Bogota, Colombia

Name – Ciclovia
When it started – 1976
Kilometres of road open – 120 km
Participants – 1.0 - 1.3 million each Sunday
Organizers – City of Bogota
Unique features – The model and inspiration for Car Free Sundays around the world.  Draws millions of people weekly and has been a tremendous success since its revival in the 90s.

Bogota’s Ciclovia is the pioneer in Car Free Sunday programs.  It started in 1976, with a modest route and little programming and management. In 1995, there was a huge resurgence of the program, led by Parks and Recreation Commissioner Gil Penalosa, and a new management structure and vision for the program was put in place.  The Cicolvia was reborn as not just a place for cyclists to come and ride their bikes but as an exercise in social integration, bringing out all kinds of people, whether young, old, rich, or poor, to participate in recreational activities.

Today, the route encompasses an expansive 120 km (70 miles) and has become a model for many of the world’s cities.  In a city of 7 million people it draws over 1.5 million people out every Sunday! The Ciclovia is now cemented as part of thecity’s culture and a means for the entire population to have access topublic space where they can be physically active.