Join us on Friday, May 16, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. (EDT - Washington, D.C. Time) for the webinar "Safe roads for walking and cycling in Latin America and the Caribbean," held during the 8th United Nations Global Road Safety Week. This event offers a key opportunity to galvanize action at the national and local levels by highlighting walking and cycling. When safe, they become an integral part of achieving the Decade of Action for Road Safety (2021-2030) and contribute to achieving several Sustainable Development Goals, such as combating poverty, improving health and well-being, education, economic growth, improving infrastructure, reducing inequalities, creating sustainable cities, and addressing climate change.
HOW TO PARTICIPATE
- DAY: Friday, May 16, 2025
- TIME: 10:00 a.m. (Washington, D.C., or EDT) [See the bottom of this page for times in other cities]
- LANGUAGES: English and Spanish.
- REGISTRATION: https://paho-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_15cefdbgQNKkI_rno_OJ2A#/registration
RECORDING
AGENDA
Moderator: Dr. Ignacio Ibarra, Advisor on Health-Related Laws at PAHO
10:00-10:15 a.m. Welcoming remarks
- Dr. Anselm Hennis. Director of the Department of Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health at PAHO
- Dr. Nhan Tran, Responsable of the Safe and Mobility Unit at WHO
- Senator Juan Luis Castro, Vice President of the Health Commission of the Chilean Senate and member of the Road Safety Parliamentary Network for the Americas
10:15-10:25 a.m. Regional Perspective on active, safe and sustainable mobility
- Ricardo Pérez-Núñez, Road Safety and Prevention of Unintentional Injuries at PAHO
10:25-10:40 a.m. Launching of WHO’s toolkit on walking and cycling
- Dra. Fiona Bull, Responsible of the Physical Activity Unit at the WHO
10:40-10:55 a.m. WHO’s Health Economic Assessment Tool (HEAT) for walking and cycling
- MS Juan J. Castillo-Lugo, Advisor on Quality of Air at PAHO
10:55-11:25 a.m. Perspectives from NGOs and Civil Society Organizations
Mobility Snapshots
- MS Sonia Aguilar, Reginal Coordinator of the Latin American chapter of the Global Alliance of NGOs for Road Safety
Walkability App
- Dr. Carlos Cañas Sanz from WALK 21
11:25-11:55 a.m. Examples of cities that have promoted active mobility in the Region
Urban transformation and road safety: The Montería model for active and safe mobility
- Maria Fernanda López Fabra, Mobility Secretariat of the city of Montería
Transforming pedestrian and cyclist mobility through investments in safe infrastructure in Guadalajara, Mexico
- MS Jesús Carlos Soto Morfín, Director General of Road Safety, Ministry of Transport in Jalisco
11:55-12:00 p.m. Closure
CONTEXT
This virtual seminar's objective is to increase the visibility of safe pedestrian and bicycle mobility and promote a purposeful exchange of perspectives among various key stakeholders. It seeks to highlight the contribution of active mobility to improving health, promoting sustainable cities, and building more equitable societies in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Walking and cycling are fundamental components of multimodal transport systems, as established in the Global Action Plan for Road Safety (2020-2030). These modes of transport have positive effects on public health and the environment by reducing non-communicable diseases, environmental and noise pollution, and traffic congestion. Furthermore, they contribute to sustainable urbanization, creating cities that prioritize the well-being of people and the environment and foster social connection.
Safe walking and cycling also promote more equitable societies, offering people of all socioeconomic levels equal access to cities' resources and opportunities. This dialogue will facilitate the strengthening of collaborative opportunities through the exchange of experiences and tools. It will allow us to continue advancing our shared mission of reducing the number of road deaths and injuries by 50% by 2030.
Related links
8th UN Global Road Safety Week
SCHEDULE IN OTHER CITIES
- 7:00 a.m. – Los Angeles, Vancouver
- 8:00 a.m. – Belmopan, Guatemala City, Managua, Mexico City, San José (CR), San Salvador, Tegucigalpa
- 9:00 a.m. – Bogotá, Panama City, Kingston, Lima
- 10:00 a.m. – Bridgetown, Caracas, Georgetown, Havana, La Paz, Quito, Washington D.C., Port of Spain, Port-au-Prince, Nassau, Ottawa, San Juan, Santo Domingo
- 11:00 a.m. – Asunción, Buenos Aires, Santiago, Brasilia, Montevideo, Paramaribo
- 4:00 p.m. – Geneva, Madrid
For other cities, please check the local time on this link.