal to close streets all weekend, starting on Friday evening, is also being considered, as well as expanding the route to include more streets.
The three-day conference from March 13 to 15 was organized by Guadalajara 2020, an organization made up of state and municipal government entities, as well as various citizen groups, that seeks to improve the metro area’s urban environment.
The Via RecreActiva started in September 12, 2004 with a route of 11 kilometers as an idea to improve health and open up public spaces.
Now all five of the Guadalajara metropolitan zone’s municipalities designate car-free streets on Sunday, combining for over 25 kilometers. Up to 200,000 people take part each Sunday on bicycle, running, walking or skating.
The most popular section is along Avenida Juarez, with the Mariano Otero and Chapultepec stretch a close second.
For a map see www.fomentodeportivo.gob.mx, click on the Via RecreActiva menu and then go through to the “Ruta” sub-menu.{/reg}
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