Suchergebnisse

Understanding and solving transportation issues is a pressing need for governments in Latin America and the Caribbean region. An increasing number of private vehicles, chronically deficient public transport systems, and a lack of infrastructure that guarantees the safety of non-­motorized transport users characterize most of the major urban centers in this region, including Bogotá – capital of Colombia –, the city in which the present study is focused. As a result, there is the emergence of economic, social and environmental problems including congestion, loss of time, informality, inequality, growing greenhouse gas emissions and pollution, public health problems, etc. An approach that can greatly contribute to solving Bogotá's dire transport situation is the combination of bicycle and public transport use. This approach can have a substantial impact in people's mobility, motivate a shift in mindset that can potentially lead to a car-­free lifestyle, and improve the overall system's sustainability. These outcomes have been evidenced not only in developed cities like Munich but also in other cities within Colombia like Medellín. The overarching goal of the present study is to reveal the attitude of Bogotá residents towards cycle-­transit integration, gather insights from existing cycle-­transit users, and formulate strategies to address the system's structural deficiencies. The study includes an extensive review of existing literature on accessibility to public transport and the concept of cycle-­transit integration, commonly known as bike-­and-­ride, as well as a description of the current mobility situation in Bogotá. This is combined with face-­to-­face and online surveys to determine cycle-­transit users' demographic profile and trip characteristics, understand their perception of the current system's performance and issues, and identify how they prioritize measures aimed at improving the whole cycle-­transit integration. The combination of a deep-­dive in cycle-­transit integration theory and first-­hand verification and understanding of the reality faced by cycle-­transit users in Bogotá leads to the development of a set of specific recommendations organized in a three-­step course of action: i) incentives, ii) soft measures and iii) physical infrastructure enhancements. The study finalizes with an outline of the actions that should follow this thesis.