Curitiba is perhaps the most well-planned city in the world, and bicycle integration is at its core. The city has been pushing cycling as the go-to mode of transportation for more than 40 years and the result has been the ubiquity of bike lanes. Brazilians have made a commitment to alternative fuels and eco-friendly transportation methods. In addition to the infrastructure, a vibrant bike-oriented activist community exists to promote bicycle riding as an alternative to auto congestion.
With the creation of planned new bike lanes to be integrated into the current network of 120 kilometers, which is already the second largest in the country, Curitiba’s cycling paths will reach 400 kilometers. The expansion of bike lanes on city roads comes under the Cicloviário Master Plan, which was prepared by IPPUC (Curitiba Institute for Urban Research and Planning).
“We want to encourage the use of bicycles not only as leisure or sports activities, but as an alternative means of transport. This is a priority for the City of Curitiba in our Mobility and Accessibility Program. The projects have already been defined and some new extensions have already been built in town,” said the president of IPPUC, Clever Almeida.
One of these new connections is path along Av. Marechal Floriano Peixoto, which already has eight kilometers (4 miles in each direction) from the viaduct of the Green Line to the border with Pinhais. Another piece, a connection to the edge of town with Pinhais, will be done in partnership with the state government with funding from the Growth Acceleration Program (PAC) Cup.
In total, Curitiba has 22.5 km of cycling infrastructure in progress. The upgrading project of Eduardo Pinto da Rocha, with completion scheduled for later this year, will reflect the implementation of bicycle paths along traffic lanes for 5 km. Also, south of Curitiba, the Axis Road Integration CIC / Tatuquara will have 1.8 km of bike paths.
The largest bike path is currently under construction on Av. Fredolin Wolf. The road project was begun by the City this month. At the end of the work, there will be a 7.6 km extension to form alternative access among the neighborhoods Santa Felicidade, São João, and Pilarzinho promoting integration with Tanguá and Tingui parks and the Wire Opera House, some of Curitiba’s finest tourist attractions. The work on Fredolin Wolf will form, along with Toaldo Tully Street (already operating), a cycling route of 13.1 kilometers along the main West/North road, enabling a connection from the BR-277 with the option of entering Centro Cívico or Barreirinha.
Following Fredolin Wolf on the bike path, a cyclist can follow the St. Lawrence neighborhood and reach the waterfall, or the City Centre, Tarumã, and even Xaxim. Heading west, by Toaldo Tullius, bicycle paths will connect the neighborhoods Santo Inácio, Bigorrilho, Campina do Siqueira, Portão, Fazendinha, CIC and Capão Raso. Barigui Park will also have a new path of about 10 kilometers, linking the neighborhood CIC to Santo Inácio.
The design of the Green Line North foresees the implementation of shared service in its 8 km length, continuing the already deployed 10 km south on the Green Line. The first section of paths on the Green Line North, extending 1.8 kilometers, links the Botanical Garden to Tarumã. Eventually it will cross the city from north to south for almost 20 kilometers, south to Atuba.
IPPUC is still designing the deployment of 10km of cycling infrastructure in Comendador Franco (Avenida das Torres). The projects comprise the upgrading of the Corredor Aeroporto/Rodoferroviária, funded by the Growth Acceleration Program (PAC) of the 2014 World Cup.
Provided for in the Master Plan, the project provides for the implementation of cycling infrastructure on both sides of Avenida das Torres, in opposite directions, totaling 20 km in the stretch to the border with Pinhais.
The map of cycling infrastructure guidelines on the Master Plan includes the extension of Guarapuava Avenue Viscount, Viscount Nacar and Saldanha Marinho, fostering links with the existing network. The project to revitalize the Viscount Guarapuava median with a bike lane will be done by the Municipality in partnership with the government of the State.
“With the help of the state government, we will remove the poles and complete the path to the city as an exclusive channel for cyclists to move safely while improving the urban landscape with the elimination of overhead wires,” said the president of the IPPUC, Clever Almeida.
The Cultural Corridor is a project of IPPUC, in partnership with the Universidade Federal do Paraná. The corridor provides a connection with bike paths from the rectory to the historical building Santos Andrade of the University and from there to Teixeira Soares in João Negrão. The cultural corridor is an axis that will physically integrate the existing cultural facilities of the City, such as the Reitoria (which has a chapel and an auditorium); Teatro Guaíra, the Capela of Santa Maria, the Teatro da Caixa, and the cultural centers of the historic buildings of UFPR and the post office.
The first stretch of the Blue Line subway of Curitiba, between CIC-South and City Centre, will also open space for bicycles. Some of the Pinheirinho/Santa Candida route will be transformed into bicycle paths.
Along the route of the Curitiba subway, where buses are circulating today, there will be a large promenade, called Via Park that will include cycling infrastructure. The first stage will be 14.2 kilometers long. The final stage of the subway, from CIC-South to Santa Candida, will be 22.4 km long with 13 stations for entering and exiting the subway, with parking for bicycles.
Sources:
http://curitibainenglish.com.br/government/urban-mobility/curitiba-to-have-400km-of-bike-lanes/
http://www.yesmagazine.org/issues/cities-of-exuberance/curitiba-story-of-a-city
http://www.askmen.com/top_10/travel/top-10-bicycle-friendly-cities_4.html
http://www.mnn.com/green-tech/transportation/photos/10-bike-friendly-cities-around-the-globe/curitiba-brazil
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