[sustran] Re: Times article on visiting Bogota leaves out Transmilenio!

[Lee Schipper]

Well, Im speaking at Columbia on March 8 talking about Mexico City. I can talk about TM from what I have in my slide collection, but I doubt Blumberg would come. But Ramon Munoz and I will figure out what it takes to get someone from the City tranpsort bureaucracy there.

>>> <eesandoval at cable.net.co> 2/20/2006 7:50:52 PM >>>
In the Full BRT, the 95% of the success is the political will. And the political will is supported in the pool. For me, the only way to the New Yorkers want a Full BRT is known it. So, before expert letters or conferences or contracting consultants it is necessary that BRT examples appear in TV or the NY Mayor comes to Bogota, with TV of course. 

I suggest trying to talk with the journalist, saying that he did a very good report, but there is an element that we want to emphasize, because it could be very interesting for North American cities. Inviting (NGOs) a journalist to Bogota, joint with a TV journalist preferably, it is more effective than paying consultants. Maybe someone of you can invite this or other journalists to the conference of Mr. Peñalosa this o next week in NY too.

Best,


Edgar Enrique Sandoval Castro

----- Mensaje original -----
De: Lee Schipper <schipper at wri.org>
Fecha: Lunes, Febrero 20, 2006 10:38 pm
Asunto: RE: Times article on visiting Bogota  leaves out Transmilenio!

> I have had to clean up the mess in Hanoi and eleswhere, not to 
> mention the French pressures for CNG...
> 
> Lee Schipper
> Director for Research, EMBARQ
> World Resources Institute
> 10 "G" St NE, Washington DC 20002
> TLF 1 202 729 7735
> FAX 1 202 729 7775
> 
> http://www.embarq.wri.org/en 
> Click here to sign up for the monthly WRI Digest:
> http://www.wri.org/about/guestbook_joinemail.cfm 
> 
> 
> >>> "Oscar Edmundo Diaz" <diazoe at itdp.org> 2/20/2006 4:23:22 PM >>>
> You should see how the French are trying to sell Trams in Mexico, 
> even the
> Ambassador goes to events promoting them as the ONLY solution for 
> Mexicancities.  They use false information about TransMilenio for 
> this purpose.
> Best,
> 
> Oscar Edmundo Diaz
> Latin America Regional Director
> Institute for Transportation & Development Policy (ITDP)
> 
> Regional Office
> Avenida 13 Nº 100-12, Oficina 1101
> Bogotá, DC. COLOMBIA                             
> Tel: +(57-1) 635-1571/49/38 - Fax: +(57-1) 635-1649
> 
> Headquarters
> 127 W. 26th St. Suite 1002
> New York, NY 10001, USA
> Tel +(1-212) 629-8001 - Fax +(1-212) 629-8033
> 
> URL: www.itdp.org - Alternate e-mail: diazoe at aolpremium.com 
> Promoting environmentally sustainable and equitable transportation
> worldwide-----Original Message-----
> From: Lee Schipper [schipper at wri.org] 
> Sent: Monday, February 20, 2006 12:47 PM
> To: eesandoval at cable.net.co; eric.britton at ecoplan.org 
> Cc: diazoe at aolpremium.com; rgorham at atlantech.net; 
> hidalgo_dario at bah.com;stefan at cicalafilmworks.com; 
> rcm2111 at columbia.edu; mmurga at compuserve.com;
> mbuenon at gmail.com; whook at itdp.org; sustran-discuss at list.jca.apc.org;
> carlos.pardo at sutp.org; steely at transalt.org; aardila at uniandes.edu.co;
> lfwright at usa.net; lindau at vortex.ufrgs.br; gmenckhoff at worldbank.org;
> Jlopezsilva at worldbank.org; Luis Gutierrez; Nancy Kete;
> NewMobilityCafe at yahoogroups.com 
> Subject: Re: Times article on visiting Bogota leaves out Transmilenio!
> 
> Lots of people trying to do this -- and lots of counter-doers, 
> too. Reminds me
> of Germany or France, late 1970s, when gas, oil, electricity and 
> even coal was
> the "best, cheapest, most comfortable way to heat your home" 
> depending on which
> fuel was sponsoring the ad or the film or the study. There are 
> lots of BRT,
> Metro, Light rail studies, and lots of reasons why 
> they are ignored by the stakeholders who pay the bills, even the 
> much  higher
> bills for metros (take Delhi).
> 
> >>> "Eric Britton" <eric.britton at ecoplan.org> 2/20/2006 12:28:57 
> PM >>>
> Hmm.  Bottom line!
> 
> 
> 
> What this suggest to me is that this is exactly the right time to 
> produce a
> first rate film/video along the lines of Contested Streets
> <http://www.cicalafilmworks.com/cs/> , together with a supporting 
> media,outreach program, etc. * which provides a clear and 
> understandable picture
> of "Why BRT and why not the other thing".  Authoritative, 
> balanced, easy,
> and above all very human. 
> 
> 
> 
> Counterpoint: 
> 
> *         NYC and maybe one other US and, why not, one S. European 
> city
> *         Scan existing metro line in each city (reminders of 
> cost, time of
> construction, cost of delays, achieved ridership, operating deficits,
> danger/vandalism, etc.)
> 
> *         Look at plan for a new line (costs, time, etc.)
> 
> *         Visit 2, max. 3 BRTs that are doing the job in very 
> differentcontexts
> 
> *         Demonstrate how it would work in specific street/avenue 
> situationof target cities.
> 
> *         Wo(man) on the street interviews all around
> 
> 
> 
> I'd guess that something on the order of $200k or so would do the 
> trick (but
> what do I now about this end of it, eh?).
> 
> 
> 
> It should be IRREFUTABLE!
> 
> 
> 
> I'd love to lend a hand.  As far as I am concerned this is right 
> at the
> heart of the New Mobility Agenda as I understand it.
> 
> 
> 
> Eric Britton
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> After thinking about this, however, I realize there is an 
> important hidden
> agenda...New York has struggled for 50 years over whether or not 
> to build
> the 2nd ave. metro. Why not a BRT? Well, the reason is that the 
> state owns
> the buses, the city the streets, but that aside, imagine the 
> $1billion or so
> the city would save. So it had been my faint hope that New Yorkers 
> wouldread this, see about TM, and say "hmm why not here"?
> 
> 
> 
> >>> <eesandoval at cable.net.co> 2/20/2006 11:26:13 AM >>>
> 
> Dear Lee:
> 
> 
> 
> The real problem is that with our country security problems since 
> the 70's;
> we lost the tourism culture here in Colombia, except in some 
> cities in the
> Caribbean. After Peñalosa's period the people recover the 
> confidence to come
> to Bogota, but we don't have strong tourism programs yet. There 
> are, but
> they are starting. However, in almost all the tourism magazine in the
> airlines there are reference to TM and in each report about Bogota
> transformation. You can find tourism programs to go to down town 
> by TM to
> the Gold and Botero Museums, especially to see the lights in the 
> buildingsin Christmas.
> 
> 
> 
> In fact, it is the first document that I see, with these 
> characteristics in
> the last three years, without mention or reference to TM. However, 
> everyonein Bogota we are so happy with this article. This 
> journalist is a hero for
> us. I'm sure that in his next visit he could use TM and he won't 
> like to use
> the NY metro for example. I'm sure that he didn't know TM and his 
> referenceis for the rest of buses system in Bogota* this is a good 
> opportunity for a
> new article about TM alone in the future. 
> 
> 
> 
> I know that TM agency had printed maps with tourism icons, sponsored
> expositions, theatre and films to show another option to the 
> people on the
> stations, but in tourism, the best publicity is when the local 
> people and
> the taxi drivers recommend visit the city by bus and we need more 
> yearsbefore that the Bogotanians forget our terrible histories in 
> the buses and
> the taxi drivers don't see TM like their enemy.
> 
> 
> 
> Of course, the current routes are mainly to go from the poor areas 
> to the
> working places. With the introduction of the 7th avenue (the main 
> street in
> historical terms) and the 26th street (airport, land terminal, 
> conventioncentres, new hotel areas), I'm sure that this kind of 
> trips will be
> increased in TM.
> 
> 
> 
> I know that you really love TM, but we are in elementary (only 5 
> years in
> operation) and with the work of us here or outside of Bogota, 
> everyday more
> people will use TM for tourism.
> 
> 
> 
> Don't forget that the most important in TM isn't the 
> infrastructure or the
> buses, it is the cultural change, and on it, some times this kind 
> of changes
> take more than one generation to be real.
> 
> 
> 
> Of course if one of you can find donations in order to promote 
> tourism in TM
> worldwide, I'm sure that the new General Manager of TM Agency will 
> be happy
> to accept. Or if you can sponsor more journalists to come and to 
> write about
> it, everyone here will be ready to organize an especial program.
> 
> 
> 
> Best,
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Edgar Enrique Sandoval Castro
> 
> 
> 
> ----- Mensaje original -----
> 
> De: Lee Schipper <schipper at wri.org>
> 
> Fecha: Domingo, Febrero 19, 2006 0:03 am
> 
> Asunto: RE: Times article on visiting Bogota  leaves out    
> Transmilenio!How USCentric -- write letters !
> 
> 
> 
> > +But isnt it important to "mainstream" TM so that its a part of
> 
> > everyone's observations about bogota?
> 
> > 
> 
> > >>> "Carlos F. Pardo SUTP" <carlos.pardo at sutp.org> 2/18/2006
> 
> > 4:29:31 PM >>>
> 
> > Lee,
> 
> > 
> 
> > I think the success has been broadcasted (maybe more than) enough.
> 
> > TM has
> 
> > (and still should) focus on access to the greater portion of the 
> 
> > population,and it should start to address seriously key issues 
> 
> > such as integration with
> 
> > other modes (for instance, the Americas bike station is actually 
> 
> > the only
> 
> > one in the entire system, and there are no park-n-ride 
> facilities 
> 
> > that I
> 
> > know of). Once these issues are solved, it would be useful to 
> 
> > think about
> 
> > tourists and further diffusion.
> 
> > 
> 
> > Best regards,
> 
> > 
> 
> > Carlos F. Pardo
> 
> > Coordinador de Proyecto 
> 
> > GTZ - Proyecto de Transporte Sostenible (SUTP, SUTP-LAC) 
> 
> > Cl 125bis # 41-28 of 404
> 
> > Bogotá D.C., Colombia
> 
> > Tel:  +57 (1) 215 7812 / 635 9048
> 
> > Fax: +57 (1) 635 9015 / 236 2309 
> 
> > Mobile: +57 (3) 15 296 0662
> 
> > e-mail: carlos.pardo at sutp.org 
> 
> > Página: www.sutp.org 
> 
> > - Visite nuestra nueva sección de Latinoamérica y el Caribe en
> 
> >  <http://www.sutp.org/esp/espindex.htm>
> http://www.sutp.org/esp/espindex.htm 
> 
> > - Únase al grupo de discusión de Transporte Sostenible en 
> 
> > Latinoaméricaenviando un correo a  sutp-lac-
> 
> > subscribe at gruposyahoo.com 
> 
> > 
> 
> > 
> 
> > -----Original Message-----
> 
> > From: Lee Schipper [schipper at wri.org] 
> 
> > Subject: Re: Times article on visiting Bogota leaves out 
> 
> > Transmilenio! How
> 
> > USCentric -- write letters !
> 
> > 
> 
> > Enrique once made the point, however, that the 2nd line in place
> 
> > should have some appeal to the well off. Why not something that 
> does 
> 
> > serve tourists, which has the additional benefit of broadcasting 
> 
> > the success to the rest of the world!
> 
> > 
> 
> > >>> Lloyd Wright <lfwright at usa.net> 2/18/2006 1:41:38 PM >>>
> 
> > Thanks for the article Lee.
> 
> > 
> 
> > Yes, it is a major oversight that the author was oblivious to
> 
> > TransMilenio. 
> 
> > However, in some ways this is partially understandable.  TM is 
> not 
> 
> > really that
> 
> > relevant from a tourist's standpoint.  Bogotá actually has a lot of
> 
> > attractions for national and overseas visitors, but many are not 
> 
> > reallyaccessible from TM.  (Of course, it seems hard to believe 
> 
> > that the author
> 
> > missed the Museo de Oro station).
> 
> > 
> 
> > Probably from a tourist's perspective, a TM corridor on Carrera
> 
> > Séptima would be more useful.  Or what about even a proper 
> connectionstraight to the airport terminals?  I often wonder if 
> tourism should be more
> of a consideration in corridor selection.  Of course, I also 
> realise that
> 
> > corridors
> 
> > to low-income areas should be the first priority, as has been 
> the 
> 
> > case to
> 
> > date.
> 
> > 
> 
> > Saludos,
> 
> > 
> 
> > Lloyd
> 
> > 
> 
> > ------ Original Message ------
> 
> > Received: Fri, 17 Feb 2006 08:31:23 PM EST
> 
> > From: "Lee Schipper" <schipper at wri.org>
> 
> > Subject: Times article on visiting Bogota  leaves out  
> 
> > Transmilenio!   HowUS
> 
> > Centric -- write letters !
> 
> > 
> 
> > Letters shoudl be addressed to letters at nytimes.com   -- the 
> writer 
> 
> > evenadvocates hiring a taxi for the day but not ridig the bus!
> 
> > 
> 
> > Como se llama "harumph" en espanol?
> 
> > 
> 
> > Colombia
> 
> > More on Colombia
> 
> > Bogotá Is Not Just for the Brave Anymore
> 
> > 
> 
> Article Tools Sponsored By
> 
> By SETH KUGEL
> 
> Published: February 12, 2006
> 
> 
> 
> BOGOTÁ, COLOMBIA, the fourth largest city in South America, with seven
> million residents, is home to a vibrant restaurant scene, world-class
> museums and a charming colonial quarter. It is the country's 
> capital and
> intellectual hub, an enlightened, pedestrian-friendly city with 75 
> miles of
> urban arteries turned over to cyclists and walkers every Sunday. 
> And to top
> it off, the weather is temperate, with highs in the 60's year 
> round. Skip to
> next paragraph Readers
> 
> Forum: Travel in the News
> 
> 
> 
> In other words, Bogotá is a great place to visit.
> 
> 
> 
> No, seriously, it is.
> 
> 
> 
> Violent reputations can take a long time to shake - just ask tourism
> officials in Beirut or the Bronx - but Bogotá has been shaking 
> hard for
> about a decade. Several mayors engineered an urban rebirth; since 
> takingoffice in 2002 the Colombian president, Álvaro Uribe, 
> cracked down on
> violence. Unesco awarded it the City for Peace Prize for 2002-3, 
> given for
> developing "a true urban conviviability," and named it the World Book
> Capital in 2007. And in January, the United States State 
> Department issued a
> Travel Warning for Colombia that said, "Violence in recent years has
> decreased markedly in most urban centers, including Bogotá."
> 
> 
> 
> "The situation in Bogotá seems to be greatly improved in terms of 
> securityand public safety from five years ago, and the atmosphere 
> is much more
> relaxed," said Marshall Louis, a spokesman for the United States 
> Embassythere.
> 
> 
> 
> Bogotá can be dangerous, to be sure, but the primary concern is 
> theft, not
> kidnappings. And extortion-related kidnappings are becoming rarer 
> across the
> nation, with the government reporting a 51 percent drop: 369 in 
> 2005, down
> from 747 in 2004.They remain far more frequent in rural areas.
> 
> 
> 
> Visitors should avoid public transportation and call taxis instead of
> hailing possibly unauthorized cars. Hire a taxi for the day if 
> possible; it
> is relatively cheap (12,000 pesos an hour - just over $5 at 2,300 
> pesos to
> the dollar), eliminates waiting and the driver can serve as an 
> informal tour
> guide. Do not wear fancy jewelry and keep a hand on your wallet in 
> crowds.
> 
> 
> Once you get the safety drill down, the city is yours to explore. 
> It is laid
> out in an easy-to-navigate grid of carreras and calles. Here are a few
> places you'll find:
> 
> 
> 
> The Gold Museum (Museo del Oro, Calle 16, 5-41 - meaning between 
> Carreras 5
> and 6, No. 41; phone 57-1-343-2222; entrance 2,500 pesos) with its 
> 34,000pre-Columbian gold items. The Botero Museum (Calle 11, No. 4-21,
> 57-1-343-1223), a collection donated by the Colombian painter and 
> sculptorFernando Botero, including 123 of his own works and others 
> by Picasso,
> Monet, Renoir and the like. La Candelaria, a colonial neighborhood 
> of steep
> streets that is practically a museum in itself.
> 
> 
> 
> Then there are the fine restaurants in the hot new restaurant 
> district known
> as the Zona G, and those with a more edgy feel in the Bosque Izquierdo
> neighborhood. And romantic Usaquén, a small town swallowed up by the
> fashionable northern reaches of the city, has excellent 
> restaurants, live
> music venues and a Sunday flea market. (For an introduction to the 
> city see
> 
> www.english.bogotaturismo.gov.co.)
> 
> 
> 
> Colombian food, largely unknown to Americans, has plenty to offer: 
> steaks;corncakes known as arepas; cheese buns called almojábanas; 
> and the Bogotano
> specialty, a chicken, potato and avocado stew called ajiaco, 
> seasoned with
> guascas leaves. Where to find the best ajiaco is a matter for 
> debate, but to
> start, there's Casa Vieja (Avenida Jiménez, No. 3-62, 57-1-334-
> 8908, and two
> other locations); and on weekends, Entrepués, north of the city 
> (CarreteraCentral del Norte, kilometer 23, vía Sopó, 57-1-865-0020).
> 
> 
> 
> Bogotá is a typical Andean high-altitude polluted city-in-a-bowl, so
> physical beauty is not its forte. But taking the funicular (at 
> Carrera 2 and
> Calle
> 
> 21)
> 
> to the top of Monserrate hill is a must, along with a visit to the 
> Museo del
> Oro and Plaza Bolívar (the requisite central-plaza-with-
> cathedral). Sports
> fans will want to check out a soccer game at El Campín stadium, 
> where both
> Millonarios and Santa Fé play (at Calle 57 Avenida 30, 57-1-315-8726;
> tickets 8,000 to 30,000 pesos). In January or February, go to the 
> bullfightsat the Plaza de Santamaría (Carrera 6, No. 26-50, 57-1-
> 334-1482 for tickets,
> which are 60,000 to 380,000 pesos).
> 
> 
> 
> There is as much to do just beyond the city limits, in the lovely 
> ruralsurroundings that Bogotanos call the Sabana. Rustic 
> restaurants with
> traditional food abound, and 30 miles from the city in Zipaquirá 
> is the
> popular Salt Cathedral, literally a cathedral carved from a salt mine.
> 
> 
> 
> And then there's Andrés Carne de Res in Chía (Calle 2, No. 11a-56,
> 57-1-863-7880), a restaurant in name but really a riotously decorated
> spectacle of art and music and eccentricity (check out
> www.andrescarnederes.com, to get an idea).The endless menu is 
> heavy on the
> beef (that's what Carne de Res means, after all) but they also serve
> everything from ajiaco to banana splits. Those wanting relative 
> calm should
> eat in the afternoon; those going at night should go early to get 
> a table,
> and stay late as the mayhem (eat, drink, dance, dance on tables) 
> ensues.
> 
> 
> The Andrés experience is representative of what the world misses 
> out on by
> not going to Colombia: it manages to be profound, spellbinding, 
> beautiful,tumultuous, confusing and fattening all at once. 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
>