New math: 9300 bicycles = 1400 trees

(from Proceso)

According to Semovi (Secretariat of Mobility) sources, Mexico City’s “ecobike” program has led to the reduction of 466 tons of atmospheric carbon dioxide, equivalent to the amount sequested by 1400 trees.

With 637 ecobike stations, and 9300 bikes available 24/7, users cover 11.5 thousand Km per year on just the public bicycles. Registration (either on-line here or at a few kiosks) and payment for a day (118 pesos), three days (234 pesos), week (391 pesos) or year (a huge discount: 535 pesos!) allows uses to take a bike from, and return to any, of the 637 stations for 45 minutes at a time.

According to Semovi, most trips are for two Km or less, replacing trips that would otherwise be taken either in a private automobiles (which alone account for about 34% of CO2 emissions in Mexico City), taxi or by bus and/or metro.

This doesn’t count privately owned bicycles and their use… something that has always been part of the city’s transportation, especially by those without the financial resources to invest in a car. It’s just that more and more people are realizing they really don’t need a car, even if they can afford one, for most travels.