The closest one to their people in Mexico
One of the big proposals of the country states is to have an integral and sustainable mobility. A cornerstone of it are bike paths and their closeness to population, where Leon bikeways give us a clear example.
Even though is optimal for each country, city, county and state to have an ample bike path network, the truth is that isn’t enough to have hundreds of miles of it or a great cyclist infrastructure. For these aspects to worth, bike ways must be useful and well planned as built.
By useful and well planned, we refer that these exclusive lanes help them to get to strategic points for mobility. In other words, is suitable to have interconnected bikeways among them and public transport.
Thus, to achieve a real integrated mobility is necessary helping user to transport quickly and easily, with all the available transports, from one end of the city to another. Of course, transiting through service and interest sites conformed from hospitals to museums.
Well-constructed isn’t the same as well designed.
Now, when saying well constructed, we refer to a correct pavement and signage. And also to have the necessary physical infrastructure to protect to cyclist. In other words, depending on their location must have confibicis and other types of channelizers and physical barriers to separate the cyclist circulation from motorists.
Altogether, a connected city is possible through sustainable transport and at the same time is cared the well-being of users. Yet, there’s an important aspect: the distance among one protected bike way and citizenship.
In other words, there’s no sense that to get to a physical protected bike lane, user cross all the city to arrive to one of these. If happens, keep exposed to vehicle dangers on their road to bike ways.
The Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) mentions that the acceptable distance for one person to walk from home to find a protected bike way must be a maximum of 984 ft.
In Mexico, the country’s capital (CDMX) is one of the zones with most exclusive lanes for bikes. This also is far to be nearby of most of population; due bikeways are very centralized, leaving out those who live further than tourist or frequented zones.
On the other hand, the Leon bikeways, are the closest ones to population, besides, state don’t have a big cyclist infrastructure as CDMX. For sure, we keep referring to protected bike lanes, meaning, those with physical barrier.
Leon bikeways, around the corner
The data provided by the ITDP indicates that 17% of population live to less than 984 miles, walking from a protected bike lane. Transforming bike routes of Leon in one of the closest to people.
In fact, while at national level, Leon takes the first place in this category, at world level has the position 111.
Likewise, the ITDP data informs that Leon bikeways sum 67 miles and 66 of them are protected for a traffic barrier.
Certainly, a big step for Guanajuato’s capital. On the other hand can also demonstrate the long road of authorities to cover in Mexico’s mobility. Over all, if we consider that in places as Helsinki, Capital of Finland, the 94% of their population reside in the closeness of a confined bike lane.
Looking the best bikeways
Even though to obtain the ITDP is through updated reports of users all around the world, Leon has officially 149 miles of bike way (among 9.3 of them until January 2023) and they are trying to have 186 miles at the end of the current administration.
A report in September of 2023, informed that bike paths located in Francisco Villa, Vicente Valtierra and Miguel Hidalgo may have modifications. This with the intention of make them safer for cyclists. For example, the aim is the enlargement of at least 3.2 ft – 3.9 ft of width to 4.9 ft and 6.5 ft
Explore the cities with greater closeness among exclusive lanes for bike and the citizens, discover it here.
