The love for cycling, is also, an example of will and can, as proves the Ciclovía Recreativa Dominical of Morelia (Sunday Recreational Bike way).
It’s about a project, that besides to develop sport and health coexistence is one of a kind in all Mexico. Do you want to know why?
Join us in this new bike trip to know the answer. Take your bike and pedal with us. Let’s go!
Sunday Recreational Bike way of Morelia, more than a decade of cycling
For 14 years, every weekend operates the Sunday Recreational Bike way of Morelia, a cycling trip for all family to assist. In addition, it doesn’t matter if you don’t have a bike, you want to walk or run with your pet, there’s space for everyone!
Every Sunday, thousands of citizens have a date with their bikes, roller skates, skates or just with their feet to cover this circuit. For one day, can cover safely the Francisco I. Madero Avenue, on the first block of the city, from 8 am to 1 pm.
During this time, cyclists and participants can circulate safely thanks to the prohibition of cars to pass through from Madero Poniente to plaza Jardín Morelos. A total of 3.1 miles.
One of a kind project
If you’re a regular cyclist, maybe you’re asking, what’s special with this bike path to be one of a kind? After all, the programs such as Muévete en Bici in CDMX, or La ciclovía in Bogotá, also perform this activity.
Well, the answer is easy but surprising. While the previous programs have the support of the government, the Sunday Recreational Bike way of Morelia it’s a project 100% organized by civil society.
The main responsible of this is Bicivilizate Michoacán, a civil association led by Juan Arévalo.
This last, stands out the great community work of almost 60 people, due to perform and control this trip, have the support of volunteers, students, and people who comply with community work due their traffic offense, over all, for driving under the effects of alcohol.
Even though Arévalo indicates that every time less people have to comply community hours, they are also happy of having less arrested people of driving under the effects of alcohol.
About the help that receive on the city hall, mentions to the port Primera Plana that they don’t have any economic support. However, clarifies that the Instituto de Cultura Física y Deporte (Institute of Physical Culture and Sport) support them with trainers and paramedics in case anyone of them need medical care during the Sunday Recreational Bike way of Morelia.
In this way, is possible that every Sunday, between 6,800 and 7,200 citizens enjoy of this journey in a safe way.
Sunday Recreational Bike way of Morelia, inclusive and with bikes for everyone
Another virtue of the Sunday Recreational Bike way of Morelia is that is an inclusive activity where people with low vision or people who are blind can enjoy of cycling.
This is thanks to the tandem bikes to have a safe journey accompanied by someone else.
In this way, people that don’t have a bike can rent one of the almost 100 that Bicivilizate makes available to you for a modest sum of money. It should be noted that the collection is nonprofit. On the other hand, the profits are for maintenance of equipment and storage.
Neither pandemic couldn’t stop them
Even though the Sunday Recreational Bike way of Morelia had to be suspended during one-year due COVID-19 pandemic, by fortune, didn’t represent a risk of being cancelled. But, its reactivation on December 12th of 2021, helped people to resume to have a healthy life with sport activities.
The 10th anniversary of this bike way occurred during the contingency, it was in march of 2021st when a group of 25 cyclists, with Arévalo at the front, decided to ride to commemorate the decade of the project. Sure, all with the necessary sanitary measures of then.
The intention in that moment and today, was to aware society of the need and advantages of transport in a sustainable vehicle, as the bike. It’s curious, in this case, it was on the middle of the pandemic that bike and bike ways had a boom, but we will talk about it in another trip.
Sunday Recreational Bike way of Morelia, an example of civil union
Fill us with joy and pride to know that projects like Sunday Recreational Bike way of Morelia have the support of society, and must be an example of respect and empathy.
In a country like Mexico, where road culture leaves much to desired, it’s hard that automobile and trader population sympathize with cyclist. The saddest case occured on July 2024, with the cancellation of the Ciclovía Recreativa Cabo San Lucas.
A project that after 14 years, and improved by Mario Meave and their staff only, he had to disappear.
Before the constant aggression and abuses of motorists to Meave and this bike path (set on Sundays only from 7 am to 11 am), as the zero support of government, its driver was obliged to cancel it for mental and physical health.
A totally opposite pole to the already mentioned in Morelia. While this teach us that, with road culture and understanding, streets belong to everyone and are for everyone.
The one of Cabo San Lucas leave us clear that for today, Mexico continues as a city for cars, where figure of cyclist is barely visible literally and metaphorically.
