But What Would Matthew Modine Have To Say?

Now this sounds useful:

Outside Colombia, Bogotá is better known for its association with cocaine trafficking than for its traffic congestion.

For many of the city’s 7 million residents, however, it was the bumper-to-bumper traffic that topped their list of grievances as of 1998, when Enrique Peñalosa was elected mayor. During his three-year tenure, Mr. Peñalosa devised and implemented a comprehensive city bus system that has eased congestion in Colombia’s capital and cut Bogotános’ commutes to work by hundreds of hours a year.

In his keynote address today at a New York transportation conference, Mr. Peñalosa will discuss the overhaul of Bogotá’s mass transit system, and ways traffic could be eased along New York’s car-clogged streets. More than 500 people, including elected officials, mass transit advocates, community activists — and even celebrities such as actor Matthew Modine and the musician Moby — are expected at the day-long conference, hosted by Manhattan’s president, Scott Stringer.

. . .

Acknowledging the vast differences between New York and Bogotá, the latter of which is far poorer and has no subway system, Mr. Peñalosa said not all of the recent transportation reforms instituted in his hometown would be applicable here.