Bike lanes popularize bicycles in São Paulo

Daniel Mello

Reporter from Agência Brasil 

São Paulo – The city of São Paulo has 119,7 kilometers (km) of recreational bike lanes. On Sundays and national holidays, part of the roads dedicated to cars receives specific signage in the leftmost lane to allow bicycle traffic from 7 am to 16 pm. In one of the circuits, it is possible to cycle from Ibirapuera Park to the city center, passing through Avenida Paulista. This 41 km route allows you to reach tourist attractions such as the Viaduto do Chá, the Municipal Theater, and the São Bento Monastery. There is also a permanent 3,3 km bike lane in Moema, in the southern part of São Paulo, which operates 24 hours a day, every day of the week.

Bike lanes encourage the use of bicycles, increasing the popularity of the vehicle, which is gradually being incorporated into the city's transportation matrix. "It [the bike lane] has an appeal for people to acquire a cycling culture and start using it during the week as a means of transportation. But, obviously, it's not a structure for mobility," explains João Paulo Amaral, one of the founders of Bike Anjo, a collective of experienced cyclists that supports beginners so they can ride more safely on the city streets.

Amaral believes that to improve mobility in the city of São Paulo, the entire current model of urban expansion and use needs to be rethought. “Not only regarding bicycles, but also the use of the city by people, including pedestrians, people using public transport, and other means of transportation. This way, we begin to demystify the use of urban space and streets,” he emphasizes.

According to the activist, there is still an imbalance in public investment, which prioritizes car use over other forms of transportation. "The issue is that we need to start looking at the imbalance in the city's investments. On the one hand, it will take some specific actions for public transport and pedestrians, but on the other hand, it continues to create roads for the circulation of more cars," he criticizes.

The Municipal Department of Transportation (SMT) says that it is studying, through the Traffic Engineering Company (CET), various alternatives to promote cycling as a means of transportation and leisure in the city. According to the department, the city's goal is to expand the existing cycle path network by 150 kilometers.

In addition to bike lanes, the 241,4 km of São Paulo's cycling network includes 60,4 km of bike paths, which are specific routes, separate from car traffic, for bicycle traffic. This number also includes 58 km of bike routes, reduced-speed roads (30 kilometers per hour) with little car traffic where bicycles circulate alongside the curb. They also have signs and markings on the ground to alert drivers.