Mexico City Outlines Green Plan
31 August 2007
The government of Mexico City has proposed a wide-ranging “Green Plan” that, among other measures, will seek to better manage traffic flow, improve the emissions quality of the public transportation fleets, and put more emphasis on walking and cycling.
The full Green Plan tackles the future of conservation; restoration of the local ecosystems including a focus on the basins of the Magdalena and Eslava rivers and reforestation and restoration with an average of 3,000 ha and 2.5 million plants per year; green buildings; the establishment of more public spaces and parks; the repair and extension of the water infrastructure, including drainage and treatment; transportation; air quality; energy; and waste and recycling.
Among the measures proposed for transportation and traffic are:
A major renovation of the bus and taxi fleets with lower-polluting, more fuel efficient vehicles, with Euro-4 being mandatory in all metrobuses.
Replacing the thousands of microbuses with fewer, larger, less-emitting vehicles by 2009.
Use of ultra low sulfur diesel in public transport as of 2008-2009.
Extending the weekday license-plate-based driving restrictions to Saturday.
Mandatory busing for school.
Replacing 100% of the government fleet with efficient, low-emitting vehicles by 2012.
Extension of mass transit lines.
Creation of pedestrian-only zones and increase support for cycling with the goal of 5% of personal trips being made by bike before 2012. This includes 300 km of bikeways by 2012.
Intelligent traffic management systems including smart signalling on the main roads and 15 reversible flow roads by 2010. 8,000 new cameras an 100 radars will monitor infractions.
Mandatory emissions testing for cargo vehicles and a reorganization of the schedules for cargo vehicle traffic.
Mexico City is the world’s second largest urban agglomeration, according to the UN, with a population estimated at 19.4 million in 2005 and projected to grow to 21.6 million by 2015. (According to UN figures, Mexico City will yield its number two spot by 2015 to Mumbai, India, currently number 3.) Tokyo is the world’s largest urban agglomeration, with some 35.2 million people in 2005.
Resources:
Background: Urban Air Quality Programs for Mexico City 2000-2010
how many mexicans can afford cars?
Posted by: Brad | 01 September 2007 at 11:32 AM
...the fact that 20 million cars are owned by mexicans (about 1 in 5 mexicans owns a car) and are now buying 1 million new cars each year and growing does not improve on their situation, ours, or the planet, or anyone...so, why not lay off the condescending tone ?...
Posted by: the condescender | 01 September 2007 at 11:20 PM
Like anywhere else, some Mexicans are a lot richer than others... one weakness of the "weekday license-plate-based driving restrictions" is that rich Mexicans just buy an extra car, and drive the other one when one can't be driven becasue it has the wrong licence plate number.
The new plan, with its emphasis on pubic transport, sounds like an excellent one to me. A bit piecemeal, but a lot of very good pieces.
Posted by: Tom Konrad | 05 September 2007 at 09:21 PM
Mexico City can use all the methods for cleaner air that they can find. As I understand it, the air in that city is horrible and has long term health effects that have yet to be accounted for.
Posted by: sjc | 13 September 2007 at 08:30 AM
That is bullshit...mexicans has been talking about many measures again...and again, public transport is contaminated by corrupt practices so emision laws are ignore.
Gasoline and diesel suffer chronic quality problems... mañana..
Insecurity and lack of traffic law enforcement makes a chaotic city with conmuting times of 2-3 hours daily.
They will do something if they find somebody who $$$ pays what they "promise"...SORRY NO WARRANTY.
Posted by: advill | 21 January 2008 at 05:38 AM
Benton Evening News- (ARA)- Where do you plan to spend Spring Break- or summer vacation for that matter? Will you be exploring Europe, snorkeling with the stingrays in the Caribbean, hiking in Hawaii or relaxing at a resort in Florida?
Posted by: planning a vacation to mexico | 26 April 2008 at 10:41 AM