Darío Hidalgo Guerrero🇨🇴

Here's the elevated parkway on an old viaduct that spans over a mile of the city.

Starting a nerdy thread with academic publications on sustainable mobility, road safety 🙋🏻‍♂️
Comments appreciated

With Ricardo Giesen & Juan Carlos Muñoz 🇨🇱 (2024)
Bus Rapid Transit: End of trend in Latin America?
Data & Policy, Open Access 😁
www.cambridge.org/core/journal...

Built and social environment characteristics associated with motorcyclist mortality in Latin American cities from the SALURBAL study - Injury Epidemiology Background Motorcyclists are the fastest growing road user group in Latin America, and account for 25% of all road traffic collision deaths. This study examines the relationship between motorcyclist mortality and the built and social urban environment in Latin American cities. Methods We studied 337 cities with ≥ 100,000 inhabitants in seven Latin American countries. Mortality data from 2010 to 2019 were obtained from civil registries and linked to cities defined by the SALURBAL project. Motorcyclist deaths were identified using ICD-10 codes, with redistribution of ill-defined codes. City-level measures included population, urban development, street design, public transportation, and social environment. Associations were estimated using multilevel negative binomial models. A subanalysis of 300 cities with motorcycle registration data was conducted. Results The crude city-level motorcyclist mortality rate was 4.16 per 100,000 population. Age-standardized rates varied from 0.51 to 22.60. Males had higher mortality rates, with the highest rates in 20-24-year-olds. After adjustment, cities with higher population density (RR 0.92 [95% CI 0.85–1.00]), intersection density (RR 0.91 [95% CI 0.83–0.99]), and social environment index (RR 0.88 [95% CI 0.83–0.93]) had lower motorcyclist mortality. More curvilinear street layout (RR 0.97 [95% CI 0.90,1.03]) and the presence of public transportation (RR 0.94 [95% CI 0.87,1.03]) showed a non-significant association with mortality. Higher urban development isolation (RR 1.07 [95% CI 1.00–1.14]) was associated with higher mortality, but the association weakened after adjustment. In cities with motorcycle registration data, higher rates of registered motorcycles were associated with higher motorcyclist mortality. Conclusion Motorcyclist road traffic deaths in Latin American cities are associated with specific city-level characteristics. In fully adjusted models, higher intersection density and a stronger social environment index were linked to lower mortality rates. City-level interventions that improve street connectivity, promote safer and more cohesive urban environments, and address social inequities in infrastructure and services may help reduce motorcycle deaths and enhance road safety in the region.

City-level interventions that improve street connectivity, promote safer and more cohesive urban environments, and address social inequities in infrastructure and services may help reduce motorcycle deaths and enhance road safety in the region

doi.org/10.1186/s406...
@springer.springernature.com

Cities with higher population density, intersection density and social environment index had lower motorcyclist mortality. More curvilinear street layout and the presence of public transportation showed a non-significant association with mortality

The crude city-level motorcyclist mortality rate was 4.16 per 100,000 population. Age-standardized rates varied from 0.51 to 22.60. Males had higher mortality rates, with the highest rates in 20-24-year-olds.
Yannone et al. (2025)
Colombia 8.6 motorcycle deaths per 100,000 people (2.63 F, 14.89 M)

Built and social environment characteristics associated with motorcyclist mortality in Latin American cities from the SALURBAL study - Injury Epidemiology Background Motorcyclists are the fastest growing road user group in Latin America, and account for 25% of all road traffic collision deaths. This study examines the relationship between motorcyclist mortality and the built and social urban environment in Latin American cities. Methods We studied 337 cities with ≥ 100,000 inhabitants in seven Latin American countries. Mortality data from 2010 to 2019 were obtained from civil registries and linked to cities defined by the SALURBAL project. Motorcyclist deaths were identified using ICD-10 codes, with redistribution of ill-defined codes. City-level measures included population, urban development, street design, public transportation, and social environment. Associations were estimated using multilevel negative binomial models. A subanalysis of 300 cities with motorcycle registration data was conducted. Results The crude city-level motorcyclist mortality rate was 4.16 per 100,000 population. Age-standardized rates varied from 0.51 to 22.60. Males had higher mortality rates, with the highest rates in 20-24-year-olds. After adjustment, cities with higher population density (RR 0.92 [95% CI 0.85–1.00]), intersection density (RR 0.91 [95% CI 0.83–0.99]), and social environment index (RR 0.88 [95% CI 0.83–0.93]) had lower motorcyclist mortality. More curvilinear street layout (RR 0.97 [95% CI 0.90,1.03]) and the presence of public transportation (RR 0.94 [95% CI 0.87,1.03]) showed a non-significant association with mortality. Higher urban development isolation (RR 1.07 [95% CI 1.00–1.14]) was associated with higher mortality, but the association weakened after adjustment. In cities with motorcycle registration data, higher rates of registered motorcycles were associated with higher motorcyclist mortality. Conclusion Motorcyclist road traffic deaths in Latin American cities are associated with specific city-level characteristics. In fully adjusted models, higher intersection density and a stronger social environment index were linked to lower mortality rates. City-level interventions that improve street connectivity, promote safer and more cohesive urban environments, and address social inequities in infrastructure and services may help reduce motorcycle deaths and enhance road safety in the region.

Yannone, I.J., Alazraqui, M., Rodriguez Hernandez, J.L. et al. Built and social environment characteristics associated with motorcyclist mortality in Latin American cities from the SALURBAL study. Inj. Epidemiol. 12, 61 (2025)
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
@springer.springernature.com

Bogotá's pedestrian and transit mall on a Sunday afternoon
Very livable space

Cable car gondola in Manizales, Colombia New L3 , 2.3 km, four stations, USD 53 million Photo: La Patria

Manizales 🇨🇴 opens L3 of its cable car 🚠
Other cities in Colombia using gondolas for public transport: Medellín, Cali, Bogotá, Pereira

Av Jimenez Eje Ambiental, Bogotá, Colombia Pedestrian and transit mall

Thanks @brenttoderian.bsky.social for your new list of urbanists around the world

Greetings from Bogotá

Urbanists OUTSIDE North America Worth Following! Join the conversation

NEW STARTER PACK! This time I’m hoping to encourage and support global urbanists from OUTSIDE North America here on Bluesky, so hopefully this will help! Who’ve I missed? Just joined? Let me know! I’ll keep updating, so please keep checking & sharing this pack! And let’s try using #GlobalUrbanists.

I’m getting a lot of great recommendations really quickly for more people and orgs to add to this one, so it’s growing fast! Keep checking in to see the new additions. And please help spread it to help grow the global urbanist community! #GlobalUrbanists

Thanks a lot for this list

First train of the new metro line in Bogotá, Colombia Photo ML1 , Chinese consortium in charge of construction and operation

Bogotá🇨🇴 is getting its first metro line
The first train arrived from China 🚈
Fully automated
Six cars, 1800 passengers per train
26 trains per hour (up to 40 in the long term)
Scheduled operation in March 2028

Bologna lowered its speed limit to 30 km/h (19 mph). Italy’s right-wing government declared war.

In Bloomberg, I explored how street safety became a political issue in Europe, much like in the US. 🧵

www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...

First train of the new metro line in Bogotá, Colombia Photo ML1 , Chinese consortium in charge of construction and operation

Bogotá🇨🇴 is getting its first metro line
The first train arrived from China 🚈
Fully automated
Six cars, 1800 passengers per train
26 trains per hour (up to 40 in the long term)
Scheduled operation in March 2028

Classic image comparing number of people in a street I this case by car, electric vehicles, autonomous vehicles and walking

117/n
Urban math
By Mark Beown AICP

YouTube video by WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities Celebrating 20 Years of Transforming Transportation | #TTDC23

youtu.be/1zmaPqy-QkM?...
Conversation at the 20th anniversary of Transforming Transportation
@wrirosscities.bsky.social
World Bank
Nancy Kete, founder of Embarq
#TTDC23

Nancy Kete
Rest in peace
Great leader in air quality policy, pioneer in climate change, founder of Embarq @ @worldresources.bsky.social
Member of @rockefellerfdn.bsky.social
Thanks for your legacy

YouTube video by WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities Celebrating 20 Years of Transforming Transportation | #TTDC23

youtu.be/1zmaPqy-QkM?...
Conversation at the 20th anniversary of Transforming Transportation
@wrirosscities.bsky.social
World Bank
Nancy Kete, founder of Embarq
#TTDC23

YouTube video by MIT Energy Initiative Remarks on Cities and Resilience - Nancy Kete

Some remarks on energy and resilience by Dr. Nancy Kete in 2014
C3E Women in Clean Energy Symposium @ MIT
youtu.be/PyKGzpBLp8k?...

Nancy Kete
Rest in peace
Great leader in air quality policy, pioneer in climate change, founder of Embarq @ @worldresources.bsky.social
Member of @rockefellerfdn.bsky.social
Thanks for your legacy

Public Transportation Governance Types: An Analytical Framework for Examining Bus Services in the Global South - Ivan Souza Vieira, 2025 Public transportation shapes urban residents’ access to economic opportunities, public services, and full citizenship. Its significance is particularly evident ...

Public Transportation Governance Types: An Analytical Framework for Examining Bus Services in the Global South
Ivan Souza Vieira
Urban Affairs Review
journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1...

Closing the implementation gap in urban climate policy: Mexico’s public transit buildup This paper examines the political conditions conductive to closing the structural implementation gap in urban climate policy, conceptualized as a policy adoption gap and a policy outcome gap. I arg...

Closing the implementation gap in urban climate policy: Mexico’s public transit buildup
Nicholas Goedeking @idos-research.bsky.social

Interesting combination of top-down and bottom-up project preparation and finance, Protram-Fonadin BRT Program in 8 cities

www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

Closing the implementation gap in urban climate policy: Mexico’s public transit buildup This paper examines the political conditions conductive to closing the structural implementation gap in urban climate policy, conceptualized as a policy adoption gap and a policy outcome gap. I arg...

Closing the implementation gap in urban climate policy: Mexico’s public transit buildup
Nicholas Goedeking @idos-research.bsky.social

Interesting combination of top-down and bottom-up project preparation and finance, Protram-Fonadin BRT Program in 8 cities

www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

Don Guillermo Cano para “dummies” “No le escribo a don Guillermo, pero sí a los jóvenes con la ilusión de convertirse en periodistas”: Adriana Villegas Botero

Don Guillermo Cano cumpliría hoy 100 años. El Cartel de Medellín lo mató cuando tenía 61 y llevaba 34 como director de
@elespectador.com. Hoy escribí sobre él: un referente digno, valiente y honesto en esta época tan llena de influencers y luminarias. www.elespectador.com/opinion/colu...

This publication just hit its 100th citation (Googke Scholar) 🤓
@wrirosscities.bsky.social

Share the Road signs are intentionally dumb.

It's time to stop using SHARE THE ROAD signs. They're deliberately vague and often misinterpreted. The real point of the signs: to remind drivers that bike riders have a right to use the full lane and that they need to be attentive and safe around riders. They don't connote both sides bullshit.

This publication just hit its 100th citation (Googke Scholar) 🤓
@wrirosscities.bsky.social

Firstly our good traffic safety record is not an accident (pun intended). It is the result of decades of strategic work. In the 1980s Helsinki's track record was horrible. E.g. 18 pedestrians and 6 cyclists died in Helsinki's traffic in 1983. And the population was 200k lower! (~490k)

2/

Helsinki goes a full year without a traffic death A city traffic engineer credits the success to lower speed limits and smarter design.

HUGE NEWS FROM HELSINKI, FINLAND

Helsinki, a city of 690 000 people, has now had a full year without any traffic fatalities. None. No pedestrian, cyclist, scooter user or car deaths.

This is a huge achievement for a city of our size. 💪🏻

A little background 🧵 1/

yle.fi/a/74-20174831