Skip to Content
Streetsblog Los Angeles home
Log In
Streetsblog.net

Is a Bolivian City Considering a Law Requiring Residents to Bike?

10:06 AM PDT on October 9, 2013

While some legislators in the United States want to keep cyclists off the roads, a city in Bolivia is taking the opposite tack. Cochabamba, population 700,000, is actually considering a law requiring that residents make use of bicycles to help preserve the environment and improve public health, according to reports.

Richard Masoner at Cyclelicious dug up this story, first circulated as an editorial on Spanish language Reddit, then carried by news site Road.cc. Masoner cautions that it has been somewhat difficult to confirm, but here is the report:

Councillor Beatriz Zegarra for the city of Cochabamba, Bolivia introduced a proposal to mandate bicycle use at least one day per week for city residents to reduce pollution and preserve the Corazón de la Madre Tierra. Zegarra’s proposal has gone through the city’s urban development committee (“Comision Segundo“) and apparently moves on for full council consideration sometime soon, although it’s not on the agenda for tonight’s city council agenda.

I can’t find official city information available on the official city website, so I don’t know the actual text of the bill. The “news” repeated from road.cc comes from an editorial. I don’t hablo espanol too well and I’d be really surprised if Google Translate can catch Bolivian idioms, so I’m sure we’re missing out on nuances in the Spanish language editorial. Does obligar really mean “force” in Bolivian Spanish? Did the opinion writer purposefully select a misleading and perhaps emotionally charged word that might not exist in the actual bill presented to city council?

According to Road.cc, the law also proposes bike infrastructure and parking improvements.

Elsewhere on the Network today: Reno Rambler explains how the bicycle has long been a symbol of political and cultural resistance. NRDC Switchboard reports the government shutdown is holding up transportation projects all over the country. And Vibrant Bay Area says the most important part of aging in place is having a quality place to age.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog Los Angeles

Guest Opinion: Metro Should Treat Walk and Bike Projects with the Respect They Deserve

Prioritizing true first mile/last mile infrastructure isn’t somehow optional; it’s how your customers get to and from the transit stations.

September 21, 2023

Eyes on the Street: Slow Streets in South Pasadena

The city has a sampler platter of quick-build temporary traffic calming installations to experience for the rest of the year

September 20, 2023

Metro Board Looks to Approve $65 Million for 91 Freeway Widening Projects

Metro staff are recommending the board approve funds to support two 91 Freeway expansion projects located in pollution-burdened communities in Southeast L.A. County - in the cities of Long Beach, Artesia, and Cerritos

September 19, 2023
See all posts