Mayor Enrique Peñalosa might have been forgiven for feeling nervous recently, when millions of residents took to this city’s streets on roller blades, bikes and horses in an officially declared Car-Free Day. What if Bogotanos, rather than displaying the hoped-for civic mindedness, flew into a collective road rage over being ordered out of their automobiles? But after a torrential downpour late in the day, the mayor had little cause for concern. For the most part, the unprecedented, Feb. 24 event went off without a hitch—and Bogotanos enjoyed the experience. In an effort to break citizens’ addiction to their cars, some 800,000 private vehicles in this city of 7 million were banned, though municipal authorities allowed the free circulation of taxis, buses and... [Log in to read more]