Public Transportation and Social Equity: Colombia

The summer before the grant, the two of us had the chance to conduct research with Prof. Malmskog from the Math department. For this project, we spent all our time at the GIS lab exploring Colorado's population to identify potential partisan bias in districting (gerrymandering). As we seeped through the state demographer's office files, the data was inequivocal: income level is extremely correlated with infrastructure, particularly roads. 

The I-25, arguably Colorado's most important public investment ended up being a prime example of that. In contrast with more rural populations, the "western slope", populations close to this highway consistenly show higher income levels. However, as we both have experienced various cities of the world before, we knew there are many places in which people do not rely on a highway but rather on a massive transportation system to commute. As such, we were left wondering:

So what do Coffee, Shakira, and the Metro have in common? Turns out, Colombia. Unbeknownst to many, Bogotá and Medellín are two of the most studied cities in the world for their transportation systems. Bogotá has become the world’s role model in the development of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) systems while Medellín has worked to transform its informal hillside communities by connecting them to the city center with a system of urban aerial gondolas. Both cities have earned international praise for their success in fostering social equity and bringing economic success to their communities. 

After polishing details of our Keller Family Venture Grant with the help of Prof. Corina McKendry, who has studied public transportation and the environment, we were on our way to Colombia on the wee hours of January 1st, 2020.

Our goal was to qualitatively assess the impact of public transportation on social mobility. To do that, we decided to conduct interviews with academics, management and with users though we also looked for insights in other media such as television, newspapers and even art.

As the country was still adjusting to a new year, a new city major and a new national government, we had the first days to experience the Bogotá's famous transportation system without the limitations the rush-hour would soon impose.

As the bus winds its way through the streets, it is clear that businesses, formal and informal, follow the Transmilenio's lanes. That's not it, as soon after the bussinesses, stations dedicated to universities follow. And if serving its citizens wasn't enough, there even are designated stations for some of Colombia's largest museums which are much more catered for international visitors. But don't be fooled, this system isn't as easy to deciper as you'd think!

While Transmilenio has many fans around the world, in Bogotá as it can be expected, there's a plethora of opinions: from car users, to environmentally concerned citizens, the public opinion on this system isn't unified.

Academics point that some of the main critique's of the system is how influence from the larger industries in Colombia such as development companies have influenced the implementation of the project. As such, Prof. Yefer Asprilla Lara from Universidad Distrital Francisco Jose de Caldas believes the current routes could do with several improvements which would translate into larger impact, especially with underserved communities.

However, Prof. Camilo Ignacio Gonzalez Becerra from Universidad de los Andes, Colombia's highest ranked University, thinks that Transmilenio has already had its chance and it is now time to invest in a subway. He points that historically in the city, public transportation and traffic are key topics in the Bogotá's politics, therefore an assessment on the system is incomplete without understanding the political powers that are in line with the country's inequity. Particularly, there's an considerable imbalance in public investment in infrastructure for cars versus public transportation, which correlates to the interests of economic powers in the city.

However, the last large investment in the Bogotá's is, in the eyes of the public at least, free from external influence. Serving exclusively Ciudad Bolivar, Bogotá's equivalent of the favelas, this cable car has had a very significant impact in the short time it has been open. Particularly, it is estimated that transportation time to the city has been cut down in average from 3hrs to mere 45 minutes, while also reducing the cost by 40% and increasing the overall perceived safety. This, however, has meant that under Colombias census system, citizens now served by more public services have to move up in, or into, the tax bracket, even if their houses or income levels have remained the same.

Metro is the name of the system in Medellin. It, however, is not only a metro, but a comprehensive system that responds to the city's complex topography and sociological challenges, particularly is violent recent past. It is an ongoing project that has been expanding from almost three decades now and that is now a part of Medellin's identity and even a touristic attraction. Metro doesn't just provide transportation, they go beyond and invest in communities which in their words, lowers their costs and improves their services in the long run. Libraries, community centers and even a nature park are just a few of the ways in which Metro has embedded itself into the city, not as a transportation system, but as a source of development.

So why is Metro so succesful? how can cities around improve the lives of their citizens the same way Metro has? We asked Juan Estebán Mártinez, who served as CEO of Metro for 16 years. There are several key aspects in his opinion:

-Institutional Structure: a public-private company owned by the city, investors and the central government. As such, the organization responds to growth metrics, and not to centralized political influences.

-Priorization of technical assessments: Medellin sits in a thin valley sorrounded by hills. Additionally, every neighborhood has its own complex politics. As such, every decision has had to be carefully vetted by experts of many fields. Because the system has no external influences, these technical assessments have been followed in decision making.

-Socialization: Perhaps the most surprising aspect of this company is the number of sociologists it employs. Once a technical assessment is made, years before the first brick is laid, a team of sociologists starts working with the neighborhood in various crucial aspects: naming of the stations, services needed, acquisition of land, local employment, creation of sensibilization material and many other projects which create a sense of ownership and belonging which has been key to the success of Metro

New innovative transportation systems like BRT and gondolas could bring meaningful social change and increased sustainability to cities across the world, including Colorado. However, it is important to ensure that these changes truly bring equity to cities and reach all communities, not just those with larger economic power. Bogotá and Medellín have been two of the most ambitious cities in using public transportation to bring social change and the lessons they teach are important for all cities to consider, including those we live and work in.

As citizens, we should demand public investment to be free from external influences. Additionally, systems should reflect not just transportation needs but go beyond and create development opportunities for communites that have been largerly underserved.

We want to thank everyone who made this experience possible: The Keller Family Venture Grant fund, Lisa Schwartz, Prof. Corina McKendry, Prof. John Gould, Prof. Susan Ashley at Colorado College. Prof. Yefer Aspirilla, Prof. Camilo Gonzalez, Ramiro Marquez and Juan David Correa Lopez from Metro, and Esteban Martinez for his tour of Medellin.