Automobiles invade 80 percent of public space: UAEMex

Just over 80 percent of public space in cities is occupied by cars, said Dante Álvarez Jiménez, professor of urban design at the Faculty of Architecture of the Autonomous University of the State of Mexico (UAEMex), who argued that the promotion of cycling culture would help combat the phenomenon.

“The problem is not the space they occupy to move, the problem is the space they occupy while parked, then in most of the avenues they have monopolized up to two thirds of their capacity for having stopped cars ”.

He pointed out that in addition to the demand for space required by motor vehicles, one of the disadvantages is that its use is limited only to transfers, which translates into adaptations of cities for this type of transport designed for a sector of the population.

“The need to park cars is a problem of heritage, environment, culture, etc., it is a problem that bicycles come to solve in part.”

Cycling projects, great help

The activist also stressed that at the state level there are various cycling works in progress at multiple points, which in the long run it would increase the number of networks that allow the circulation of these environmentally friendly vehicles.

“Now with the implementation of more bike lanes the number of users will increase, so the more infrastructure we have, the more we have something similar to a network, the more users there will be and we will reduce pollution and accidents.”

Therefore, he said, it is necessary to promote a culture of respect for the road in all citizens in their different modes of transport. “With the cycling infrastructure, it is to educate users from pedestrians and motorists to reduce road accidents, that’s what cycle paths are for”.

MMCF