Workshop TR 7.3, Thursday 22 June, 11.00 - 12.30

Cycle route networks in local planning

Iván Sarmiento, Universidad Nacional de Colombia Sede Medellín, Colombia Factors in the design of a bikeway network in a medium-sized city: the case of Tuluá in Colombia This article presents a guideline for designing a bikeway network in a medium-sized city. This takes into account key factors such as modal split, corridors along desire lines of travel connecting points of interest, the available public space, the investment possibilities of the city in the short term, and the benefit from segregating the bicycles from others vehicles. The guidelines are practical rules to define the shape of the network and the location of the bicycle lanes among different possible streets. Those guidelines were applied to Tuluá, a medium-sized city in Colombia (133.500 inhabitants in the urban zone) with 19% of trips by bicycle in 1997. A bikeway network was designed in the Master Plan of Highways and Transport 2000-2015 for the city, demonstrating that the bikeways could be a solution to mobility problems in medium-sized cities with appropriate conditions for the use of bicycles. A characterisation of the main factors influencing the use of bicycle and the role of cycling in the total modal split are presented for this particular case.

Ramon Fernan, Co-convenor, Bayk Aksyon, Philippines The Marikina Bikeways Network:  An Initial Breakthrough in Local Sustainable Transport Planning This paper describes how the feasibility study for the Marikina Bikeways Network, the first such network of its kind in the Philippines, was prepared. The paper concentrates on the social dimensions part of the study that the author prepared and which he feels is at least as important as the technical design of the network.  The network is a work in progress. The final study was submitted in May 2000 and the World Bank loan to finance construction is expected to be released by mid-year. However, a 9-kilometer network of riverside paths is already under construction by the local government.  The network itself will be fifty kilometres long and include both on-street lanes and related apparatuses (parking facilities, ramps, etc.) and dedicated paths.  This paper is submitted to solicit feedback regarding the conduct of the study and how such a process can be improved.

Gabriel Alirio Diaz Rivera, Transport and Roads Engineer, Roads and Transport Department, Municipal Planning Bureau of Medellin, Colombia. Bicycle plan for the city of Medellin 1. OBJECTIVES: Medellín city, with a population of two million people, is the main core of Metropolitan Area of Aburra Valley, is formed by ten Municipalities with a total of three million inhabitants. Medellín is the capital of Antioquia Department, the second city of Colombia according to its population, and commercial and industrial importance. Creating the bicycle culture and promoting it as an alternative mode of transport, and providing the city with a bicycle network is part of the Integrated Transportation System (SIT). This is one of the strategic programs in the field of transport of the new Territorial Ordering Plan to be develop within the next ten years. 2. METHODOLOGY: Capitalising on the experience of the Netherlands in this field, there will be a historic putting in place of the massive transport system metro and the development of the Integrated Transport System (SIT). A Bicycle Plan is projected for the city of Medellin with metropolitan scope and integration. Based on a survey, basic criteria were designed, theoretical cycleways were projected, and projects were developed whose network will be up to 70 Km, covering about 70% of the urban area of the city. Finally, implementation phases are defined to realise the Bicycle Plan. 3. PROJECTS: With the mentioned methodology, and in coordination with Faculties of Engineering of National and Medellin Universities, the following projects are developed: Medellín River Corridor,  Pilot Plan, Belén-Guayabal, La América, San Javier, Universitaria,  Iguaná. 4. IMPLEMENTATION  PHASES: There are five.