Urban transport planning and access inequalities: A tale of two Colombian cities

Accessibility inequalities are a common trait of many Global South cities. Such inequalities are often the result of urban development trajectories and inherited practices of transport planning marked by spatial segregation and decades of car-centred development. This situation, repeated across Latin American cities, tends to affect mostly the poor in the urban peripheries. Despite available evidence of access inequalities on a case-to-case basis, comparative evidence across cities within the same region is still limited. Our paper addresses this gap by deploying a comparative accessibility assessment of inequalities in accessibility in the two Colombian cities of Bogotá and Barranquilla. Our comparison suggests that by following similar patterns of urban transport development, Bogotá and Barranquilla have reached similar accessibility and affordability patterns. Wealthier areas benefit from the triad of better transport coverage, proximity to opportunities, and higher purchasing power, while the poor in both cities face deep affordability and spatial segregation problems. Despite their similarities, our analysis reveals the effects of long-term decision-making in the number of opportunities which can be reached by different transport modes and population segments. Accessibility per capita in public transport is higher in Bogotá than in Barranquilla, and vice versa in private vehicles. These results are consistent with nearly a decade of implementation of different urban transport policies in both cities, which in Bogotá have been more public-transport-oriented than in Barranquilla. Findings also suggest that public transport-related policies can contribute to redefining urban trajectories, as both cities have experienced demographic and urban footprint increases in years. Similarities and differences in spatial and economic dimensions of accessibility serve as a mirror against which we assess transport's role in urban equality in similar global south cities. The discussion in this paper can be helpful to decision-makers as it recalls that some urban and transport policies and investments may have undesired long-term impacts in urban growth and access equality across the city

Walk this way: Pedestrian accessibility and equity in Barranquilla and Soledad, Colombia

As a transport mode available to everyone and most abled-bodied urban residents, walking is, actually, the most equitable mode of transport. Walking brings several benefits to inhabitants among money savings and health improvement. Unfortunately, despite its benefits, walking is not a priority in the urban planning agenda of some cities, especially in the Global South. Walkability conditions in some areas of these cities are not particularly friendly for pedestrians, which discourage walking trips and promotes inequities across inhabitants. Evidence supporting inequalities in the provision of adequate conditions for the use of active transport in the Global South cities remain scarce. This paper aims to contribute to filling this gap by first proposing a framework to link pedestrian accessibility with walkability measures. Specifically, we use a macro-scale measure of pedestrian accessibility and a meso-scale measure of walkability to compare walking conditions on different zones in Barranquilla and Soledad, Colombia. After comparing both measures, we found that low-income zones have higher walkability indexes but present lower potential pedestrian accessibility. In contrast, the highest potential pedestrian accessibilities were located in high and medium-income zones, where people rely more on private transport modes. This imbalance regarding supply and demand conditions for walking trips suggest that unfortunately, zones with the highest potential of being walkable are the ones that face more barriers to walk. Then, adequate planning policies when implemented in the right locations could promote higher use of walking and have the potential to reduce current inequalities in pedestrian infrastructure provision

COVID-19, activity and mobility patterns in Bogotá. Are we ready for a ‘15-minute city’?

Social distancing and economic lockdown measures implemented in Global North countries have been mimicked in the Global South to contain the spread of COVID-19. However, the consequences of such measures on activity and mobility patterns among social groups in Global South cities remain unclear. This paper seeks to provide reliable evidence from changes in behaviors across income groups at the urban scale. We report a detailed analysis from a web-based survey to understand the effects of the early and complete lockdown adopted to contain the COVID-19 spread on activity and travel patterns in Bogotá. We also performed a geographical proximity analysis of non-work services and facilities located around surveyed households to challenge the rhetoric about the ‘15-minute’ city. We found that low-income people are more socially exposed to contagion being forced to go out to find their daily sustenance and having adverse economic and travel effects than other income groups. However, even though Bogotá is not so far from meeting the goal of 15 min proximity, particularly for non-work-related activities, we found marked inequalities among income groups regarding access to essential services in proximity. The paper’s findings serve as a reminder that travel behavior and accessibility are not the remits of only urban transport planning and that land-use and urban planning play a determining role in redressing social and spatial inequalities in a city

User expectations and perceptions towards new public transport infrastructure: evaluating a cable car in Bogotá

Cable cars are a viable alternative to improve citizens’ accessibility in zones with limitations on urban public transport supply due to the topography. In Latin America, such systems have recently been implemented in zones with high levels of poverty and vulnerability. Although the social implications of their implementation are relevant, individual expectations of these systems and how current changes in travel conditions and quality of life are perceived have not been widely reported in the literature. This paper aims to evaluate users’ expectations and perceptions of a new cable car in the southern periphery of Bogotá (Colombia). We conducted a panel survey before (n = 341) and after (n = 301) the cable car started operations to evaluate the ranking of preferences toward a set of possible benefits of the project. We estimated discrete choice models to analyze the statistical differences between the expectations and perceptions before and after changes. Results suggest that travel time reductions, comfort improvements, and in-vehicle security are the benefits most valued by the users. Even though the project meets expectations of these aspects, it seems to fall short in expectations of reductions of pollution. Individuals’ experience with the cable car shapes their perceptions of the system. We found that perceptions differ between those who have used the service at least once and those who never did. Policy implications derived from this study might be of interest to decision-makers seeking to guarantee the public acceptability of urban projects

Buying a car and the street: Transport justice and urban space distribution

In dense cities, the smaller the consumption of land per inhabitant, the more disruptive the use of individual transport as a sustainable transport mode. The impact of private vehicles on transport justice in the spatial dimension is worse there. The unbalanced distribution of street space in dense cities implies considerable challenges for sustainable transport. This paper explores the relationships between mode share, street space distribution, and those spaces’ construction costs. Based on justice principles, the paper discusses a fair distribution of street space in Bogotá, where injustices are apparent. We find imbalances in the prioritization of space for specific street users, with an accent on space for private motorization despite a visible change in investment in other spaces for urban mobility in recent years. Findings provide empirical evidence for informing policy and decision-making related to public investment in urban space and its distribution in practice

A multi-country panel study of behaviour, perceptions and expectations during different stages of the COVID-19 pandemic

It is widely accepted that the COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically changed travel patterns since 2020, largely due to restrictions on people's movement and work-from home practices. A large number of studies have been conducted to understand such changes from a trip maker's perspective, using different types of mobility data collected across the world. This study uses survey panel data on travel behaviour and activity participation collected between May 2020 and November 2020 in the United Kingdom, Australia, Colombia and South Africa using a consistent survey approach. We identify a role for three key underlying latent constructs, namely 1) concerns about COVID-19, 2) approval of government interventions and 3) scepticism towards COVID-19 measures. Using a hybrid choice model, we study the role of these constructs in explaining stated travel choices in two hypothetical post-pandemic scenarios. The model results show significantly different perceptions towards COVID-19 concerns and government handling of the COVID-19 pandemic (including restrictions) across countries. The model estimates show a clear influence for the latent constructs in explaining stated behaviour in the hypothetical post-pandemic scenarios across the four countries, where this is also impacted by lockdown stringency levels as well as socio-demographics

Market segmentation for incentivising sustainable transport policies

This paper draws attention to the need for formulating tailored, sustainable transport policies considering heterogeneity in the population regarding their preferences and attitudes. In this regard, we propose a market segmentation for incentivising sustainable transport policies. Our analysis builds from the responses of 1,041 car owners towards environmentally friendly trans- port alternatives in a survey issued in the five largest Colombian metropolitan areas: Bogot ́a, Medellín, Cali, Barranquilla, and Bucaramanga. Using the collected data, we estimated a Multiple Indicators Multiple Causes (MIMIC) model to evaluate individual attitudes towards the envi- ronment, green transport policies, car use, and technology. A cluster analysis based on the MIMIC results identified three groups: Traditionalists, Green Conscious and All Matters. Results make the contradiction between car attachment and environmental concern evident. The lower the envi- ronmental concern, the higher the attachment to the car. However, the differences between Traditionalists and All Matters are less pronounced. Finally, we proposed sustainable strategies considering the heterogeneities of each group, analysed the implications of developing custom- made actions and marketing strategies for promoting sustainable transport policies, considering the interests and characteristics of each targeted group in the populatio

Understanding how individuals perceive changes in the built environment and the transport system after implementing a BRT system. The case of Barranquilla, Colombia

Implementing a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) may impact travel patterns and the activity systems in its surroundings. Such impacts include land-use and environmental changes, capitalisation of land value, and mobility improvements. Even though the literature reports the above impacts extensively, there is a need for more research to understand individual perceptions about these impacts, which may differ geographically and influence the usage level and the acceptance of transportation systems. This paper contributes to filling this gap by assessing how respondents perceive changes in the transport system and the built environment after implementing Transmetro, the BRT system of the Metropolitan Area of Barranquilla, Colombia. The study uses a Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) approach to analyse data from 305 surveys collected in low-income neighbourhoods, including a treatment sub-sample with access and a control sub-sample without access to the BRT. The results suggest an overall positive perception of change in the urban environment after the Transmetro implementation; however, individuals without access to the BRT have an even more positive perception of its impacts than individuals inside the influence area. The perception of the BRT impacts correlates with the perception regarding urban environment changes at the neighbourhood level. Finally, we found that socioeconomics, travel, and accessibility conditions strongly influence the system\u27s impact perceptions