Cont. from front page

Suggestions for solving the traffic problem in San Miguel de Allende and involving residents in the process were the main points discussed at the Colloquium on Traffic Issues in World Heritage Cities organized by the Tourism, Economic Development

and International Relations Department and hosted by Francisco López Morales and Francsico Vidargas, director and sub-director of INAH’s World Heritage Department, on January 30 and 31 at Teatro Ángela Peralta. 

Experts from other countries, such as Colombia and Guatemala, as well as from Mexican cities that are on UNESCO World Heritage list, spoke about their cities’ problems with preserving their historic centers and offered recommendations about how to solve the traffic problem in San Miguel. 

Although the event was advertised through the local media and notices were posted in the streets, the two-day colloquium was attended by fewer than 50 people, some of them members of the activist group Va por San Miguel (previously Basta ya). Local authorities were not even present for the whole forum, with the exception of Francisco Peyret, head of the department that organized the conference. Samuel Mercadillo, head of the Traffic Department, attended the second day of the conference. 

Most of those present agreed that the plan for transit must be supported by citizens and that the flow of private vehicles into downtown should be discouraged by providing economically accessible parking lots outside the city center, efficient and attractive public transportation, and more space for pedestrians. 

Attendees proposed holding a public planning meeting within two months, with the participation of experts, the local authorities and citizens, to generate recommendations and ideas for funding to begin to solve the traffic problem in San Miguel. 

Problems in other cities

Juan Luis Isaza Londoño, an expert from Externado University in Colombia, said that the problems facing historic centers in Latin America and the rest of the world are similar. 

Colombia has 45 historic centers (Cartagena is on the UNESCO World Heritage list), several of which have practically disappeared due to the invasion of modern architecture and population growth (the population of Bogotá, for example, climbed from 100,000 in 1900 to 7 million in 2007).

According to Isaza, Colombia is currently trying to stem uncontrolled urban growth by focusing on the use of land and through a program of protecting historic centers that involves citizens’ participation in its management and linking it with tourism, business, investments and public politics. “The program must guarantee the quality of life for residents. It must not be focused only on tourists; residents are the treasure of a historical center,” said Isaza. Among his recommendations for San Miguel he proposed discouraging private vehicles and supporting public transportation, the periodic closing of streets to all but pedestrians, examining the origin and destination of vehicles and making most of the streets one-way. Isaza exp

ressed his availability to assist local authorities to create an integrated plan for traffic circulation in the city. “I have already been in talks with the local authorities in order to assist them,” he said. 

Sergio Estuardo Cruz, the official representative of the National Council for the Protection of the City of Antigua, Guatemala, said that the main risks to the cultural heritage in Guatemala are natural disasters such as earthquakes.

Another problem specific to Antigua is the flow of tourists coming to Antigua from the capital city 45 kilometers away. The creation of the National Council for the Protection of Antigua has helped to protect the city, which is similar to San Miguel in many ways, such as its cobblestones streets, churches and religious festivities. According to Estuardo, currently the council makes all the decisions regarding the cultural heritage of Antigua. “The Council is formed by Guatemalan INAH representatives, members of the civic association and the city’s mayor. It is independent from any political party,” he said. 

Diego Prieto, an expert from INAH in Querétaro, a city that has been on the UNESCO World Heritage list since 1996, said that the four challenges for Querétaro’s preservation of its historic center are habitability, mobility, conservation of buildings, and urban image and public space. “Querétaro’s historic center has encountered problems with changes in its use of land, becoming commercial instead of residential, movement of residents out of downtown and real estate speculation,” he explained. Some of the solutions the local government has implemented include decreasing taxes on downtown properties and financial support for renovating deteriorating buildings. Among the solutions for traffic congestion, the government is implementing measures such as improving downtown parking lots and giving discounts to residents, restricting traffic on some streets, constructing large parking lots in surrounding areas, offering economical public transport and setting up alternative routes to avoid downtown congestion.

Carlos Vidal Angles, an expert from the Integral Council for Development of Campeche, said that although Campeche is a model example of conserving its World Heritage historic center, the rest of the contemporary city suffers from traffic chaos. However, he said, the citizens have a sense of responsibility and are proud to take care of its historic center and income from tourism has increased since it was added to the World Heritage list. 

Solutions for San Miguel

Architect Yanet Lezama López, an expert on historic centers from INAH in Querétaro, offered a proposal to solve traffic problems in San Miguel. For Lezama, the traffic plan for San Miguel must be must be agreed upon by its residents. “Citizens must decide what they want for their city,” she said. 

The first step of her proposal involves increasing pedestrian traffic downtown. “If it is decided that pedestrians’ mobility is more important than vehicular traffic, control and management of traffic, the parking lots and public transport must be designed according to pedestrians’ needs,” she said. “It must be designed with the active participation of the society.”

For Lezama, the traffic plan’s objectives must be to increase the quality of the environment; to promote attractive public transportation as an alternative to the cars for those who go to downtown to work or to shop; to promote the use of transportation that is friendly to environment, such as walking and bicycles; and to limit parking spaces to keep a proper flow of traffic. 

The traffic plan must improve accessibility to the historic center without damaging it. The number of public transport vehicles must be calculated based on the number of users in a specific amount of time. Tourists might leave their vehicles in surrounding parking lots and residents and workers would be given priority access to the parking lots downtown. If there are parking spaces on the street, priority must be given to residents. If some parking spaces are left for visitors with limited time, they must be advised. The closing of streets must be temporary (during certain hours on certain days), with quick and easy access for emergency vehicles. 

Lezama explained that in other cities such as Bolonia, Italy, and Lubeck, Germany, the downtown streets have been completely closed to traffic with the public’s agreement. 

She commented that INAH gives free assistance and would be able to help San Miguel develop a traffic plan. However, she has not yet received an official invitation from local authorities. 

Opinions of local authorities and the public 

Samuel Mercadillo, head of the Traffic Department, said that he had already voiced many of the ideas and proposals discussed during the colloquium, such as more space for pedestrians, but that some citizens have always protested against them. He hopes that residents understand that some changes have to be made for the benefit of the whole city. He added that his department is currently developing a study of traffic in San Miguel. 

Francisco Peyret, head of Tourism and Economic Development, explained that the absence of local authorities at the conference was due to the fact that they are involved in many other activities, but that there was a representative of the main departments. He said that the ideas put forth in the colloquium will be of great importance for improving traffic in San Miguel and that the authorities have already held talks with Isaza, the expert from Colombia. 

Lorea San Martín, a member of the activist group Va por San Miguel, said that she was very happy to see that the authorities are beginning to try to solve problems in San Miguel, and she appealed for citizen participation. 

For Carmen Riojas, a member of the research group of Cañada de la Virgen, said that all the meetings were very interesting and professional and will greatly benefit San Miguel. 

Report campaign: If you see it, do not keep quiet
By Jesús Ibarra

Mayor Jesús Correa, Daniel Trujillo, head of the Public Security Department , and Alan Àlvarez, head of Civil Protection, announced the beginning of a denouncing campaign “Si lo ves, no te calles” (If you see it, do not keep quiet). This campaign consists of reporting any act of criminality or vandalism within the city, to the emergency number 066.

The campaign includes four sub-campaigns: “If you see someone painting graffiti on your neighbor’s wall, report it,” “If you see someone damaging the public light, report it,” “If you see someone damaging the public fountains, report it,” and “If you see someone damaging parks or gardens, report it.”

All the reports must be made to the emergency number 066. The police will arrive to the scene three to five minutes after the call is received. In all cases, the reports are anonymous, but you will be asked to give some basic information about the incident and the person that is committing the crime.

This program is working together with the group “Siempre Hermoso San Miguel” (San Miguel, always beautiful), which was formed by members of the foreign community, with the support of members of the municipal government such as city secretary Christopher Finkelstein, Fabiola García, from the Tourism and Economic Development Department, and Don Patterson, head of the Ecology Department. Filip Lein, from Belgium, the head of this association, said that the group is mainly focused on reporting problems with graffiti. “We are currently focused on downtown streets; when we see graffiti on any wall, we send two people to paint over it and then knock on every door to ask the neighbors to be alert and report if graffiti is painted again.”

Trujillo said that his department needs the collaboration of the community to fight crime, mainly in the 14 neighborhoods in the city that have gang problems. Trujillo and José Luis Olguín, sub-director of Public Security, said that during the last several weeks, police are having problems with thieves that come from Celaya, commit a crime and return to their city.

Mayor Correa appealed to the media to help his government spread the campaign, since it is very important to decrease the crime rate in the city. “An eye on the street is equivalent to two police officers in preventing crime,” he said.

Police arrested a murderer

Last Thursday, February 1, Ricardo Bárcenas Godínez, 18, of Valle del Maíz was murdered with a knife during a party, after an altercation with a girl. The Public Security Department succeeded in arresting the murderer, who was a member of a gang from Colonia Allende called Los Chacales, in less than 24 hours. The Bárcena family sent a letter to Daniel Trujillo, head of the department thanking him and his officers for their efficient work. However, the police are still looking for other members of the gang who concealed and helped the criminal.