Alliance Welcomes First Mexican Member Organization

Posted: 08/15/2011

By Mike Samuelson, Alliance Members Services and Open Streets Coordinator

The Alliance is proud to welcome our first member organization from Mexico: Bicitekas.

Founded in 1998, the Mexico City-based group promotes biking as a healthy and environmentally friendly mode of transportation, while working to earn the respect of motorists and fighting for a network of infrastructure to allow Chilangos (residents of Mexico City) to use bikes as a mode of transportation. Bicitekas also helped found BiciRed, a national organization linking biking advocacy organizations across Mexico.

Recently, both groups welcomed musician David Byrne on his tour of Latin America, and used the opportunity to promote their campaign asking local governments to dedicate 5 percent of their transportation funding toward cycling. The groups would like to see that money used to create safe infrastructure, fund educational campaigns promoting the benefits of cycling and enact new regulations governing urban planning that facilitate easier cycling.

Next up, Bicitekas will help represent BiciRed at the Car Free Conference in Guadalajara, where they will host a panel on the health risks created by car emissions, as well as presenting on the groups new book, Por Mi Ciudad En Bicicleta.

Photo by Aaron Borrás