Ciclopista Ferrocarril de Cuernavaca
Traffic has always been a problem of Mexico City, specifically, it’s been a nuisance since the beginning of the XX century and the city’s government has made concerted efforts to curb this problem, including the (un) popular “Hoy No Circula” program (“Today It Doesn’t Circulate”) where cars are coded according to their license plate and are given a sticker of 1 of 5 colors, and hence all cars with the red sticker cannot circulate on Mondays, all cars with the green stickers cannot circulate on Tuesdays, etc., although in recent times, newer models of cars get to circulate every day, and while this may help with the negative health effects of smog, there’s still the problem of having a gazillion cars clogging the streets, avenues and highways every day. So the city knows that a much more sustainable and long-term solution is needed, and to that effect, has tried to promote the bicycle as a viable transportation alternative for capitalinos (“people from the capital”).
Most avenues have been modified in order to have the lane farthest to the right exclusively for bicycle traffic, and major arteries of the city are closed down to traffic on Sunday mornings for the exclusive use of cyclists; but in addition to that, dedicated bicycle paths have been built and probably the most prominent of this is the bike track that travels along what once was the railroad tracks that ran between México-Cuernavaca. The bike path starts in Polanco and ends where the southern state of Morelos borderline begins, just a little short of 3 Marías. The last part of this path which runs from the Picacho-Ajusco area to the end at the state of Morelos, is called the “Rural Bike Path” as the whole way it’s surrounded by trees and fields, a truly rural setting to enjoy on your bike expedition, it sure beats some digital trees on a flatscreen.
The bike path measure 2 meters wide and has two lanes, one for each way, and it’s a safe option for cycling enthusiasts. The path allows the use of both mountain and road bikes; mountain bikers have an extra bonus, as the pavement for the bike path ends at the state limit with Morelos, yet there’s an extra dirt path that will take you all the way to 3 Marías; road bikes of course just won’t cut it for this last stretch of the path.
The Ciclopista Ferrocarril de Cuernavaca measures in total 60 Km and was founded in 2004, and it goes beyond saying that you don’t need to ride the whole way to enjoy this healthy and relaxing expedition on top of your two-wheeled friend.
