The city of Rio de Janeiro began to build its cycling history in the transition period from XIX^th to XX^th century. In that period the country was experiencing a modernization process, due to the influence of the European lifestyle and, especially, the French one,. When cycling spread across the country, it strongly impacted the physical structure of the city. However, it was only in the early 1990s, during the preparation work for Rio-92 (United Nations Conference on Environment and Development), that the first 27km of bike lanes where built in the south side of the city, the same that are still used nowadays.

It was at that time that bicycle came to be seen as a mode of transport and several laws were adopted in order to ensure bycicle safety. The establishment of the GT Ciclovias (GT cycle lanes) along with the participation of organized civil society, namely the NGO Transporte Ativo (Active Transport), were fundamental for the evolution of Rio's bicycle planning. 

Just as the early construction of cycle lines in Rio was linked to the UN Conference on Environment and Development, the "Rio Capital Bike Program" is closely related to the Municipal Air Pollution Program. The Municipal Policy on Climate Change foresees that the planning of the transportation and urban mobility sector of the city incorporate measures to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. These include, among other measures: providing different means of transport, discouraging the use of private motorized vehicles, stimulating active means of transport and promoting the intermodality between different means of transport. This clearly points out the relationship between the incentive to use the bycicle as a mode of transport and the environmental debate. 

Rio’s cycle network celebrates its 25th anniversary! The city, home of the next Velo-city 2018, can claim to have one of the largest cycle networks in the country with 418 km of cycle lanes, cycle tracks and shared use paths (official data from 2016).

Welcome to Rio!

Text: Transporte Ativo (Gabriela Binatti)