Bicycle Network: Skill Up
Chile catches bike bug
South America is moving to the bike as fuel process bite and concern over climate change rises.
Chile developing bike habit
12 March 2009. The high price of fuel has ignited bike travel in Chile, with Santiago City contructing 690 kilometres of bike paths by 2012.
Planning is underway for bike paths, parking facilities and public bike schemes in major centres.
The Santiago projects are budgeted at A$55 million.
Currently a paltry two per cent of all trips in Santiago are on a bike. Research has indicated that suitable bike paths and parking facilities should increase this to eight per cent.
The Santiago district of Providencia has recently launched a public bike rental system with 100 bikes. People may use a bicycle for a maximum of one hour, at a price of A$3 a month.