One of the most serious problems of the Colombian educational system is the ever increasing rate of student turnover, stemming among other reasons from the fact that parents cannot afford to pay for their children’s transportation to school. Most of these kids must walk several kilometers every day to get to their schools, as other means of transportation are too expensive for them.

During 2003, the city allocated 672 school bus routes, which served 23 thousand students from the city’s poorest neighborhoods. Nonetheless, this solution only covers a mere 2.6% of the total student population in public schools in Colombia’s capital city.

With the “2004 Cyclethon”, the Pedal your City Foundation expects to collect one thousand bicycles, thereby allowing free transportation to school for an equal number of students. In addition to reaching schools, these kids will have the chance to pedal their way through the city and discover the parks, wetlands, libraries and a number of additional urban treasures recently built or recovered in Bogotá.

Furthermore, the Pedal Your City Foundation and the Educational Alliance Association (Asociación Alianza Educativa) will implement a seminar on Urban Geography at the public schools that will be receiving the donated bicycles, so as to encourage students to get acquainted with their city.

The Pedal your City Foundation (Fundación Pedalea Tu Ciudad) is a non-profit institution committed with the promotion of public bicycle use along the 300 kilometers of cycle paths built in Bogotá since the administration of former mayor Enrique Peñalosa.

You can contact the Foundation at:
Fundación Pedalea Tu Ciudad Calle 79 No 10 – 80 Of. 203, Bogotá, Colombia
Tel: (571) 623-1592 ­ (57-310) 697-6243
E-mail : pedaleatuciudad@terra.com; cicloton2004@yahoo.com