TransMilenio Along La Septima?

What will help travelers on Septima move faster?

Carrera Septima, Bogotá's most iconic avenue, is often congested and chaotic - and generally an ordeal for commuters.

A man walks by a window side opposing
the proposed TransMilenio line.

Proposed (and stillborn) solutions have come and gone: Dig a subway line below the avenue; Add a Transmilenio line; Build a light rail line. Convert La Septima into an 'eco-avenue.' And on and on...

Meanwhile, the avenue grows ever more chaotic and congested.

Each of the ideas had its disadvantages; A subway line would cost a fortune and generate monumental urban trauma during construction. A light rail line would cost less, but carry fewer passengers than a subway or even buses, according to some experts. And TransMilenio bus lines are cheaper to build, but more expensive to maintain, and often pump out black diesel smoke. Also,  wealthier commuters such as the residents along Ave. Septima often prefer trains to buses.

A bicyclist pedals his way between cars and buses.
Would the redesigned Carrera Septima include a bike lane?
Doubt it.

As everybody following Bogotá's news knows, the Peñalosa administration has decided on a TransMilenio line, generating protests from residents, who worry about pollution and say that the avenue is too narrow at some points.

The city, in response, vows that the Carrera 7 buses will be clean. However, we've heard that story before about both TransMilenio and the infamous Sitp buses. (Concerned neighbors should demand that only electric or natural gas-powered buses operate on Carrera 7, guaranteeing low emissions.)

In some places, Carrera Septima is too narrow, and the city
would have to purchase land parcels along the way.

Critics also say the avenue is too narrow to fit two exclusive TransMilenio lanes, stations, as well as
two lanes in each direction of normal traffic. City halls disagrees, but acknowledges it will have to purchase all or part of some 300 adjoining land parcels - which sure seems like a lot.

I still like the idea of a light rail line, which would not pollute, would have lower maintenance costs than buses and would add an elegance to the historic avenue.

Yet, even if the TransMilenio solution is not the ideal, it would definitely be a big improvement over the existing chaos. The city needs to do something to rescue its most historic thoroughfare, whose congestion costs Bogotá commuters innumerable hours every day, and unless they break ground soon, they may never do anything.

This building's owner displays his opposition to the TransMilenio plan.

A few meters of Parque El Chico's grass would have to be chopped off

By Mike Ceaser, of Bogotá Bike Tours

No More Colgados for TransMilenio?

The TransMilenio system finally found a solution to the problem of colgados, or fare jumpers, who run across the bus lanes and leap onto the station platform when the sliding doors stay open too long.

Unfortunately, the solution's pretty radical - and ugly.

Pedestrians cross the Ave. Caracas beside a TransMilenio station. Note the anti-fare-jumper barrier on the right.

Jump this wall! (Also on Ave. Caracas). The opportunity to save a few thousand pesos tempted many to risk their lives.

However, on Carrera 10 the stations lack barriers.

And the TransMilenio station on Plaza San Victorino also lacks barriers:

Young men rrace across and leap onto the bus platform.

Well, maybe not such an acrobatic leap....

That's quite an athletic leap!

By Mike Ceaser, of Bogotá Bike Tours

The Missing Piece of TransMilenio

Trash and faded buildings on Plaza San Victorino, which is bordered by three TransMilenio stations.

Despite what its critics say, Bogotá's TransMilenio express bus system does move millions of people across the city relatively quickly and cheaply. If the system's buses are often overcrowded, it's also true that TransMilenio is way behind its intended expansion. 

But one thing which TransMilenio has not done is bring economic and cultural renaissance to the neighborhoods around many stations, as these scenes attest.

Bogotá's dream of building a subway depends heavily for financing on taxing projected increases in value of real estate neighboring the stations. However, the evident lack of property appreciation around TransMilenio stations makes one wonder whether a subway will have much of an effect, either. 

Of course, the city might do something about this, by subsidizing or providing tax breaks for renovations and new transit-oriented businesses and apartments near bus and, perhaps someday, subway stations.

Naturally, a more pleasant, safer-feeling environment around transit stations encourages more people to use the service.

Faded apartment/office buildings overlook the new San Victorino TransMilenio station on Carrera 10. They've shown no signs of rejuvenation since the station's opening.

Carrera 10, near the big, new Bicentenario TransMilenio station, is lined with pawn shops.

And roamed by prostitutes.

The busy Ave. Jimenez station hasn't done much to bring life to the adjoining Los Martires Plaza. 

Tagged walls face the Centro Memoria station on Calle 26.

An exit from the Bicentenario station leads to the notorious San Bernardino neighborhood.

Perhaps an exception: This apartment tower was just completed beside the Ciudad Universitaria station on Calle 26.

By Mike Ceaser, of Bogotá Bike Tours

An Empty Ave. Jimenez?

An empty future for Ave. Jimenez?

A pothole on Ave. Jimenez.

In his rush to 'humanize' Bogotá, Mayor Petro seems to be shutting it down. Some of his changes, such as pedestrianizing part of Ave. Septima, have been positive. But under Petro the handsome Santamaria bullfighting stadium sits vacant, and he now appears to want to turn Ave. Jimenez into a ghost corridor.

Residents protested the other day against a city plan they claim would shut down the Museo de Oro and Las Aguas TransMilenio stations. City officials say that's not in their plans (altho I have read that it is), but that they do intend to remove one important bus line.

La Candelaria residents protest against plans to reduce or
eliminate bus service along Jimenez Ave. (Photo: El Tiempo)

The city's reasoning seems to be that the buses damage the avenue's brick surface, designed by architect Rogelio Salmona. While that is true, it's also inevitable. The avenue was intended for transit, and without it in use the city center's already chronic traffic congestion will get even worse.

And other cities, such as Portland, Oregon, seem to have discovered durable brick surfacing for bus routes.

A brick bus avenue in Portland, Oregon. (Photo: ASLA)

TransMilenio buses backed up on Ave. Jimenez.

Scenes of daily (and nightly) traffic jams in La Candelaria. With reduced bus service, they'd get worse.

By Mike Ceaser, of Bogotá Bike Tours

A Park for Central Bogotá?

TransMilenio buses turn around in the Santa Fe neighborhood. 

This huge area in the depressed Santa Fe neighborhood, but just blocks from the Torre Colpatria, was cleared of buildings to create turn-around lane for TransMilenio buses. Unfortunately, the lanes are now only lightly used, altho that will hopefully change as the TM system adds buses to its Calle 26 and Carrera 10 lines.

Several blocks of empty urban space here are evidently slated for the construction of a Central Station for the TM system, and perhaps a future subway. But that will take years, if it ever happens.

Meanwhile, why not roof over these lanes and turn the area into a badly needed Central Park for this depressed and very un-green neighborhood? For the capital of a football-crazy nation, central Bogotá has terribly few public football pitches (in part a result of the fact that several of the city's most important parks are on hillsides).

The turnaround lanes are just a few
blocks from the Centro Internacional.

City planners would surely respond that building a huge platform here would be hugely expensive. And they'd be right. But, not far away, the city has blown a fortune trying to roof over Calle 26 between Independence Park and the Modern Art Museum, a project which has stalled because of design problems and objections from wealthy neighbors. A park here, in contrast, would serve many more people and undoubtedly generate fewer objections.

This lot on Ave. Septima and Calle 19 has sat vacant for years, despite a sign announcing a shopping center. It would be ideal for a transit station and a public park. 

By Mike Ceaser, of Bogotá Bike Tours

A Handsome White Elephant for Ave. Septima?

The new Museo Nacional TransMilenio station, which includes a nice - but short - bike lane. 

Entrance to the Museo Nacional TransMilenio Station. 

TransMilenio's Museo Nacional station is finally taking form above ground - only about three years behind schedule and 50% over budget. The station's above ground sections provide an elegant addition to the Centro International/
Bavaria district, with benches, green space, bicycle lanes and parking and futuristic glass entrances. The station adds a pleasant island between the chaotic Avenidas Septima and Decima.

The station is expected to handle some 14,000 passengers per hour during rush hours, according to El Tiempo, altho many may feel stranded at the end of the TransMilenio line.

But the new station, located between the National Museum and the Centro Bavaria, will not provide what it was supposed to: Relief from the pollution, congestion and chaos of La Septima. In fact, it could even make things worse.

Cyclists pass by thru
Museo Nacional station.

Over the past several years, City Hall administrations have succesively proposed building TransMilenio 'light', a subway line and then a light rail line along La septima, as well as turning La septima into something called a 'green corridor.' None of those plans have advanced, while the avenue's troubles have worsened.

Traffic congestion on Ave. Septima will only get worse.

The new station will receive TransMilenio buses from the south on the Ave. Decima/Ave. Trece. But, instead of proceeding north on La Septima, those buses will turn around and head back south. To the north will proceed new hybrid fuel buses with entrances on both sides. But these buses won't have their own exclusive lanes - the key ingredient of Rapid Bus Transit systems like TransMilenio. Rather than easing transit along La Septima, by adding 200 new congestion will only worsen. Things would be different, of course, if the city actually had the will to remove excess, unneeded buses from the streets - but the Petro administration clearly does not.

A group of young people enjoy the new station's public space.

Trees planted in the new TransMilenio station, which adds public space and green to the area. 

The new station includes good public space. 

The ramp heading north from the station won't carry TransMilenio buses as once planned.

By Mike Ceaser, of Bogotá Bike Tours

A Milestone for TransMilenio

The entrance to the new Universidades TransMilenio station.

This weekend the Universidades TransMilenio station finally opened, years behind schedule, but it is there.

More than two years late, TM bus pulls
into the new station.

Getting the station open has been a long, long saga. TransMilenio's expansion project along Carreras Septima and Decima is more than two years behind schedule, and counting, thanks to alleged corruption and mismanagement by Mayor Samuel Moreno's administration. We're still waiting for the Museo Nacional station to open, which is supposed to happen in June, and for the Calle 26 line to be extended to the airport, tentatively set for late next year.

Buses have no way to get from one station to the other.

But the Universidades station's opening was delayed further by a legal battle over an expansion of Parque de la Independencia which bridges over 26th. Only after a judge ruled recently that construction there could continue did workmen finish the lanes leading to Universidades, which is near Los Andes and Jorge Tadeo universities and the Centro Colombo-Americano and the Aliance Francesa.

A line of buses waiting at Las Aguas. Why can't some go
directly on to the Universidades station and up Calle 26. 

Today I saw that the station was getting use, but buses appeared only infrequently. The new station is connected to the Las Aguas TM station, located only about 200 meters south, by an underground pedestrian walkway. But I don't understand why they didn't find a way to build a lane connecting the two stations. As it is, both stations are at the ends of their respective lines, obliging buses reaching them to turn around and head back.

Multimodal transit. A horsecart waits near
the new station.

The city hasn't removed the old traditional
buses from the road.

Another obvious failing is City Hall's lack of will to oblige the private companies to retire the old buses which compete against TransMilenio's service. El Tiempo reports today that these buses, in addition to contributing to traffic congestion and a vehicle surplus, also cause many of the nation's express bus systems to operate in the red.

One of the Museo Nacional station's futuristic entrances.

When the Museo Nacional station finally opens, supposedly in June, Bogotá will  face the next decision for its transit plans: What sort of transit system to build along Ave. Septima to the north.

Belching its way up the Eje Ambiental
(the Envionmental Axis)

I also took several photos, including this one, of TransMilenio buses belching clouds of smoke and showed one to a TM employee who was coordinating bus arrivals. She first informed me that I was "not authorized to take photos of TransMilenio stations." (Why don't they also prohibit people from looking at TM stations, which would go a long way to solving the pollution problem).

"So, it's okay for them to poison us, but prohibited for us to photograph the pollution?"

She seemed to become sympathetic. "There are functionaries in the portales who pull buses out of circulation if they're harmful," she explained.

"So this isn't harming us," I asked her, showing the photo again.

She apologized that she was not authorized to remove buses from service for polluting. "You can help us a lot," she told me, "by showing your photo" to the functionaries in the portales.

But maybe not, since the bus's own pollution makes its plate number almost unreadable. It's also absurd to expect me to do this: Can't they see for themselves? But nobody wants to invest the money in maintenance to stop TM from sickening bogotanos.

By Mike Ceaser, of Bogotá Bike Tours