The Via RecreActiva, the program in which 50 miles of metro-area avenues and trees are closed to traffic on Sundays to prioritize activities such as cycling, walking, jogging and skating, is to be extended another 7.7 kilometers to the south of the city.
Guadalajara city hall this week authorized the amplification of the route, which will now take in major avenues such as 18 de Marzo, Lapizlazuli, Topacio and Lopez de Legaspi.
“This will benefit more than 70 colonias in the south of the city,” noted councilor Serio Otal.
City hall has earmarked a budget of 3.5 million pesos to implement the extension to the Via Recreativa, one of the most successful projects initiated in recent years that is being copied by dozens of cities around the world.
The activity was launched in September 2004 and now operates across more than 60 kilometers in five metro-area municipalities: Zapopan, Tlaquepaque, Tonala, Tlajomulco and El Salto. Hundreds of paid staffers stand vigil at road intersections in order to maintain the safety of users each Sunday (and public holidays) between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m.