New bike lanes are coming to the southern area of La Paz, Bolivia, creating more spaces for cyclists and other forms of active mobility. Therefore, now is the time for riders to prepare their bicycles, skates, skateboards, and scooters for new urban adventures.
According to the city government, the Municipal Secretary of Mobility and Citizen Security, Ariel Tórrez, explained that one of these bike lanes will span seven and a half kilometers. He highlighted that the project has already gone through the bidding process, with an estimated cost of approximately 3.2 million bolivianos, and that the award process has already begun.
“The project consists of 5 miles of bike lanes with three different configurations built according to international standards. Moreover, the bidding process has already been completed, with an estimated investment of USD 319,168 (3.2 million bolivianos), and a company is currently being selected to carry out the project,” Tórrez stated.
In addition, one of the main goals of a bike lane is to improve transportation connectivity, and this new route will promote intermodal mobility. As a result, the cycling route will connect with the Mi Teleférico system and the La Paz BUS service.
Mexican Experts Provide Guidance for Cycling Infrastructure in La Paz
To support the development of bike paths in La Paz, three Mexican experts traveled to Bolivia to provide guidance on these projects, located in the southern area of the capital.
They are Daniel Ruvalcaba, Alejandro Garduño & Alonso Cruz, young architects with many contributions, giving advice to build future cyclist infrastructure.
One of its first areas of support will be safety measures for cyclists and pedestrians. This refers to the correct implementation of signals in specific zones where converge cyclists and pedestrians.
Therefore, the aim is ensure a correct and safe road co-existence among bike path users at La Paz. Likewise, this measure will help to prevent accidents at intersections with any transit type.
To achieve this goal, the advisors explain that the southern area where these bike lanes will be built will include various cycling devices, as well as structural changes to sidewalks.
*Moreover, this project renovates traffic islands to improve safety and traffic flow. It also benefits cyclists and pedestrians through crosswalk signage, safer intersections with curb extensions, and measures for efficient movement,” explained Alejandro Garduño, a consultant with eight years of experience.
