Home to 4.7 Million Vehicles, Mexico City Celebrates World Car-Free Day Huaxia - Xinhua
go to original September 23, 2016

A municipal government staffer displays vests for cyclists at the Constitution Square during the World Car-Free Day, in downtown Mexico City (Xinhua)

Mexico City, known for its love affair with cars, marked World Carfree Day on Thursday by reclaiming a small part of the capital from the millions of vehicles that circulate daily.

The city banned automobiles from streets around the central plaza, called the Zocalo, from 6:30 a.m. until 10:30 p.m., to the delight of pedestrians and bicycle riders.

Mexico City Mayor Miguel Angel Mancera joined the effort to go carless, and "arrived at City Hall on foot," a local daily reported, alongside a photo of the mayor striding along a central avenue in the historic downtown area, dressed in a suit and tie, portfolio in hand.

Other officials were photographed or posted selfies of themselves riding public transportation or taking bikes to work, including federal deputies and city Police Chief Hiram Almeida, seen riding in a crowded subway car.

...Mexico City launched a bicycle-sharing program several years ago, and while the number of users has grown, motorists seem reluctant to share the streets with them, or with pedestrians for that matter.

Read the rest at Xinhua

Related: Look Ma, No Wheels: Car-Free Cities Might be Catching on (Grist)

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