Ciclovía
[5] In 1976 Bogota's Mayor Luis Prieto Ocampo signed the 566 and 567 decrees and Ciclovía became an official program promoted by the City government and supported by the Transportation Department.
Each Sunday and public holiday from 7 am until 2 pm certain main streets of Bogotá, Cali, Medellín, and other cities are temporarily blocked off to cars allowing runners, skaters, and bicyclists to workout in a more comfortable environment.
The great variety of traditional food[7] and drinks offered in snack stalls motivates many locals and tourists to go around the Ciclovía.
[3] In 2007, a Colombian Congressman, José Fernando Castro Caycedo, proposed a law banning Ciclovia, charging that it caused traffic jams.
The event included food stalls, street performers, live music and a BMX stunt show and attracted approximately 5000 visitors.
[10] The event again included street performers, live music and a BMX stunt show and ran in conjunction with the "Ride.
[13] About 10 km of roads were totally or partially closed, with a course spanning from the Cinquantenaire Park throughout the centre of the city ending at the western boundary of the Small ring (Brussels).
São Paulo opens 118 km of car lanes to bikes-only every Sunday and holiday from 7 am to 4 pm, one of the most extensive programs in the world.
[15] Halifax held an event called Switch Open Streets on September 9, 2012, and planned to hold three more in 2013, beginning June 9, 2013.
[1] The first Switch attracted approximately 35,000 people and the event aims to create community ownership so that it may take place on more Sundays every year.
Most recently, on August 21, 2011, it saw the opening of two lanes of the Memorial Drive Parkway for thousands of Calgarians to enjoy dozens of participatory activities in a non-consumeristic street festival Bow River Flow.
The event is organized by a group of community partners and invites people to walk ride or roll down town through over 2K of James St. N car free.
Ottawa - Gatineau has been the site of Ciclovías-type street closures (for motorised vehicles) since 1970, organised by the National Capital Commission.
A route of 30 km running from the North to South of the city is closed to traffic every Sunday from 8 am until 2 pm to give preference to bicyclers and pedestrians.
Raahgiri has had a positive impact on local air quality, with measurements estimating that vehicular emissions were down by 49% on Sunday mornings in comparison to other days of the week.
Pedestrians and cyclists are free to exercise in the streets and sidewalks (which are normally blocked due to illegally parked motorcycles and food stalls) with more than 100,000 people participating each Sunday.
It was reopened on June 21, 2020, to allow people to exercise only (street vendors were banned), but closed down again due to crowds not maintaining proper social distancing outdoors.
[31] The streets of Kuala Lumpur's Golden Triangle (the city's main business and shopping district) are closed to vehicles to allow pedestrians and cyclists to utilize the space for exercising, skating, and cycling.
[31] Mexico City has several circuits, the most important runs 59 kilometers from Polanco to Fierro del Toro; more information at the government's website.
[34] Christchurch held its inaugural "Open Streets" ciclovia on September 29, 2013 (postponed from July 14 due to bad weather).
Approximately 3 km of streets in central Christchurch were closed to motor traffic for six hours, to celebrate the re-opening of the CBD earthquake cordon.
As one of the first programs undertaken by the administration of the Lima mayor Susana Villaran, the major road Avenida Arequipa is closed to motorized traffic every Sunday from 7 am to 1 pm, since February 2011.
Cycling enthusiasts of the Hiloni stream and other religions take advantage of this, and roads (except in religious neighborhoods) become de facto cycleways.
During Yom Kippur, emergency services often report an increase in calls for treatment for people who combined the customary fasting with physical overexertion.
