Tenemos bicis en casa: looking at local infrastructure for inspiration
- Leila Murrieta
- Apr 14
- 4 min read
When you think of safe, accessible cycling, what do you see? Is it the Netherland's car-free streets, long stretches of road that a peloton can cruise down, biking to work, or a lycra-clad pathlete? What does cycling look like and what is a bicycle-friendly city? I want to talk about how when we talk about safe, accessible, aesthetic cycling infrastructure, we as advocates and passionate people always talk about the Netherlands/Europe! And then you receive the response, “Well, this isn't Europe. This is America; we drive. It's big here.” We don't need to talk about Europe anymore; everyone knows (even non-cyclists) that it's a mecca for cyclists. I want us to move away from only speaking about Europe; there are examples closer to home that we can point to. So where can we look, and what can we point to as excellent examples of infrastructure?
Let's start by bringing it back to this continent and look at what was once known as the smog-filled valley of Mexico City. It wasn't easy for them to take lanes away from cars, pour concrete to protect their vulnerable road users, paint and place signage, and change public perception about cycling. In one of the world's largest cities, every Sunday, they close 55km (34mi) of roads to cars, and only people who walk or roll can enjoy one of the main thoroughfares, Paseo de la Reforma. The first edition of the ciclovía took place in 2007 as a massive push by cycling advocates, Bicitekas, in partnership with the local government. Bicitekas use both radical and political avenues to achieve their goal of getting more people to use bicycles as a sustainable transportation model. When Bicitekas started their advocacy work, only 0.7% of trips were taken by bicycle. In addition to closing the streets once a week, the city “Muévete en Bici” also offers educational workshops, classes, and a bike school to educate the next generation on safe practices and provide information that bicycles are a low-cost, sustainable transportation option. They also installed “ecobicis,” a bike share program for everyday transportation use. These weekly ciclovías that are fully shut to cars not only give people a safe place to practice cycling in a safe car-free environment, but it also allows residents and visitors to imagine what their city can look and feel like without cars.
Let's move even closer to home, back to the States. I want to talk about Hoboken, New Jersey, and its Vision Zero project, which reports no traffic-related deaths on their city streets in 2022 (This statement does not include state and county controlled roads). Which is an impressive feat: no deaths on city-controlled streets in the United States. Their Vision Zero project is succeeding; local activists and a bicycle-friendly/aware mayor have partnered to create a safer Hoboken. Hoboken started their Vision Zero program in 2018 with their new mayor, Ravi Bhalla, who committed the city fully to the Vision Zero practices. Hoboken’s improvements include building bulbouts, daylighting, lowering speed limits, removing parking, and programming staggered traffic lights. When roads need to be repaved, the city makes a point to shorten crosswalks and widen curbs. When there isn't enough money for these infrastructure projects, the city creates temporary bollards that are removed when there is enough money for more permanent infrastructure. Completing projects of this nature is no easy task, especially when removing parking is on the docket. Things can change; progress is slow, but when you have a committed team of activists, advocates, and city officials, zero traffic deaths may only be four years away.
Let us look even more locally; let's look to Pueblo lands to see the new bike infrastructure they have built to protect and connect people to nature and wellness. The Hemish Path to Wellness in Jemez Pueblo began construction in March of 2023 and was completed in 2024. NM Highway 4 split the pueblo, making it difficult for tribal members to access community services, schools, and homes. They built a 2-mile-long multi-use path that re-connects community members with services, the land, and schools and provides a space away from cars to walk and roll. Laguna Pueblo took on a community-informed project of creating 40 miles of connected trails for six distinct communities, with a focus on their traditional village cores. The project began in 2012 with community input on concerns for safety, aesthetics, amenities, and if the trail was to be paved/unpaved. The project is now completed and connects these six unique communities through a network of separated multi-use paths, bike lanes, sidewalks, and safer street crossings with slower traffic. This project included years of surveys with community members and conversations in each community, using Indigenous planning techniques that plan for current and future generations.
We, as a country and as advocates, have learned from Europe. We have adopted (or attempt to) the Vision Zero plans, but it’s time to focus on what we are doing right locally in addition to what we are doing right globally.. There are examples here that prove these practices work. Maybe peoples’ eyes won't glaze over, and the statement “That's Europe,” will fade away because we have infrastructure here that showcases, uplifts, and protects the communities they are built in. They have community buy-in - it's something we can all be proud of, something we will build, something we will all want to take care of.