Cyclovía, Bogotá

Every Sunday, Bogotá shuts down 75 miles of city streets and highways to cars and other motorized vehicles from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. The lanes fill up with cyclists, rollerbladers and joggers. Parks hold free aerobics and yoga classes for everyone from kids to seniors.



Called cyclovía, it's a tradition that has been getting Bogatanos out exercising in the fresh air since the 1970s. Despite occasional protests by upper-class car owners who complain of traffic jams on Sunday outings, it's growing in popularity. Between 2 and 3 million residents hit the Bogotá streets most Sundays, and many Colombian cities have now adopted cylovías. Medellín holds them on Sundays and Tuesday and Thursday nights. It's a change that car-dependent Americans can learn from.