Creating bike lanes and corridors could help Mexico City in fighting air pollution, congestion, noise, and climate change at a fraction of the cost of infrastructure for private cars.

1. Connecting historic districts in
Mexico City through pedestrian
corridors and bike lanes
Enrique Rebolledo

2. Mexico City: A country within a country
Traffic in Mexico City
IBM. 2011. Commuter Pain Index
Subway lines are limited,
as well as public transit
• Mexico City Metropolitan Area lacks enough public transit, which has impacted quality
of life, investments and job creation. Travel mode is 70% transit, 30% private cars.
• Despite its large population (+21 M), it is not that spread out. Mexico City is 1495 km2
(576 sq miles).
• There is a tremendous opportunity to recover the public realm by creating and
strengthening local/historic communities and landmarks within the city.
• Historic and traditional buildings abound around the city. Instead of using them as
unique «community building hot-spot» they are decaying and isolated.

3. Denser areas to reduce travel distance
We could
densify the
urban core!
Source: The evolving urban form: the valley of Mexico. 2011. New Geography.
Source: Florida, Richard. 2013. Density vs. Livability in the World's Biggest
Cities. Published on Atlantic Cities. Available at: http://goo.gl/nAXpG
One proposal, two components:
• Recover the public realm in historic districts / landmarks, including infrastucture
(parking lots, toilets, playgrounds), security (cameras, police), connectivity (internet,
transit) and private services (coffeeshops, local business, etc.).
• Provide «complete» streets to connect these historic districts, with emphasis on bike
lanes and pedestrian corridors.
Results: Reduced travel time, improved districts, business opportunities, investment, and
value for public (and private) money.

4. Create more micro-local areas with historic districts
• Instead of having only a few
business /cultural districts,
requiring private cars and
few transit options…
• We could support the
recovery of the public realm
by connecting districts
through walking corridors
and bike lanes.
• Crossing the denser part of
the city is only 22km/13.7
miles on a straight line (red
line).
• Walking and bike lanes (3
km/1.8m lenght / blue lines)
could help to connect microlocal areas, reducing
congestion, noise, and air
pollution.
• Car average is 13 km/h
(8.1m/h)
• Bike lanes speed at 12
km/h (7.5 m/h).
• Travel reduced to 15 min
on bike.

6. Affordable and easy to mantain infrastructure
Benefits
• Little public works, such as
parking meters, bike lanes,
and walking corridors can
catalyze local investment
and improve life quality, and
revitalize historic districts.
• Return of investment is
higher than investing on car
infrastructure.
Costs
• Pedestrian infrastructure is
minimal, compared to those
of cars.
• Bike lanes are easy to
mantain.
• Requires less infrastructure
(less capital and operation
expenditures) than those
associated with private cars.
• Requires law enforcement.
Evaluation
• Districts become affordable
and accesible to all (bikes,
walking, wheelchairs,
strollers (baby and elderly,
etc.)
• Complete streets help to
recover the public realm, at
a very competitive value for
money, improving quality of
life.

7. From congestion
To better living
conditions