These days, the Bay Area isn’t the only hotbed of bicycling fervor. As part of an overall strategy to reduce auto traffic and pollution, Mexico’s capital has launched Cambiate de Carril (Change Your Lane) program, to nudge commuters out of their cars and onto bikes. To encourage future riders, Mexico City aims to install 1,000 bike racks at key locations this year, starting with the city’s historic center. Major streets such as the Avenida de la Reforma, government buildings, and Chapultepec Park will get dozens of the U-shaped bike stands—a familiar sight on many Oakland streets.

Strategically, the program adds bike facilities to many of the city’s mass transit stations. Integrating bike amenities into existing transit options makes two-wheeled commuting both practical and convenient—factors critical for convincing residents to make the switch.

One amenity in particular should fill Bay Area bikers with longing—metal ramps that let cyclists roll their bikes up and down stairs. Ramps sure would take a load off those of us who bring our bikes onto BART and currently hump our trusty two-wheelers up and down the many flights between platforms and streets.

This well-designed biking program even includes courses for residents in bike safety, and the city has purchased 2,500 training bikes just for use in the classes. Teaching people how to ride in traffic will not only get aspiring cyclists out on the road, but ensures they’ll get from point A to B in one piece. To learn more about the program, click here.

This entry was posted on Friday, May 15th, 2009 at 2:29 pm and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.