How can a commute in Guadalajara Mexico possibly be both, a nightmare and/or a dream? Either getting to work is the most dreaded part of every day or it's something you fondly reflect on how lucky you have it in life. Well, in Guadalajara Mexico, it can be both.
Guadalajara is the second largest city in Mexico boasting over 3,000,000 inhabitants. (The population is a combination of Guadalajara with Zapopan. The two cities are merged together as one to form a large metropolis.) It has grown rapidly over the last 50 years or so, taking the lead in many industries throughout Mexico, such as film and video.
Unable to keep up with the boom of residents, the major streets have become a traffic standstill at most hours of the day from Monday through Saturday. (In Mexico, a 6 day work week is more common than a 4 or 5 day one.) The people arrived in droves as Guadalajara became a technology and science hub, a cultural center with numerous theaters, orchestras, and cultural markets. It even hosts the largest book fair in the Americas.
Guadalajara stands alone though, in many ways. It keeps its founding traditions of mariachi and tequila tours as well as claiming Latin America's largest indoor market and advancing faster than Mexico City in terms of climate change and energy efficiency.
One of the biggest standouts in Guadalajara is its commitment to be a bike-friendly city. Many of the largest 6 lane roads have been cut down to 4 lane size to put in concrete-barrier guarded bike lanes. This is a more recent project (within the last 10 years) and only the largest of main avenues have been newly fitted with the protected bike lanes, but miles and miles of safe, commute-friendly bike lanes have been installed and the project is actively forging ahead.
The traffic problems in Guadalajara have insured a well voiced opinion to the opposition of the bike lanes. There are far more cars on the roads than bikes currently, although many bikers ride on the sidewalks for obvious safety reasons. As the bike lanes begin to connect the labyrinth of major streets to smaller streets and the local riders become more confident in the safety of riding on the road, the ratio will change. I can't say if the same will be true of the attitude of many drivers toward those riding on bicycles.
The commitment of the local government to seek out and improve bicycle safety on the roads, energy efficient transportation methods (Guadalajara also has an expansive city rental bike system that is very affordable and user friendly.), and climate friendly alternatives is one to be proud of for sure. Many cities around the world talk of such ideas but never implement them. Guadalajara has not only dipped its foot in the water but dove in to creating a forward thinking commuter environment. It unveiled its newest city addition with an all-electric bus corridor servicing a large portion of downtown Guadalajara in 2020.
Whether you come to Guadalajara to visit, to live, or you've lived here all your life, you can have a dream commute (by bike) or a nightmare of a commute thanks to all the car traffic. The choice is yours so be sure to enjoy the ride!
