Sustainable Transport Solutions
As communities continue to grow, the adoption of sustainable transport solutions have become critical in order to increase mobility, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve air quality. The Sustainable Communities in Central America and the Caribbean project seeks to support community-based projects including but not limited to motorized and non-motorized transport development, intelligent transport systems, transport planning and transit-oriented development. To contribute to advancing the sustainable cities agenda, energy sustainability and low carbon economic growth in the context of the Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas under the Sustainable Communities in Central American and the Caribbean initiative under Sustainable Transport Solutions.
This Saturday, September 1st, neighbors of Montes de Oca, environmental organizations and cyclists collectives, all gathered under the Red Ambiental de Movilidad Urbana (RAMU along with the Municipality, went out and took the streets to define “city cycle lanes” and install traffic signs which allow a shared and safe use of the public roads for bicycles and automotives.
Faced by an increase of the traffic jams, of the fuel prices and the desire of healthier living practices; more and more people are using the bicycle as a means of transport to commute themselves to their home, school and workplace.
Neighbors, Las Luciérnagas collective, ARCA and FUDEU organizations, El Comité de la Persona Joven, the TCU of Universidad de Costa Rica and the Municipality, tired of MOPT indecisiveness, have decided to develop cyclist infrastructure such as parking lots, vertical signing, bicycle lanes delimitation in public roads (referred to as “ciclocarriles ciudadanos”) and other measures which aim to provide security to those who use this means of transport to commute around the canton.
The bicycle is an excellent means of transport, used not only to alleviate traffic jams, noises and urban stress but to reduce pollutant atmospheric emissions, whose principal source, in our country, are the vehicles. The bicycle also promotes a healthier lifestyle which seeks to eliminate sedentism in our country.
Thus, Montes de Oca contributes with Costa Rica efforts to be “carbon neutral” and to fight against climate change, whose effects are now visible and harmful in our country and have started to cause human and economic losses as well as infrastructure damage.
This activity has been supported by the Municipality and the Mayor’s Office. Last August 26th, the City Council declared Montes de Oca as the first “bicycle-friendly” canton of Costa Rica and agreed to promote the safe use of the bicycle as an urban means of transport.
Asociación Regional para el Agua y el Ambiente. ARCA
(Regional Association for Water and Environment)
Red Ambiental de Movilidad Urbana. RAMU
(Environmental Network of Urban Mobility)
Montes de Oca, September 1st, 2013.
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