The innovation, integration, and benefits to citizens provided by the Metro System and the EnCicla public bicycle program have led the City of Medellín to gain this distinction among other cities.

This is the second edition of the Mobiprize Award, which is supported by the ICLEI network of cities – Local Governments for Sustainability, of which Medellín has been a member since 2013.

Once again, Medellín is drawing global attention to the development of multimodal transport. The work that began in November 1995 with the opening of the Metro has paved the way for progress towards innovative mobility, including marginalized populations, identifying other possibilities for transport systems and moving towards becoming a more sustainable city.

And so it continued, with the arrival of the Metrocables, the escalators in Comuna 13, the BRT system (Metroplus), the Ayacucho tram, and the public bicycle system installed in the Medellín metropolitan region of Valle de Aburrá.

According to the organizers of the Mobiprize Award, "it was fundamental that Medellín carried out a joint proposal between several entities, which is a sign of good coordination between different mobility systems." In addition to integration through the Civica card, technological advancements in railways and their social impact on citizens also influenced the decision. At an event in New Delhi, to be held in March 2016, Medellín will be publicly awarded and a video used in the competition will be shown, showcasing this effort that further commits the city to continue taking sustainable mobility measures, as well as inspiring other major world capitals.

The reach of the Metro and EnCicla: The Medellín Metro system is unique in Colombia. It's a company that has managed to transcend, going beyond simply providing a transportation service to generate a sense of belonging among its users and, moreover, has become a space for social and cultural gatherings for the city's inhabitants. This is the main difference compared to other metropolises in the world. Today, the Medellín Metro carries more than 820,000 people on a weekday, across two railway lines. EnCicla, the public bicycle system, a unique project in the country, now has 51 operating stations, more than 30,000 registered users, and has reached 8,000 bicycle rentals per day.

To invert the mobility pyramid, giving priority to pedestrians and cyclists, the EnCicla program is based on a real commitment to transforming Medellín into a city with less vehicle traffic, emitting less CO2, and therefore becoming a healthier city.

News by Mayor's Office of Medellín