Bogota
UMR Index
Score: 35.5%
Sustainable Mobility
Score: 40.7%
Public Transit
Score: 38.1%
| Population | 10.8 million |
| Surface area (km2) | 562 |
| Population-density (people/km2) | 19,211 |
| GDP per capita ($) | 6,148 |
What Bogota Does Well in Urban Mobility
Bogota has become a regional leader in electrification efforts with significant investments in charging infrastructure, consumer incentives, and an electric bus fleet the city claims is the largest outside China.
In an effort to limit congestion-related emissions and keep the air clean, residents are driving less and walking in car-free zones to get around town. The Ciclovia, a flagship initiative held every Sunday and on holidays, closes 128 km (79 miles) of city streets to cars from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. to create space for cycling, walking, roller skating, and other activities.
Urban Mobility Readiness Index, Sustainable Mobility and Public Transit scores
Challenges and Opportunities for Bogota’s Transportation System
Bogota lacks a strong, multimodal network of diverse public transit options. Authorities are addressing the issue by building a metro and commuter rail that is scheduled to start service in 2028.
Bogota's roadways are not well-maintained, and traffic laws are not strictly enforced across the city. Authorities are planning to expand four major roads to ease traffic congestion.
Dimensions of the Urban Mobility Readiness Index score
How Bogota Can Improve Its Public Transportation and Sustainable Mobility
Compared with its peers, Bogota residents face challenges integrating the city’s various transportation options. To help improve multimodality, authorities can introduce a park-and-ride program to allow residents to access the city center from suburban and rural areas while limiting time spent driving. The construction of two commuter rails, the western and northern, as well as the completion of the first green corridor in the country in 2025 should improve connectivity. Expanding bike access aboard buses would allow more cyclists to utilize public transit and cycle for the first and last mile of their journeys.
Riders of Bogota's public transit service often struggle with long commutes due to low transit speeds despite the city's early adoption of dedicated bus lanes to increase efficiency and shorten travel times. In the long term, Bogota can continue to invest in the infrastructure required to expand its existing bus lane network and also introduce a metro to the city’s transit network – a long planned initiative that recently began construction.