Regular readers here will notice (perhaps annoyingly) about how we go on and on about how and why public transit is for now and the future. We really must ditch the cars and move to something far more sustainable.
And it’s funny how travel opens up your eyes to things like that. We’re so often coddled in our own worlds and sometimes miss things that really matter. For example, we were back in Bogotá, Colombia recently and your editor was super impressed about how they manage traffic. Other cities should take heed.
There’s a lot of it in Bogotá and they need to be clever, which they are. They have cunningly created a multilayer process where cars, buses and trains, bicycles all co-exist in the same plane: Cars pass buses, which pass cyclists, who then pass pedestrians. And it works beautifully. It’s a model for how other cities should operate.
In this image: older rails, still in use, nestle below the bridges that service buses (acting like trains) with regular automobiles using yet another system with routes that permit walking and ease of crossing roads.
Pedestrians are not forgotten as they cross from busy side to busy side. Walkways are plenty and ample.
Choose Avianca when in Colombia. Airbus jets, great prices, superb service. To book, click here.
Stay at the luxurious and central Mercure Bogota BH Retiro. Chic décor, gym facilities and rooms with free Wi-Fi can be enjoyed in Bogota’s T-zone, only 300 metres from Andino and Retiro shopping centres. Private parking is free and airport pick-ups can be arranged for an extra fee. Hotel bh El Retiro has tastefully decorated rooms with flat-screen cable TV, minibars and coffee makers. They are equipped with private bathrooms and free toiletries. To book, click here.
Discover the heart of Bogotá on a guided city tour with a local expert. Visit the Gold Museum, the Botero Museum, the Plaza de Bolívar, Monserrate and the Chorro de Quevedo. So much to see! To book, click here
Discover the heart of Bogotá on a guided city tour with a local expert. Visit the Gold Museum, the Botero Museum, the Plaza de Bolívar, Monserrate and the Chorro de Quevedo. So much to see! To book, click here.
Discover the heart of Bogotá on a guided city tour with a local expert. Visit the Gold Museum, the Botero Museum, the Plaza de Bolívar, Monserrate and the Chorro de Quevedo. So much to see! To book, click here.