This paper evaluates low-carbon urban development strategies for the transport sector in São Paulo, one of the largest cities in the world. For each mobility policy selected, we build scenarios to evaluate the potential of mitigating GHG emissions, shedding light on institutional aspects, benefits and risks of implementing each measure. Selected policies analyzed in this paper focus on: (i) reduction of frequency and distance of motorized trips; (ii) improvement of public transport; and (ii) technological issues, from improvement of fuel efficiency of all transport modes to replacement of fossil fuels by biofuels. Results show that the measures that present the highest potential to reduce GHG emissions are those that promote the use of biofuels, particularly ethanol, followed by those that favor the use of public transport. Moreover, simulations of integrated policies evidence that their effectiveness depends upon the adoption of coordinated policies at Federal, State and Local levels. Lastly, we highlight the complementary nature of the proposed policies and the contribution of scenario building to the debate on the strategic planning of integrated urban public policies to promote sustainable development in São Paulo City.

Resumo A Política Nacional de Mobilidade Urbana motiva os municípios brasileiros a desenvolver uma série de ações a favor dos transportes públicos coletivos e não motorizados, mas ainda são escassos os casos bem-sucedidos de promoção de transporte urbano sustentável no Brasil. Este artigo analisa a experiência de Campinas na promoção do transporte cicloviário, que é comparada com um caso de sucesso no mundo, Groningen (Holanda). As análises baseiam-se em entrevistas realizadas com gestores públicos e especialistas nas duas cidades em estudo. Os resultados mostram fatores institucionais essenciais para o sucesso ou fracasso da política de mobilidade cicloviária. Destaca-se, particularmente, que ações de desestímulo ao uso do veículo privado são tão importantes quanto as de promoção do uso de bicicletas.

The National Urban Mobility Policy encourages Brazilian cities to develop a series of actions in favor of public and non-motorized transport, but successful cases of promotion of sustainable urban transport are still scarce in Brazil. This article analyzes the experience of Campinas concerning promotion of bicycle transportation, comparing it with a successful international case, namely, the city of Groningen (the Netherlands). The analyses are based on interviews with public managers and specialists in the two assessed cities. The results show fundamental institutional factors for the success or failure of the cycling policy. It is particularly noteworthy that actions to discourage the use of private vehicles are as important as those to promote the use of bicycles.

We analyze the main reasons for the transport mode choice (private vehicle, public transportation, bicycle, walking, and others) among university students in Campinas. Analyses are based on primary data collected from 1,179 students through online and personal interviews in the second semester of 2014. Multiple Correspondence Analysis and Cluster Analysis are jointly used to identify common choice groups. Public transport prevails among low-income users, and the main motive for their choice is the lack of alternatives. Students who can afford higher costs tend to prefer a private vehicle, which is seen as being safer and more comfortable. In turn, the adoption of an active mode of transport remains mainly restricted to a small group of users with positive attitudes towards health and the environment. The study finally discusses the implications of structural constraints, such as infra-structure and public safety, on public policies aimed at a sustainable urban transport system.

Motivados por la Política Nacional de Movilidad Urbana, los municipios brasileños inician un proceso de implementación de medidas que faciliten el uso de la bicicleta como transporte en sus territorios.  Es de gran relevancia caracterizar las condiciones del uso de este medio de transporte y, a la vez, evaluar cómo los municipios afrontan el desafío planteado a nivel federal para la movilidad urbana. Este trabajo discute las capacidades municipales destinadas a la planificación y gestión de la bicicleta como transporte. Para esto, se analizaron documentos oficiales y se entrevistaron a los responsables de transporte de 11 municipios de la Región Metropolitana do Vale do Paraíba e Litoral Norte. Los resultados muestran que la política y sus directrices han logrado permear en la gestión y planificación municipal resaltando la importancia de la bicicleta como medio de transporte. Sin embargo, sigue siendo la capacidad institucional municipal la brecha a subsanar en la implementación de medidas.