Katie Leavitt
The huge amount of environmental damage contributed by Mexico City will prove tough to clean, but the city's small improvements are making a big difference.
Having been a standard in many European cities since the 1960s, bike shares have slowly grown to numerous countries around the world. One would not assume that heavily trafficked, and often heavily dangerous, Mexico City would be the next to adopt this pollution solution.
However, Mexico's capital is serious about cleaning up its mess. This spring, Ecobici, the bike sharing service was installed in 85 locations around the city. So far thousands of people have signed up for the $24 service which allows riders to take a bike out for 30 minutes.
"As we commemorate the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, cities around the world are putting innovative ideas into action to reduce their carbon footprints. And Mexico City has proven that we don't need to wait for a global commitment to care for the environment," Mayor Marcelo Ebrard told the Associated Press.
As one of the world's most congested cities, Mexico City is determined to green itself. Ecobici is just part of a massive movement. The Mexican government, World Bank and the United Nations are funding a 15-year, $1 billion per year Plan Verde.
The system has really concentrated on transportation issues. In addition to the bikes, new energy efficient buses will hit the streets, the subways will be improved and once a week no cars will be allowed to be driven on the road.
Apparently the plan is working. The amount of days considered to have toxins levels high enough to be considered unhealthy dropped from 333 to 180 days in the past 20 years. Areas that have bus-only lanes have seen traffic accidents drop by 30 percent. Distant landscapes are actually visible through a more blue than brown sky.
Last week Martha Delgad, the city's environmental secretary spoke with leaders in Washington to help spread the word of their achievements. Mexico City hopes to inspire other cities to begin environmental initiatives, even if they are small steps.
This post appears courtesy of the Tonic website.
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Bicycle Commuting in Portland and Copenhagen (+ Video)
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Photo by Paul Brady via Flickr.
