VIRTUAL Manchester Livable Cities

Abstract

One of the major challenges facing contemporary cities is urban mobility, especially in regions characterized by rapid demographic and territorial growth and the incentivization of motorized individual transport modes. In this context, issues such, heavy traffic, traffic fatalities, and environmental problems emerge. The use of active transport, linked to public transportation, contributes to the mitigation of these effects and has the potential to make cities safer and livable. The São Paulo metropolitan area presents these urban-territorial mobility challenges. According to the most recent survey conducted by the São Paulo Metro, for the first time, the use of ride-hailing apps has surpassed the number of trips made via high-capacity public transport. However, the neighborhood of Jardim Helena, located in the far east of the city, has one of the lowest incomes in São Paulo, but it has a very significant history regarding the use of active mobility for the population’s daily commute. With a strong cycling culture, the Jardim Helena district holds — according to the Sao Paulo Metro Survey — the highest number of daily bicycle trips in the entire city of São Paulo. Currently, Jardim Helena already possesses infrastructure designed for cyclists; its bike path, inaugurated in 2014, spans 12 km. This scenario demonstrates the importance of investing in public policies that value rail-based transport and intramodality with bicycles, facilitating access to stations and reducing car dependency for daily displacements. This study aims to use Jardim Helena neighborhood as a successful case of the integration between bicycle mobility and train stations.