Fed Up With(out) Bike Infrastructure in Guadalajara

Some citizens in Guadalajara, Mexico have taken direct action to make positive physical changes on their streets. As part of a movement known as “Ciclovía Ciudadana”, or Citizen Cycleway, activists planned the designs and procured the equipment themselves to implement the necessary bicycle infrastructure they felt couldn’t wait longer.

Complete with well-marked bike lanes, intersection markings, signage, and even bike boxes, Guadalajarans may have one more accessible route to enjoy by bike without having to rely on unresponsive government officials.

Unfortunately, it’s just one front in a larger fight to keep their city sustainable and safe from motor traffic, much like the Freeway Revolt fought decades ago in our own city.

The video still hits close to home in San Francisco today, where a certain vital bike route has had its fair share of guerrilla activity and protests, reflective of the high demand constrained by dangerous conditions caused by poor design and motor vehicle traffic.