Mexico City Invests MX$80 million in Electrical Stairs

In some neighborhoods in the Alvaro Obregon municipality mobility is restricted due to steep streets and stairs that have to be used to move from one place to another. According to a note from Televisa, the "Escaleras de la Esperanza" electric stairway project will cover a span of 260m, equivalent to the height of a 22-story building and its direction will be reversible depending on the schedule. It is expected that the electric stairs will benefit 30,000 people who live in 18 neighborhoods at a cost of MX$80 million (US$3.5 million). In addition to the stairs, a funicular will also be constructed on a parallel street so the elderly or people with disabilities can go up and down.

The project was proposed by the Mayor of the Alvaro Obregon municipality Layda Sansores, who assured that the urban project will be carried out in a comprehensive manner, since it is intended not only to build electric stairs but also to launch a comprehensive program to combat crime and marginalization. It should be noted that the mayor was advised by Colombian specialists, who were the first in the world to build escalators in marginalized areas, explained a note by El Universal.

The Alvaro Obregon municipality, located in west Mexico City, occupies an area of ​​7,720ha, which is 6.28 percent of the total area of ​​the city. According to official data from the municipality, Alvaro Obregon’s territory is made up of a set of volcanic structures that range in altitude between 3,820m and 2,260m above sea level. It comprises representative elevations such as Cerro de San Miguel, Cerro La Cruz de Colica, Cerro Temamatla, El Ocotal and Zacatzontetla. In addition to its geographical characteristics, the municipality is home to 749,982 people, according to INEGI. 

The City of Medellin, Colombia, in 2011 inaugurated a 384m covered staircase that crossed the mountains in six sections in just 6 minutes. These stairs were designed by architect Carlos Escobar, who stressed that this innovation was essential to bring peace and pride to communities that were once marginalized by violence, according to a note by CNN Español. "No one was confident that this project could be possible. Before, this area was under gang control. Right now, this area has become a neutral zone. Control is in the hands of the community," Escobar told CNN Español.

In addition to the electric stairway and the funicular project, the Mexico City government is investing MX$18 billion (US$800 million) in the construction of a cable car called Cablebús. The project is intended to reduce inequality in marginalized areas by interconnecting them with the mass transportation network. According to figures from the Mexico City government, the cable car will cover 9.4km and will be the largest of its kind in the world.