Moema will have São Paulo's first permanent bike lane.

São Paulo will gain its first permanent cycle lane this Saturday (2). About 1 meter wide will be reserved for bicycle traffic on the sides of four streets in Moema, an upscale neighborhood in the south of São Paulo. In total, there will be 3,3 km of cycle lane that will pass through Avenida Rouxinol, Avenida Aratãs and Avenida Pavão and Rua Araguari.

The space will function differently from the current Ciclofaixa de Lazer (Leisure Bike Lane) – a 45 km circuit connecting various parks in the south and west zones of the capital, which only operates on Sundays. The Moema bike lane will be geared towards transportation and will operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week. There will be no cones to separate cars and bicycles – this will be done only by road markings and rumble strips installed along the edges. Bicycles will have to follow the same direction as vehicles.

The proposal, however, is controversial. When the plan was first announced about a year ago, some residents and business owners protested against the project. They demanded the return of approximately 2,5 parking spaces that had been removed from the neighborhood, claiming that local businesses were being affected. The city government, however, says it will install the bike lane based on “successful experiences from other countries.” This information comes from the newspaper O Estado de S. Paulo.