Metro Guadalajara’s popular Vía RecreActiva, the groundbreaking initiative promoting physical fitness, social interaction and environmental awareness, celebrated its 20th anniversary last Sunday.
The idea of temporarily closing major streets and avenues to vehicle traffic for six hours every Sunday was inspired by a program that took root in Bogota, Colombia. Officials from Bogota were consulted on how to set up a similar network in Guadalajara, and on September 12, 2004, the first section of the route opened, covering 11 kilometers from the Minerva Glorieta, along Avenidas Vallarta, Juárez and Javier Mina, to the Teltan neighborhood on the eastern side of the city.
City officials expected around 3,000 participants on the first Sunday, but nearly 30,000 cyclists, joggers, walkers, skateboarders and roller skaters showed up. Since then, the Vía RecreActiva has never looked back, eventually expanding to other metro-area municipalities and cities and towns across Mexico. It has also become a model for similar initiatives worldwide.
Today, an estimated 300,000 people participate in the activity each Sunday in metro Guadalajara, on approximately 73 kilometers (45 miles) of streets and avenues.
In addition to physical activities, the Vía RecreActiva often features cultural and recreational events, creating a vibrant and community-focused experience.
City motorists have also bought into the program, with the vast majority respecting the closed-off streets and exercising caution when crossing the routes.