THE BICYCLE AS AN ALTERNATIVE METHOD OF TRANSPORT: An analysis of the municipalities of São Paulo and Vitória
The brazilian urban development was followed by the industrialization process that, encouraged by the desire for modernization, chose the automobile as the symbol of economic progress. The culture of car was quickly consolidated, influencing the urban expansion of the territory and its prioritization as a mode of transportation, expelling pedestrians and cyclists from the collective use of the streets, making cities unequal, individual and polluted environments. The escalation of climate issues makes some sectors of civil society questioning the current model of life. Therefore, in the area of transport, studies are emerging on the mobilities paradigm transition and the transition of the socio-technical transport system, promoting the use of sustainable forms of mobility. The bicycle, which fits the demand for sustainable transport, is now included in various public and private policies. However, such policies cannot consolidate themselves as a more usual mode of transportation, and from this observation, this dissertation seeks to understand what difficulties the bicycle faces for its consolidation as a mode of transportation. To answer this question, we will analyze the history and the documents antecedents of urban mobility and the aspects that influence in the use of bicycles, such as the market, activism, culture and public policies. To substantiate these analyses, we developed a case of study on bicycle use in São Paulo/SP and Vitória/ES cities, highlighting the advances and difficulties the bicycle has in these two cities.