Bogotá’s Experience in Sustainable City Development

The TransMilenyo, a modern yet sustainable bus rapid transport system, has uplifted the quality of life as well as the civic spirit among citizens in the old city of Bogotá in Colombia.

The TransMilenyo is a clean development mechanism transport project that not only provided Bogotá with a reliable mode of transportation within the city; it also improved public spaces, and provided bikeways and large sidewalks. It has improved mobility, not just for a select few, but for all citizens of the city.

The project illustrates how a good transport system should be done. It prioritizes public interest, minimizes use of motor vehicles, and gives ample spaces for parks, sidewalks and bikeways. It has fostered a change in attitude among people in the city, and encouraged a more sustainable way of life.

After a mere five months of operation in 1998, bike ridership rose ten times, traffic fatalities dropped by 93 percent and air pollution by 40 percent. Travel time also decreased by 32 percent, bolstering passenger acceptance by 88 percent. It moves more passengers at only five percent of the cost of railway systems. 

The TransMilenyo, a sustainable transport system, best illustrates that placing people first is good practice, and can ultimately save a country enormous financial and environmental resources not just for the short-term, but for the long-term.