CYCLING AS A MODE OF TRANSPORTATION: THE CASE OF RIO DE JANEIRO

• Main Author: ALZIRO AZEVEDO CARVALHO NETO
• Other Authors: RODRIGO RINALDI DE MATTOS
• Language: Portuguese
• Published: PONTIFÍCIA UNIVERSIDADE CATÓLICA DO RIO DE JANEIRO 2014
• Online Access: http://www.maxwell.vrac.puc-rio.br/Busca_etds.php?strSecao=resultado&nrSeq=24971@1; http://www.maxwell.vrac.puc-rio.br/Busca_etds.php?strSecao=resultado&nrSeq=24971@2

Este trabalho apresenta uma pesquisa relativa ao tema da mobilidade urbana sustentável, mais especificamente o uso da bicicleta como um meio de transporte urbano. Para esta pesquisa, levantou-se a evolução da tecnologia ao longo dos séculos em especial o desenvolvimento da indústria automobilística no período pós-guerra e identificou-se os principais impactos no território da cidade e seus reflexos nas dinâmicas sociais contemporâneas. A partir disto, foi traçado um panorama dos benefícios da bicicleta como um meio de transporte urbano através de quatro estudos de caso pelo mundo, cada um com suas particularidades: Nova Iorque, Londres, Bogotá e Copenhague. A partir destes exemplos destacaram-se alguns dos principais fatores que influenciam no potencial que uma cidade possui para a utilização da bicicleta como um meio de transporte urbano. Baseado nestes fatores traçou-se um estudo comparativo do Rio de Janeiro dentro de sete categorias de análises distintas: a taxa de motorização; o clima; a segurança e qualidade da malha cicloviária; a integração com outros meios de transporte; as distâncias a serem percorridas; o relevo e a forma urbana; e as políticas de incentivo. === This paper presents a study related to the theme of sustainable urban mobility with a focus on the factors that contribute to the development of a city s potential in regards to the use of the bicycle as a means of urban transportation. For this study, changes in technology over the past centuries, in particular the development of the automobile industry in the postwar period, were examined and main impacts on the city and their reflections in contemporary social dynamics were identified. Based on this, an overview of the benefits of the bicycle as a means of urban transportation was defined employing four case studies from around the world, each with its own peculiarities: New York, London, Bogota and Copenhagen. From these examples, several key factors that influence a city s potential for the use of the bicycles as a means of urban transportation were extracted. Using these factors as a foundation, a comparative study of Rio de Janeiro was performed employing seven different categories of analysis such as: the rate of motorization; the weather; the safety and quality of bicycle paths; integration with other means of transportation; the distances to be traveled; terrain and the urban form; and incentive policies. The impact of the rate of change on the social environment, coupled with the territorial impact of transportation infrastructure, has been gradually reducing, fragmenting and marginalizing the behavior and available space for the pedestrian. As a general consequence, statistics and studies tend to disregard non-motorized transportation as a part of the overall system. This contributed greatly, as pointed out by GRAHAM and MARVIN (2001), to the social drain in transportation planning which initiated in the 1970s. Thus, it is possible to state that the way we commute in a city directly influences not only our perception of the area, but also the way we interact socially. This assumption reinforces the centrality of mobility as a fundamental aspect of a healthy urban environment. The individual who rides in a car does not perceive the important aspects of the urban environment. The car distances the individual from the surroundings and creates a controlled and isolated environment for the passengers. Aspects that define the ambiance of a city such as temperature, sounds, smells and urban textures, go unnoticed when commuting within isolated environments. The same applies to subways, trains and buses, whereas just the opposite occurs when we commute on foot or bicycle. Consequently, the reduction of public space is directly related to the process of technological acceleration, which occurred mainly during the twentieth century, but that began a few years earlier at around 1870. Accordingly, a paradigm shift in transportation planning has become essential. Access to diverse means of transportation, including the bicycle, needs to be promoted. In this context, the use of the bicycle, as a more efficient and affordable means of transportation, has been gaining more importance in urban centers by being able to serve as a complementary infrastructure to the existing mobility network and increasing the penetration in the territory. In addition, the bicycle is an inclusive means of transportation, when we take into account the low investment and maintenance costs, making it widely affordable and highly efficient. However, when analyzing the need of a transportation policy focused on sustainability, we realize that the use of the bicycle as a means of effective transportation has been lacking over the years in Brazil. This discernment becomes clearer when we analyze some of the European cities where bicycle use was amplified and maintained, both on the local and national level, through deliberate action. Although enormous potential to increase bicycle use in the city of Rio de Janeiro does exists, this can only be achieved through the development of a coherent approach. If we take the other main metropolitan regions into consideration, the Greater Rio area has the sixth largest motorization rate in the country