Although the environmental conditions for cycling are ideal in Trujillo, cycling culture has not yet fully arrived in the city. That's why TUMI and Transporte Metropolitano de Trujillo (TMT) have worked on awareness and capacity building for citizens on cycling.
Trujillo is with its 780.000 inhabitants the biggest secondary city of Peru. As a mid-sized, flat city with a moderate climate, it theoretically has ideal conditions for cycling. Yet, cycling numbers are still low. This is because, even though most residents walk or commute in public transport and taxis, priority is given to cars.
When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, the need to re-arrange the urban transport system of the city became apparent. While patronage for public transit declined, the demand for active mobility in form of walking and cycling rose significantly but faced a limited supply in comfortable and safe foot- and cycling paths. At the same time encouraging modal shift to cycling is seen as a solution to reduce high road congestion levels in the city while preventing the COVID-19 to spread out further.
Preparing and guiding Trujillo towards a sustainable city by recovering public spaces and promoting the use of non-motorized transportation are the key aspects of this project. These are done by raising awareness, training cyclists and sensitizing car drivers. The aim is to seize the opportunity brought about by the pandemic to redistribute space in favour of vulnerable road users- especially cyclists and pedestrians.
TUMI supported the Transporte Metropolitano de Trujillo (TMT) in addressing several important "soft measures" such as awareness raising (especially amonst motorists), cycling training, etc. which can ensure a safe adoption of cycling in the city supported by all citizens.
The project's vision is to prepare and steer the transition of Trujillo towards a city with a sustainable transport system with a focus on a high quality active mobility. At the same time, the project intends to quickly provide a safe and resilient mobility option for citizens during the on-going pandemic. On a local level the project focuses on training and growing TMT’s technical and socio-cultural capacities in developing cycling awareness for all users. This includes providing tools and methods to promote cycling as an affordable, accessible and efficient mode of transport.