Mexico City Mayor Marcelo Ebrard image:37131:0::0

Mexico City appears to now be following in the footsteps of other major population centers around the world including Paris, London, and Barcelona in addressing their air quality issues, even if they are only token efforts as some critics have suggested. Beijing is the most notable city at the moment given its attempts to curb its frightfully high levels of air pollution in time for the 2008 Summer Olympics.

According to the news agency EFE, the nation's capital is set to build close to 300 kilometers of new cycling paths within the next four years. It is apparently part of a wider plan to promote sensible urban sustainability within Greater Mexico City, an area that covers over an estimated 1,500 square kilometers. 300 kilometers may sound like a drop in the bucket, but this will more than triple the existing network of cycling paths that are already in need of restoration.

In an interview with EFE, Tanya Muller, the Municipal Director of Urban Reforestation, Parks and Bicycle Paths, indicated that the city government will strive to build at least 60 kilometers of cycling paths per year. Plans for secure bicycle parking lots located near subway stations are also being looked into so commuters can safely combine cycling with public transportation options.

A priority of Mayor Marcelo Ebrard, since taking office in 2006, has been to promote a green agenda in a city with an estimated 4.5 million vehicles. His success in reducing pollution has been marginal, but some high profile initiatives have cast his attempts in a favorable light. In addition to providing more bicycle paths, the city now bans automobiles every Sunday morning from important downtown thoroughfares such as the popular Paseo de la Reforma, opening them up to cyclists and pedestrians. EFE reports that since the vehicular prohibition began in May of last year, over half a million cyclists have taken advantage of the car-free stretches. The government has indicated that it wishes to increase the frequency and coverage of the prohibition with new routes in outlying areas.

To set an example, city officials, including the left-leaning Mayor, now cycle to work the first Monday of each month. It is reported that from last April to December, over 24,000 officials pedaled bicycles to work. In support of this contention, a photo in a recent issue of the English daily newspaper, The News, humorously shows the mayor leading a cadre of half a dozen other men down what looks like a busy stretch of roadway, surrounded by vehicles on all sides. They are definitely not on a cycling path! And to make matters worse, only three of the cyclists are outfitted with bicycle helmets! The Mayor is thankfully one of the individuals who decided to don a helmet. He is also decked out in formal business attire, so he is likely not cycling very far, but as they say, it's the thought that counts.

No hard scientific numbers have been reported recently that would suggest such initiatives have improved air quality in the city. Perhaps, only time will tell.