Bogotá Needs a Congestion Fee!

An every-day traffic jam in Bogotá.

'Three to a car.' A Petro-era plan to require
car-pooling was never enforced.

This week, transit experts are meeting in Bogotá at Corferias to discuss solutions for the horrendous traffic congestion in Bogotá and other big cities.

Noisy, polluting traffic in La Candelaria:
Making cycling, walking and
generally living unpleasant.

Bogotá has been consistently ranked as one of the traffic jammed cities in Latin America and in fact the world. And, unless authorities take strong action, the situation will only get worse and worse as thousands more cars and motorcycles are packed into its roads.


What's the solution?

Pico y Placa has manifestly failed, and may even have made congestion and pollution worse by incentivizing the purchase of second cars.

The city's weak promotions for car pooling have accomplished almost nothing.

A sign announing London's
congestion charge zone.
(Wikipedia)

And the city's efforts to promote bicycling have been worthwhile, but their potential is limited. Colombia is not Holland. Only a small minority will ever be willing to ride bikes, unfortunately.

Meanwhile, the social and commercial pressures to drive, combined with big subsidies for cars, will continue crowding more vehicles onto our streets.

We can't build out way out of this nightmare.

The only solution is a London-style congestion charge.

London's congestion fee
increased cycling (blue).
(Wikipedia)

The charge discourages driving.

The charge finances mass transit.

London's congestion
fee reduced driving (red).
(Wikipedia)

By reducing noise, congestion and pollution, the fee makes cycling and walking much more pleasant.

It's the only solution.





By Mike Ceaser, of Bogotá Bike Tours

Another (Dubious) Recognition for Bogotá!

Bogotá drivers and passengers wait...

Colombia has achieved yet another dubious recognition. The analysis firm Inrix found that Colombia has the worst traffic in the region and the THIRD-WORST IN THE WORLD. , expect for Sao Paolo.

In La Candelaria, every evening.

Bogotá has worst traffic than any other regional cityThat's a grim honor, since Colombia is still a developing nation and car ownership rates here are certain to continue growing quickly.

The infuriating thing about traffic trouble is that, unlike a drought, earthquake or flooding, traffic congestion is man-made and completely avoidable. Instead, Bogotá seems to be doing its best to make traffic worse, with subsidized gasoline, free parking and saturation advertising. The media also buy into this, of course, by publishing cheering stories whenever cars sales are strong, apprently not recalling that those vehicles will soon strangle streets and poison our air.

Waiting on 26th Stree.

Traffic jams aren't just bad for making it to appointments on time. They also increase air pollution, contribute to sedentarianism and cause stress and noise.

What can Bogotá do about its terrible traffic? It's simple, if not easy: Raise the cost of driving, both economically and convenience-wise. That means charging more for gasoline, parking and other driving-related things. Enforcing air pollution laws would take a significant number of cars off of the road. And, expanding TransMilenio and bike lanes would make traffic congestion worse. But, by discouraging driving, the policies would encourage residents to leave their cars at home.

However, those policies are also all unpopular, so don't hold your breath.

Carrera 5 in its usual condition.

By Mike Ceaser, of Bogotá Bike Tours

The Carification of La Candelaria

An apartment building goiing up with a parking garage.

A new kind of apartment building is popping up in La Candelaria: Ones with car parking incorporated. 

That might sound nice and convenient, but it means worse traffic congestion, more pollution and even worse health for the neighborhood. 

Until now, the minority who owned cars parked them in commercial lots and paid for the privilege.

A new apartment complex with parking garage:
Makes an ugly contrast with the neighborhood's
historic homes.

But incorporated parking changes the dynamics and economics. Now, by acquiring an apartment, you're paying for a parking space whether you want it or not. That means that those who don't own cars, subsidize those who do (as happens with all 'free' parking.) It also sends a signal: 'You should own a car, and use it for transport.'

The convenience of having a car at hand means that many residents will use them, even to go two blocks to buy some beers. That means even worse traffic jams, and less exercise for residents. It also hurts the local economy, since residents with cars are more likely to go across town to shop in some supermarket, rather than supporting a local shop. 

And, of course, more driving means less exercise and all the harm that causes. 

By Mike Ceaser, of Bogotá Bike Tours

A Combustible Concept: Stop Subsidizing Fuel Prices

A traffic jam shuts down Calle 26. Would charging the real price for gasoline and diesel
reduce congestion and clean up the air?

The idea seemed sensible enough: Create a fund to stabilize gasoline and diesel prices. When international prices were low, Colombian prices would be raised, contributing to the fund. When prices rose, money would be withdrawn from the fund to reduce the price at the pump.

That was the idea. But in practice, the fund has been used mostly to stabilize prices downward, to buy voters and pacify strike-prone truckers.

EcoPetror: Not so green, and
maybe someday bankrupt, too.

However, the fuel subsidy is costing EcoPetrol a trillion pesos per year, threatening its economic health. And, such subsidies disproporionately benefit the wealth and businesses, who consume much more gasoline than do poor people. They also increase air pollution and violate Colombia's promises in the Paris anti-climate change agreement.

Colombia's Controlaria recommends freeing up gasoline prices. Colombia doesn't subsidize books, apples or clothing - so, why vehicle fuels?

I just talked to a schoolteacher from Medellin who had come to Bogotá to participate in the protest marches. She told me that public school teachers often must reach into their own pockets to purchase cleaning supplies for the school and even food for the children.

"That's the government's responsibility, and they've got plenty of money to throw around," she said, accusing government officials of corruption.

The government has offered teachers only a 2,000 peso-per-month raise, she added.

Certainly, the billions of dollars thrown away on fuel subsidies could have gone a long way toward helping public school students.

'No resources for teachers,' says Santos - except maybe those millions and millions wasted subsidizing gasoline.

By Mike Ceaser, of Bogotá Bike Tours

Uber: Urban Plague or Savior?

'No more illegality'. Taxi drivers march against Uber today.

There's no question that Uber, the ride sharing service, is bad for taxi companies and drivers, who staged protest marches today across Colombia. I've met many people, particularly tourists, who say that Uber rides are more comfortable and convenient than regular taxis.

'Uber out of Colombia. Taxi drivers are hungry.'

But Uber vehicles apparently don't have to pay the same taxes and comply with the same licensing requirements as do regular taxis, which is why transportation officials have called them outside the law, whereas communications officials say the technology is permitted.

But is Uber good or bad for  Bogotá? Studies about ride sharing apps' impact on traffic congestion in United States cities are contradictory. Some have found that the thousands of Uber vehicles cruising the streets worsen traffic jams and pollution and draw riders away from more efficient mass transit, such as buses and trains. In New York, the rise of Uber and other ride-sharing services has coincided with a decline in subway ridership. But other studies suggest that Uber reduces private vehicle use, and encourages more riders to use the same vehicle.

The impacts, however, might be different in Bogotá, where car ownership rates are much lower than

Not all taxis went on strike today.
These were working on Carrera Decima.

in North America. In Bogotá, Uber could help reduce the incentive to buy private cars, which are strangling the city.

In any case, fighting Uber and other sharing services, such as Air BnB, is like fighting the future. An effective car pooling program could reduce Bogotá's traffic jams, but the city has never succeeded in starting one. Ride sharing applications finally offer the opportunity to do just that.

Do ride-sharing services such as Uber worsen congestion?

Protesting taxi drivers march down Carrera Septima.

A taxi waves a Colombian flag.

'Uber is a (sexual) procurer in transport. Wherever it arrives, it prostitutes and corrupts.'

By Mike Ceaser, of Bogotá Bike Tours

A New Landmark Rises - for Better or Worse

The Torre Bacatá dominates the skyline in this view from La Candelaria.

Calle 19, in front of the Bacatá,
is already congested and chaotic.

The new Torre Bacatá, in downtown, adds a new landmark - and new problems, which the city appears not to have prepared for. Generally, it's good to build downtown, which limits urban sprawl and its compounding traffic troubles. But the 260-meter tall Bacatá, which will be the tallest building in Colombia and the second-tallest in South America, will cause huge troubles in its neighborhood.

The adjoining streets are already chaotic and congested, and this new mini-city will compound that. The Bacatá will contain offices, luxury apartments, a hotel and a shopping mall. And there's little open space, and no green space nearby. How about the quality of life for the residents of this new superstructure and those living nearby?

20th Street, behind the Bacatá:
narrow and already busy.

If I were the unfortunate person in charge of this city, I'd have said: 'Sure, go ahead and build, but you also have to help fund light rail lines on Calle 19 and Carrera Septima, as well as a public park nearby.' Fortunately for me, I'm not in charge.

Carrera 5, on the tower's eastern side, is narrow and pepetually traffic-jammed.

What will cars and trucks entering and leaving this garage on 19th do to traffic?

The only nearby public area is Las Nieves Plaza, the haunt of prostitutes, alcoholics and drug addicts.

Bogotá's skyline, and the Bacatá, seen from near the Central Cemetery on 26th St.

Bacatá, with dramatic architecture.

In a nod toward public space, the Bacatá provided this wide sidewalk on Calle 19.

By Mike Ceaser, of Bogotá Bike Tours

Could Uber Unsnarl Bogotá's Traffic?

Not if the Viceministry of Transport has its way!

Bogotá traffic congestion - an answer in Uber?

Uber, one of the most disruptive and innovative technologies to come along in awhile, has created lots of enemies.

And in Colombia those include not only cabbies, but also the viceminister of transport, who has vowed to shut down the service by blocking its app.

Uber certainly is unfair. Cabbies invest a lot in their vehicles, training and licenses, with the reasonable expectation that this will provide them a career in driving. And then Uber comes along, and suddenly anybody with a car and a smartphone can suddenly be a taxi driver.

It is very unfair. But that's history. The computer was terribly unfair to typewriter companies, the digital camera to film makers, and the automobile to harness makers (and horses). Printing put lots of scribes out of work.

If Transport Viceminister Alejandro Maya gets his way, he'll not only halt Uber, but also
technological advancement. And Uber is only a piece of the shared, coordinated economic revolution, which just might make life in Bogotá a whole lot better.

Taxis under threat. But can Uber do better?

The New York Times reports that Uber, Google and others are experimenting with carpooling, driverless cars and other forms of transport sharing.

Uber unquestionably fills a desire for more convenient, courteous transport service. But, so far, Uber's impacts on traffic are more debateable. Does it put more vehicles on the roads, worsening traffic jams and pollution? Or, by reducing the need for owning a personal car, does it ultimately reduce the number of vehicles?

Whatever the truth, Uber-type technologies clearly have the potential to slash road congestion and improve safety. Self-driving cars will one day soon be much safer and more efficient than human-driven vehicles. Technological platforms open huge potential for car-pooling (something which Bogotá, insanely, has never really invested in). And the New York Times envisions a future with personal vehicles replaced by commonly-used ones, reducing the demand for parking lots, which consume huge portions of urban areas. (Will the viceminister also oppose that change, in defense of the vested interests of parking lot owners?)

But none of those paradigm shifts will be possible if viceminister Maya succeeds in blocking Uber.

(Incidentally, Colombia's banking system is apparently resistant to working with PayPal.)


By Mike Ceaser, of Bogotá Bike Tours

Bogotá, Outstanding in Traffic

A massive traffic jam on Calle 26 in central Bogotá.

The traffic app Waze has given Bogotá yet another outstanding rating, but this one is a measure of the

city's urban pain. According to Waze, Bogotá is the worst - yes, the very worst - place to drive of all the cities it evaluates. And Colombia is one of the worst nations in the world.

And the situation is fated to get lots worse, thanks to the boom in private cars. That's unless the government adopts unpopular policies such as hiking the price of gasoline or instituting a congestion charge. But politicians haven't shown the courage for those things.

Interestingly, European nations with high gasoline prices and high rates of bike commuting, such as Belgium and the Netherlands are ranked as good places to drive - showing that policies promoting 'alternative' transit actually benefit car addicts, as well.

Colombia, a bad place for drivers, and Venezuela (where gas is almost free) is even worse.

Would getting more folks onto bicycles mean fewer cars clogging the roads?

By Mike Ceaser, of Bogotá Bike Tours

They Can't Have It Both Ways

Celebrate: Gas got cheaper.

El Tiempo continues its campaign for cheap gasoline today with its report that 'Colombia is one of the nations where people 'sweat' more to buy gasoline.'

The numbers compare the price of gasoline to the average income, but forget to mention that that
average wage earner probably does not own a car, and so does not directly buy gasoline, but does suffer the impacts of cheaper fuel in the form of pollution, massive traffic jams and worse services in schools when gasoline is not taxed or even subsidized, as it is in Colombia.

What cheap gas gets you.

El Tiempo gives good coverage to problems like traffic congestion, global warming and, even, sometimes, air pollution. So, how does it choose to ignore the fact that the cheap gasoline it so desires contributes to all of those problems? Perhaps because the wealthy people who run El Tiempo all drive around in private cars and because the paper's owner, Luis Carlos Sarmiento, Colombia's richest man, who owns banking, cargo and construction companies, profits, at least in the short term, from cheap fuel.

In fact, Colombia has quite cheap gasoline compared to other nations in the region. Neighbors Ecuador and Venezuela, whose gas is cheaper, are driving themselves broke by subsidizing fuel.

Those who run El Tiempo should think of their city's and nation's real interests instead of just their own.

Colombian gasoline is quite cheap for the region.

By Mike Ceaser, of Bogotá Bike Tours

Immobilizing for Climate Change

The banner behind the traffic jam says 'Great mobilization against climate change on Sept. 22nd.'

A single cyclist amidst a sea of cars.

You heard it hear first: On the 22nd of this month, Bogotá will 'mobilize against climate change,' and most private motor vehicles will be prohibited that day. Sadly, however, all the rest of the days the city seems to be mobilizing in favor of climate change and global warming.

Mayor Petro has made climate change one of the headline issues of his administration. However, he has overseen an historic boom in car ownership and accompanying boom in traffic jams. Petro entered office promising to create a congestion charge, but never pushed the issue, instead fiddling with the failed 'Pico y Placa' car restriction policy.

Bogotanos mobilizing - or immobilizing - for climate change.

Colombian officials recently promised to reduce the nation's global warming gas production by 20% by 2030. The goal looks admirable, but very impossible, in a nation where the number of cars is skyrocketing and which depends on agriculture, coal and oil exports and transportation. Colombian officials must know the goal is impossible, unless they expect the economy and population to start shrinking very soon.


By Mike Ceaser, of Bogotá Bike Tours

Painted Into a Box

Gridlocked cars block Ave. Caracas

Recently, some city transit official with great faith in human nature decided that painting the intersection of Ave. Caracas and Calle 13, which suffers chronic, daily gridlock, would make the traffic chaos magically disappear.

Of course, drivers ignore it. Look at the results.

Has anybody thot of fining drivers who stop inside intersections? Thjs practice, which seems easy enough to discourage, costs Bogotanos immeasurable frustration and countless hours of lost time.

The result.

By Mike Ceaser, of Bogotá Bike Tours

'Vehiculos' Self-Defeating Vision

A good, gridlocked highway on the left, a bad, functioning roadway on the right, during Car-Free Day. 

In honor of its hated Car-Free Day, El Tiempo's car.-boosting Vehiculos section published this cover spread entitled 'Cars Are Winning The Battle Against Car-Free Day.'

If so, theirs is a bizarre kind of victory, judging from the photos. On the left, is Vehiculos' preferred vision: a gridlocked highway, and on the right, a mostly vacant roadway during Car-Free Day, on which traffic actually flows.

Be careful what you wish for, you Vehiculos editors, or else someone might notice that cars are killing this city.

By Mike Ceaser, of Bogotá Bike Tours