墨西哥城的“自行车市长”

 ‘Bicycle Mayor’ Program Shows Promise in Mexico City

Her position is not official, but Areli Carreon of Mexico City is a “mayor.”

She may be the “bicycle mayor,” but to her it is an important position.

She works¹ to make people in one of the world’s most congested cities more interested in riding bicycles.

Carreon works with a group based in Amsterdam called CycleSpace. The group says it wants 50 percent of all trips made in cities to be made by bike by the year 2030.

There are “mayors²” like Carreon in seven cities around the world, including Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Sydney, Australia; and Baroda, India. More cities are expected to “inaugurate” mayors soon.

Amsterdam’s “mayor” is Anna Luten. She said the organization’s goal will “make cities livable again by integrating³ bikes.” And, more bikes will make it easier for the remaining cars to get around.

However, Carreon says the cycling program will do more than just make daily trips to work or the market easier. When a disaster strikes, like the recent earthquake that shook Mexico City, cyclists may be among the first to get out and look for survivors⁴.

Carreon and 1,000 other cyclists helped identify buildings where people might be trapped. They were able to travel on streets littered with rubble⁵ more easily than larger vehicles. The cyclists also may be able to bring tools and supplies to rescue teams.

Carreon said bicycles “served as an emergency breathing system for the city.” And she noted⁶ that, no matter how bad the roads were, bicycles were the fastest way to move around.

There are already a lot of cyclists in downtown Mexico City. Two hundred fifty thousand are members of a bike-sharing program that offers 6,000 bicycles at 450 parking stands.

But riding in the city can be dangerous.

Around the city, the white-painted outlines of bicycles can be found on the streets. These markers show where cyclists have been killed in traffic accidents.

As the bicycle “mayor,” Carreon wants Mexico City to reduce the number of cycling deaths each year, and increase the availability of bike lanes⁷ to 340 kilometers.

She would also like to see people who live in the outer parts of the city use bicycles more often. Carreon says rich people can move around Mexico City without much trouble, but poor people might spend four hours walking to and from work.

As the “mayor,” Carreon has a lot of work to due to publicize the projects she is working on. She delayed an event that was planned before the earthquake. But she thinks the way cyclists of Mexico City were able to help after the earthquake may have been the best publicity⁸ of all.

“At the city’s worst moment, we were there,” she said.

I’m Ashley Thompson.

Words in This Story

inaugurate– v. to introduce (someone, such as a newly⁹ elected official) into a job or position with a formal ceremony

integrate– v. to make (something) a part of another larger thing

litter– v. to cover (a surface) with many things in an untidy way

rubble– n. broken pieces of stone, brick¹⁰, etc., from walls or buildings that have fallen

publicize– v. to give information about (something) to the public

1 works   

n.作品，著作；工厂，活动部件，机件

参考例句：

• We expect writers to produce more and better works.我们期望作家们写出更多更好的作品。
• The novel is regarded as one of the classic works.这篇小说被公认为是最优秀的作品之一。

2 mayors   

（民选的）市长( mayor的名词复数 )； 镇长； （英格兰、威尔士和北爱尔兰由议员选举产生的）镇长

参考例句：

• Mayors wear chains round their necks as badges of office. 市长们戴着象征职位的项链。
• The mayors of two towns petitioned the President to stop sending their sons to Vietnam. 两个城镇的市长向总统请愿，要求停止把他们的青年派往越南。

3 integrating   

使一体化( integrate的现在分词 )； 使整合； 使完整； 使结合成为整体

参考例句：

• We should carry out the policy of integrating unified planning with the principle of adaptation to local conditions. 我们应该执行计划同因事制宜的原则相结合的政策。
• Talks will now begin about integrating the activities of both companies. 关于合并两家公司业务的谈判现在将会开始。

4 survivors   

幸存者，残存者，生还者( survivor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The survivors were adrift in a lifeboat for six days. 幸存者在救生艇上漂流了六天。
• survivors clinging to a raft 紧紧抓住救生筏的幸存者

5 rubble   

n.（一堆）碎石，瓦砾

参考例句：

• After the earthquake,it took months to clean up the rubble.地震后，花了数月才清理完瓦砾。
• After the war many cities were full of rubble.战后许多城市到处可见颓垣残壁。

6 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

7 lanes   

n.小路( lane的名词复数 )；车道；航道；分道

参考例句：

• A headless rider haunts the country lanes. 一个无头骑士常出没于乡间的小路上。
• He made a kamikaze run across three lanes of traffic. 他不要命地冲过了三条车道。

8 publicity   

n.众所周知，闻名；宣传，广告

参考例句：

• The singer star's marriage got a lot of publicity.这位歌星的婚事引起了公众的关注。
• He dismissed the event as just a publicity gimmick.他不理会这件事，只当它是一种宣传手法。

9 newly   

adv.新近，最近；重新，再度；以新的方式

参考例句：

• Have you reviewed for this newly published novel?你给这本新出版的小说写书评了吗？
• It is a newly planted tree and it has not established yet.这是一颗新栽的树，还没有扎下根来。

10 brick   

n.砖；vt.用砖砌，用砖堵住

参考例句：

• She stared blankly at the brick wall in front of her.她面无表情地瞪着面前的砖墙。
• I bought a brick of ice cream for my daughter.我给女儿买了块冰砖。