Cyclists approve of the bike lane connecting Plaça Maua and Leblon. See how the test operation went

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Cyclists passing by the site were delighted with the news and hope the project remains part of the city’s weekend routine.

Rafael Rodríguez, a lawyer, and Augusto Ferreira, a civil servant, started using the bike lane from Cinelandia and took a break from cycling in front of Tomorrow’s Museum of Fine Arts, where the route starts.

— We found it very safe on the route. CET-Rio staff will be present and cones will mark the route. Therefore, it is safe, viable, and worth maintaining. Rio de Janeiro needs to learn from Niteroi about urban mobility. There, Rafael says there is more emphasis on bike lanes to avoid excessive traffic flow in the city centre.

–I also saw military police on the way. Augusto says it was a good idea to start today, especially since it’s a holiday and there’s not much traffic.

The bike lane was also celebrated by delivery drivers and street vendors who use bicycles to transport their goods, such as drinks vendor Francisco Magno.

— This bike lane will improve flow and prevent the use of VLT lines, especially for pedestrians who need to walk to different parts of the city from the beach to the center. Also, avoid walking in traffic. Certainly, I’m in favor of this initiative – points out the street vendor.

Following the test event, Rafael Passos, one of the founders of Rio de Janeiro’s Bicycle Safety Committee, praised City Hall’s efforts following calls from cyclists themselves for the city to have more bike lanes.

— We look at this project very positively, especially since this was our request. This has been a long-standing request from cyclists and is precisely about realigning public road space to create more space for cyclists and pedestrians. No matter how you look at it, today was a success. It would be nice if the event could continue to be held on Sundays and holidays, he said.

Pozas said the city only benefits from the creation of bike lanes.

—This road rezoning is wonderful. In this case, a car lane was removed and the lane expanded to provide another safe area for people to cycle. From what I’ve seen, everyone approves and likes the idea. Now, let’s see if this all works out. And if we can, let’s make our cities a little more cyclist-friendly – he concluded.

GLOBO has asked CET-Rio for a report on the bike lane test event, but has not yet received a response from the company.

Understand what the bike lane project connecting Plaça Maua and Leblon looks like

If retained, the bike lane would be approximately 10 kilometers long and would be connected to the 7.3 kilometers of bike path that already exists between the two areas of the city, linking Plaza Maua and the Leblon waterfront. The special service operated from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. in a dedicated lane occupying a lane near buildings in the waterfront area (next to the median strip).

There will be 2.7 kilometers of bicycle lanes in the Center Zone and 7 kilometers in the South Zone. This area, dedicated to traditional e-bikes, starts at Plaza Maua and runs along Via Rio Branco to the corner of Nilo Pesaña. From this point on, cyclists will use the existing bike path, passing through Atero do Flamengo and Enseada de Botafogo to Avenida Princesa Isabel in Copacabana.

On Calle Atlantica, the bike lane will once again become part of the route, passing through Calle Francisco Ottaviano (in the vehicle lane next to the bike path) and Calle Vieira Souto in Ipanema, all the way to the end at Delfim Moreira in Leblon.