As Guadalajara Booms, Activists Fight to Find Space on Streets for Humble Bike Juan Pablo Rojas - Al Jazeera
go to original January 18, 2013

Viewfinder - Select Scenes: Over The Wheel (AlJazeeraEnglish)

In the past 20 years there has been an explosion of growth in Guadalajara and today it is Mexico's second-largest city.

Between new textile industries moving in, technology companies opening offices and the draw of overall economic vitality, the population has skyrocketed.

Current estimates suggest that more than four million people live there. And the estimated number of cars is nearly two million. It is considered to be one of the most densely populated cities in Latin America as well as one of the most polluted.

Though heavy industry accounts for a significant part of the pollution, the majority comes from car and truck congestion.

The city currently has a higher index of cars per inhabitant than Mexico City which has an estimated population of 20 million.

According to official figures, the number of vehicles in the Guadalajara Metropolitan Zone has tripled from 509,566 vehicles in 1997 to 1,557,194 automobiles in 2009. It is estimated that 350 vehicles are added to city streets daily.

Guadalajara is the second-largest city in Mexico and is growing every day. One of the sure signs of this bustling energy is the millions of cars streaming into the city every day, by the thousands.

But there is a committed group of activists striving to fight this choking onslaught and make the streets safe for alternative and cleaner forms of transportation, specifically the bicycle.

Yeriel Salcedo leads a passionate band of bicycle riders who want to make sure that their city is safe for anyone who wants to go through the city over the wheel - on whatever those wheels may be.

Read more at Al Jazeera

Al Jazeera’s new documentary series Viewfinder, is a unique, long-term project to showcase independent filmmaking talent from around the globe. These films focus on the power of storytelling to bring about a deeper insight into the impact of global events on local communities. These are stories brought to you through the experiences of people on the front lines of a rapidly changing world.

We invite you to add your charity or supporting organizations' news stories and coming events to PVAngels so we can share them with the world. Do it now!