It took motorcyclist Hugo Souza just 16 minutes to travel the 14 kilometers between Guará I and the National Museum, in the center of Brasília. He was one of eleven participants in the 2023 edition of the Intermodal Challenge. “I was a little lucky because I caught most of the traffic lights open. The flow helped,” he explains.
But it’s not a race. The winner is often not the one who reaches the destination first. The Intermodal Challenge is used as a parameter to show, in practice, that there are other options besides motorized vehicles to travel around the capital. Therefore, it is not enough to come first. The order of arrival is just one of the elements of the complex formula for evaluating the efficiency of a travel mode.
The initiative is carried out annually as part of activities related to World Car Free Day, and aims to evaluate the efficiency of the various means of transport available in the Federal District. The objective is to stimulate discussion about the importance of implementing public policies on active mobility in the federal capital.
All participants left on time, at 7:30 am, from block 7 of Guará I, this Monday (25), and were destined for the National Museum. Each person chose a means of transport to complete the route. The route to the destination is free. The only rule is to respect all traffic laws.
For the coordinator of the NGO Rodas da Paz, Ana Carboni, the event was a success and participation in different modes was important for a more accurate assessment of the efficiency of the DF’s means of transport. “After the data has been evaluated, we intend to make a political impact with the Executive. With these numbers, it will be possible to change the car paradigm in Brasília and encourage more sustainable transport,” she says.
Physical educator Raphael Dornelles chose the bus and it took 51 minutes from waiting for the bus to arriving at the National Museum. Cycling activist, he was the seventh to arrive at the agreed destination. As a frequent bicycle user, this year, he decided to change the mode and was pleasantly surprised. “Although the bus took a while to get to the stop, it was empty and, to my surprise, we encountered a light traffic jam during peak hours. Drivers could only respect passengers more and avoid sudden braking.”
According to his assessment, there is a stigma that public transport is very bad in the Federal District. “On most lines, the bus system is not that bad, especially in Plano Piloto. It would be necessary, however, to invest more in peripheral lines. For this reason, many residents of Plano Piloto could exchange their car for public transport. But there is still a misperception that buses are for the poor,” he adds.
In the 2023 edition, for the first time, someone participated using an electric unicycle. Public servant João Paulo de Andrade Júnior, 54 years old, has already traveled 12 thousand kilometers by unicycle, in just over 45 cities in a period of two and a half years. “It was a really cool experience. My strategy was to use the available cycle paths as much as possible, but I also ended up needing to share the space with cars eventually”, says JP, as he is known, the third to arrive at the destination, after covering 14 kilometers in 24 minutes.
The last to arrive at the National Museum was Joyce Ibiapina. She walked from Guará I and used a route inside Parque da Cidade. Cycling activist, she also preferred to have another experience in this year’s edition. The time she spent was 2h55. The intense heat and low humidity were the main difficulties faced by the pedestrian.
Ranking
Upon arrival, the distance traveled and the participant’s travel time were recorded by volunteers. This data will be included in the formula that also takes into account ticket and fuel prices, among others. The parameters receive comparative scores or indices and, thus, it will be possible to calculate the average for each mode of transport. Once tallied, the statistics will be consolidated into a ranking.
Generally, in the final ranking, the walking and cycling modes are usually considered the winners, as they have higher scores. Individual motorbikes (motorcycles and cars) are normally less well evaluated, precisely because of their high cost and pollutant emissions.
According to Rodas da Paz’s Communications Coordinator, Ana Júlia Pinheiro, the final ranking will be available within ten days.
Check the order of arrival for the Intermodal Challenge:
Motorcycle – 16 minutes
Car – 22 minutes
Electric unicycle – 24 minutes
Transportation via app – 27 minutes
Bike + bus – 46 minutes
Bus – 51 minutes
Bike + subway – 54 minutes
Fixed bike – 54 minutes
Bike along the cycle path – 54 minutes
Bike + cycle path + track – 57 minutes
Pedestrian – 2:55 am
The post Rodas da Paz carries out Intermodal Challenge appeared first in Jornal de Brasília.
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