This
article from The Guardian does an excellent job capturing the current
struggle to create safe travel corridors for cyclists and pedestrians in
Kampala, Uganda. Thankfully, the projects have been approved and should be
under construction soon. When they are finished, they will be some of the
finest models of bicycle and pedestrian street redesign in the world. I can
hardly wait to post before and after photos on our Street
Design page.
To go
from such a chaotic, dangerous situation to this modern, high-standard design
will not only inspire cities throughout the developed world, but will show
developing cities they no longer have any excuses. Thanks to Kampala’s courage,
any city that remains dangerous to cyclists and pedestrians will know they are
being left in the dust.
But as
you will read in the article, even as the projects are moving forward, many
voices are still shouting concern. I especially appreciate the defense of the
projects that points to the 60% of Kampala’s travelers who do not drive.
One
Street board member, Amanda Ngabirano is quoted several times. Here’s my
favorite: They’ve deliberately picked the most “hostile” and “complicated” part
of the city to start with: “where the people are, and where there is demand,”
she explains. “Once we succeed there, we will be able to change other places
very quickly.”
This
underscores what a terrific street redesign model this will be, not only for
the rest of Kampala, but the rest of the world.
Then
there’s this quote from Amanda, referring to current cyclists: “When it’s not
safe it’s for the person who has no other choice, and the person who has no
other choice is poor, you cannot deny that relationship.”
And
that is why this article and these projects are such a great fit for this blog.
They are defying poverty with streets designed for all bicyclists, especially
those who must ride. Enjoy!
Sue
