Andrés Alcalá
Coordinador del Programa LOGUS de CAF
CAF - development bank of Latin America and the Caribbean - wanted to take advantage of the XXII Latin American Congress of Public and Urban Transport in the Dominican Republic to position its comprehensive vision of urban development through its strategy for sustainable urban mobility in Latin America and the Caribbean ,based on three fundamental pillars: avoid, change and improve.
Avoid
The first pillar, “avoid,” refers to reducing the need for motorized travel. This is achieved through efficient urban planning that promotes density, mix of uses and proximity, essential aspects to guarantee spatial justice and inclusion in our cities. By concentrating activities and services in areas accessible on foot or by bicycle, dependence on motorized transport is reduced and more sustainable mobility is promoted. In this sense, CAF has strengthened its public spaces strategy and promoted programs such as legal cities, complete streets and Transportation Oriented Developments (DOTs).
Change
The second pillar, “change”, involves promoting change towards more sustainable modes of transport. This includes promoting the use of public transport, cycling and walking, and discouraging the use of private cars. CAF's LOGUS (Sustainable and Safe Urban Logistics) strategy is an example of this approach. LOGUS seeks to develop an intervention methodology to support local governments in the challenges of merchandise distribution in Latin American cities3. Likewise, the study “Definition, measurement and management of public transportation service quality for cities in Latin America” provides tools to strengthen public transportation service quality management processes. The study highlights the importance of guaranteeing a public transport service that is reliable, predictable, attractive, safe, available and affordable that promotes modal change.
Improve
The third pillar, “improve”, refers to improving the efficiency and sustainability of existing transport modes. This can be achieved through modernizing the vehicle fleet, improving transportation infrastructure and implementing clean technologies. In the “improve” pillar, CAF has made significant efforts to promote electric mobility. A notable example is the E-Motion program. This program seeks to accelerate the deployment of electric vehicles through a paradigm shift under a holistic approach. E-Motion focuses on creating an integrated electric mobility ecosystem, involving various modes of transport, along with low-carbon electricity production
CAF Impact of Urban Mobility
CAF action in recent years is reflected in the document “CAF Urban Mobility Impact for more and better opportunities” which highlights the importance of guaranteeing equitable access to opportunities through quality public transportation. The report highlights that public transportation is the main mode of transportation in Latin American cities and is essential to ensure access to opportunities, especially for the lowest-income population.
Thus, in the last 6 years CAF has invested more than 2.6 billion dollars in 36 operations in the region, with urban mobility components that are part of the pillars of its strategy. Addressing projects including BRT, Metros, Urban Railways, overhead cables and bus systems, in relation to public transport. More than 305 km of cycle infrastructure, recovery of urban roads with criteria of complete streets in more than 29 operations have been financed
The set of these operations has an expected impact of increasing the use of public transport and cycle infrastructure of between 6-48%, an increase of up to 5% in related direct jobs, and aggregate emissions reductions of more than 5%. % annual among other benefits.
A central and transversal theme of CAF's strategy is inclusion, which is reflected in the “She Moves Safely” program. This program focuses on the personal safety of women on public transportation in three Latin American cities: Quito, Buenos Aires and Santiago. The goal of the program is to understand and address the safety issues that women face when traveling around the city, and to promote inclusion and gender equity in sustainable transportation policies.
In summary, CAF's sustainable mobility strategy is based on a comprehensive approach that seeks to avoid, change and improve urban mobility in Latin America. Through initiatives such as LOGUS and “She Moves Safely”, and with the support of research such as the study on the quality of public transport service, which were presented at this year's CLAPTU
