Project on youth influencing bike policy in Bogota completed

Laura Daniela Gomez and her team from Despacio have completed their local action project, Youth Influencing Bike Policy Change in Bogota. The last phase of the project featured three key activities; the launch of an online campaign raising awareness on bicycle policy change, creating a mural as a tactical urbanism intervention, and the launch of a virtual petition that shows public support for bicycle representatives in the area.

During the online campaign, Daniela and her team created and uploaded infographics to explain the relevance of biking boards. The campaign also shares important messages around the risks and dangers of speeding, the benefits of sustainable mobility, and the challenges that come with getting more women involved in cycling. 

The goal of the next activity, the creation of a mural as a form of tactical urbanism intervention, was to get people interested in conversations around cycling. The team painted the mural along the area of San José de Calasanz de Suba School in an external wall facing the streets of the area.

The team picked a strategic area where a lot of vehicles pass by, specifically; motorcycle drivers, women and children on their bikes, and even speeding cars and vehicles. The area also had wire mesh to reduce the possibility of the mural getting vandalized or painted over.

The artists who supported the creation of the mural were from Colectivo Dexpierte. The final piece shows a woman caregiver on her bike with a child. The goal of the mural was to capture the story of the situation of women when it comes to mobility as well as their role within families and communities. 

 

At the end of the campaign, Daniela and her team launched a virtual petition to highlight public support for the proposal to have bicycle representatives within the city council. The petition, launched through Change.org, asked Bogotá’s Council to approve agreements that improve road safety, prioritize inclusion, improve the quality of bicycle infrastructure, and include cyclists in creating policies. 

As of publishing time, the petition has reached 172 signatures and is still currently being shared through Despacio’s social media channels. 

Following the data gathered throughout the project, a proposal was drafted for the city council by bicycle representatives. The key features of the agreement focus on prioritizing sustainable, safe, and gender-inclusive policies around mobility issues. 

The project was able to gather support from Ubi Colombia, a local collective, that helped design and disseminate the graphics around cycling, sustainable mobility, and road safety. 

The proposal was presented to bicycle representatives and councilors in Bogotá. Through the meetings, suggestions to include topics like strengthening the mechanism for compliance with the speed limit and personal security of cyclists were included. 

The project has ended but the petition to get more support for cycling and sustainable transport continues.