What can Santa Monica learn about creating a better city to a ride a bike in from one of the bike-friendliest cities in the Americas?
Find out on Wednesday, May 31, as Santa Monica Spoke hosts Chris Morfas, senior adviser to Despacio, a non-profit based in Bogotá, Colombia, a city that has “rates of transit and bicycle use that are among the highest in the world,” according to Santa Monica Spoke’s website.
The event runs from 7 to 9 p.m. at Spoke’s HQ at 1640 5th Street.
Colombia is the birthplace of ciclovía, the open streets events that were the inspiration for Los Angeles’ CicLAvia festivals. Bogotá also boasts 200 miles of protected bikeways, 5.5 million daily transit trips, and 600,000 daily bike trips, according to Spoke.
“Morfas is a longtime transportation reformer, the founding executive director and former Board Chair of the California Bicycle Coalition (CalBike), a senior policy coordinator with the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District. At CalBike, Morfas directed award-winning successes that launched the nation’s strongest Safe Routes to School program, Complete Streets policy, and the innovative Bicycle Transportation Account that funds bike infrastructure like bikeshare and more,” according to Spoke’s website.
“Despacio is an NGO based in Bogotá, Colombia that advances sustainable mobility internationally via research, advocacy, and training; its recent publications include robust studies of bicycle and motorcycle use in Latin America,” Spoke’s website says. “Chris helps Despacio with organizational structure, program development, and outreach. He will regale you with tales of Ciclovía, TransMilenio, and more while carefully avoiding any bragging regarding his much-improved salsa dancing.”
