My relocation to Joppa, Maryland happened about six months ago, consequently I’m more familiar with my previous locale which for this assignment I will reference – Bailey’s Crossroads in Falls Church, a Washington DC suburb. Falls Church is located in Fairfax County a few miles south of Washington DC, the capital, where there are several employment opportunities particularly in the Federal Government. With a high urban density as well as being a mixed use area, Bailey’s Crossroads has several urban planning features in its landscape. Therefore, it has a mix of mostly automobile suburb with a few pedestrian-oriented areas. Bailey’s Crossroads has a population of about 23,643 (2010 Census) people in approximately 2.1 square miles. For almost fourteen years I lived in this area and really grew to love the community plus made quite a few friends. Bailey’s Crossroads is a great neighborhood with several options for employment, shopping and entertainment. In addition, the public transportation system was available and accessible. As a result, it’s a very easy commute for most of the working professionals going into Washington DC.

My first city for discussion is Bogota, Colombia – Ciclovia. It is quite remarkable to see how a collective action in a community such as the city of Bogota, can take off and become a celebrated weekly event. This car free event that takes place every Sunday and on public holidays is driven by the city’s sustainable development. Several people from the city participate in the Ciclovia event that accommodates a breadth of diverse individuals. Ciclovia is an example of how easy it is to implement goals of sustainability and fitness that bring people together. Bailey’s Crossroads is in the middle to two of the busiest streets in Northern Virginia; King Street /Route 7 and Columbia Pike. The vehicular traffic is constant throughout the day and weekends with several heavy rush hour periods. An event like the Ciclovia could promote a much needed sustainable development and increase the quality of life for the community. An initiative like this event can grow the pedestrian-oriented areas, increase safety and the sense of community. This video clearly shows how a collective action problem can be solved by a simple community and government measure, perfectly in line with what Bailey’s Crossroads needs.

The bus system in Curitiba enamored me. The BRT’s express lanes, bus routes map, prepaid entries, single fare tranfers as well as the same level boarding mirrored several Metrorail systems in large cities like New York and Washington DC. It is refreshing to know that this type of efficiency for a bus transportation system exists. The vision involved in creating, implementing and continuously improving Curitiba BRT is commendable. Some cities around the world could learn from this type of urban transport system. There are several bus routes to and from Bailey’s Crossroads to nearby Metrorail stations or going into Washington DC. The color coding and consolidating of the bus routes, could facilitate a more efficient urban transportation system for Bailey’s Crossroads and neighboring communities. Looking at Curitiba, this would be a very economical way to implement sustainable development and improve the urban transportation system in some parts of Northern Virginia. A more efficient and user friendly system, will make mass transit desirable hence increase ride-ability, economy and ultimately promote sustainable development by minimizing the amount of vehicles on the road today.