With the concession of the Litoral Lot highways, which connect Alto Tietê to the southern coast of the state, São Paulo will have the largest bike path in Brazil. Altogether, adding up the segments, it will span 73.1 kilometers along Padre Manoel da Nóbrega Highway (SP-055), on the southern coast of São Paulo. Investments in bike paths under the Litoral Lot total R$ 78.1 million.
The SP-055 bike path will be about three times longer than the one along Marginal Pinheiros in São Paulo’s capital city, which measures 22.2 kilometers. It will also surpass the country’s largest seaside bike path, located in Praia Grande, with 22.5 kilometers. The concession agreement with Concessionária Novo Litoral (CNL) establishes that the bike path must be delivered within the next five years.
Where will the bike path be located?
The stretch connecting Bertioga to Santos will receive a bike path along its entire 36-kilometer length, in addition to being fully duplicated. The concession also includes 33 kilometers of bike paths in the Itanhaém and Peruíbe regions. Another 4 kilometers will be built between Peruíbe and Miracatu.
Safety and leisure
São Paulo’s Secretary for Partnerships and Investments, Rafael Benini, explains that the bike path included in the project addresses the frequent use of bicycles as a means of transportation in the region. “Cycling is a very common way of getting around in the coastal cities, but today many people ride on the highway, putting themselves at risk of accidents and death,” says Benini.
The project therefore aims to enhance safety on the state’s coastal roads: “By creating a continuous, well-lit bike path connected to those that already exist, we provide safety for residents to use bicycles in their daily lives without having to share lanes with cars on the highway,” the secretary emphasizes.
In addition, cyclists will gain a new option for routes, with the chance to explore São Paulo’s coastline by bike. Oversight of the works and the investments set out in the contract will be carried out by the São Paulo State Transport Agency (Artesp).