MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Use of bicycles on the rise in Montevideo

Montevideo has a network of cycling lanes 77.3 kilometers long

Experts in the Uruguayan capital said Monday that the use of bicycles in Montevideo has gone up by 70% since the cycling lanes were inaugurated last year. The lanes for bicycles and other non-motorized means of transport such as skateboards and rollerblades, operational since December, have been deemed a success.

Between September 6 and 19 of this year, there was a 70% increase in trips made on the bikeway compared to the same period last year when these cycleways did not exist, the Montevideo City Council found. And the trend keeps soaring, particularly down the iconic Avenida 18 de Julio.

The data reviewed includes not only bicycles but also other vehicles such as scooters and skateboards in a growing trend towards sustainable transportation alternatives.

Between Sept. 6 and 19, an average of 230 of these were recorded riding on the bikeway per hour, which represented a 70% increase from last year's figures. However, the use of these alternative means of transport peaked during January, when a 96% increase was recorded from 2023 data.

The current counting system uses convolutional neural networks and advanced algorithms, for real-time detection and tracking of each bicycle crossing a predefined virtual line. These events are recorded every five minutes, providing a detailed analysis of the cycling flow. Data is collected during the six peak traffic hours on weekdays, from 7 am to 10 am and from 4 pm to 7 pm, it was also explained.

Since September 21, Montevideo has added a 4.7-kilometer bikeway, extending from the Escollera Sarandí to the area of the fishermen's clubs, in front of the Summer Theater. This addition brings the city's total bicycle infrastructure to 77.3 kilometers, underscoring the city's commitment to greener and more efficient transportation.

According to Montevideo's Mobility Management Center, this new bicycle lane has improved overall travel times at an average speed of 51 kilometers per hour, consistent with pre-construction simulations.