Mexico City, though highly congested and reliant on private vehicles, has over the last decade become a best-practice model for transit, cycling, and public spaces. The city debuted the Cablebús cable car system and has added e-buses to its growing Metrobús bus rapid transit system. These efforts have been complemented by upgrading street infrastructure and installing bikeshare stations near transit lines, expanding transport subsidies to low-income communities, and streamlining fare payments. To learn more about the city’s progress, Crux Communications Director Sarah Spengeman sat down with Executive Director of ITDP Mexico, Gonzalo Peón. Read the interview below and watch the video to hear directly from Gonzalo.
1. What are the biggest challenges relating to sustainable mobility in Mexico City?
Sprawl remains a major issue in the Mexico City Metropolitan Area (MCMA). Yet there has been progress on the main causes of urban sprawl, as INFONAVIT, the country’s main housing lender, has introduced accessibility criteria into its credit allocation system with ITDP’s support. Overall, we expect that proposed reforms to INFONAVIT will have major implications for national-level urban expansion by supporting denser, transit-linked neighborhoods.
Another challenge is the explosive growth of two-wheelers in the MCMA. Public-transport users are increasingly choosing these affordable—yet unsafe and polluting—small vehicles. Road transport is a major contributor to air pollution in Mexico City. According to the 2020 Emissions Inventory from the Mexico City Environmental Commission, the transportation sector is responsible for 54 percent of nitrogen oxide (NOₓ) emissions, 47 percent of primary fine particulate matter (PM2.5), and 34 percent of volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
Calculations by ITDP (2020) show that in the MCMA, air pollution attributable to road transport—particularly from fine particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10)—has a substantial public health and economic cost. Annually, an estimated 1,927 premature deaths are attributable to PM10 exposure and 2,635 to PM2.5. The external cost of this pollution represents between 0.81% and 1.21% of the region’s $236.5 billion-plus GDP.
2. Mexico City was the first city in Mexico to adopt a bike share program, Ecobici, back in 2010. Has that program been successful in improving mobility for residents?
Yes, Ecobici, has achieved great success. A user survey conducted by the program’s operator and reported by the Ministry of Mobility found that between August 2022 and mid-2023, 19 percent of new users switched from private cars to bicycles, 7 percent replaced rideshare services, and 31 percent shifted from other public transport options. Per initial estimates, these changes in travel behavior slashed 466 tons of CO₂ emissions
The Ecobici program has expanded considerably in the last three years after a new provider was chosen to modernize the system. The local government plans to further expand the program, including addressing the lack of coverage in lower-income areas. ITDP is in talks with the operator to conduct demand studies to inform a strategic, financially and operationally feasible expansion. An area for improvement is to address user reports of a recent decline in maintenance of the bicycles and overall quality of the system.
3. With ITDP’s support, Mexico City has led the world in parking reform. Has that reform ensured more land is used for housing rather than parking?
In 2017, Mexico City’s Building Regulations were reformed following ITDP’s recommendations and findings in the study Less Parking, More City. Parking requirements were replaced with parking maximums, limiting the number of new parking spaces in areas better served by public transport and eliminating requirements in the rest of the city. On a large scale, this carries significant promise in reducing car use in favor of more equitable mobility options, like transit and walking, and increasing affordable housing investment.
The impact has been substantial: Large developments went from using 42 percent of the built area for parking to 33 percent. According to back-of-the-envelope calculations, by 2030, the reforms will have prevented 2.645 million tons of CO₂e emissions.
Following Mexico City’s lead, the metropolitan area of Guadalajara is discussing an ITDP proposal to implement metropolitan-level parking reform. If successful, this will set an important national precedent, as land use regulations (except in Mexico City) are decided at the municipal level, making coordination of land use policies difficult.
4. What about electrification? Is Mexico City following the trend we’re seeing in emerging economies to electrify bus fleets to improve air quality and cut operating costs?
The well-established Metrobús BRT network has expanded its high-traffic corridors by 30km since 2023. Metrobús has also become a national leader in bus fleet electrification, with one line operating using electric vehicles, and has set a target to fully electrify its fleet over the next decade. Mexico City has also bet on the decade-old electric trolley and light rail system (Servicio de Transportes Eléctricos), with the acquisition of several vehicles and improvements to maintenance and operation. These improvements, however, are still minimal relative to the overall size of the metropolitan public transport system, estimated at around 200,000 vehicles.
ITDP Mexico has been providing technical assistance to the local government in the development of electrification plans that include the city’s BRT, trolleybus, and cable car networks.
5. And is there funding for this additional electrification and other sustainable mobility improvements?
Mexico City receives a substantial amount of federal funds for sustainable mobility projects. Infrastructure projects like mass transport expansions and the cable car system receive funds from both federal programs and local funding.
Mexico City is the only federal entity that receives 50% or more of its revenue from local fiscal instruments, which is because it has the unique ability to collect property taxes. In the State of Mexico, as in all other states, only municipalities can collect the tax. Dependence on federal funding is far larger in the State of Mexico.
6. What near-term opportunities are there to make even greater progress?
In order for bus electrification to be a national priority, more solid financing is needed. Mexican development banks such as NAFIN must promote specific plans for the electrification of urban fleets, while BANOBRAS must develop sustainable financing mechanisms that specifically support medium-sized cities.
Mexico also needs to focus on the electrification of two- and three-wheeled vehicles. Otherwise, polluting motorcycles could increase from 9 million now to 27 million in 2030. To harness their potential and reduce trips made by more polluting modes, national standards need to be updated to define them as distinct from internal combustion motorcycles.
A comprehensive electromobility strategy is crucial for achieving emission reduction goals and generating benefits for everyone, regardless of gender or income level.