Assessing the feasibility of sustainable transport projects for Monteria

As the implementing agency of the Green Climate Fund (GCF), CAF has assumed the fiduciary responsibility of managing and executing resources for the GCF Project Preparation Program in Colombia. The project aimed to complement the structuring and design of sustainable transport systems in one of the four intermediate cities in Colombia selected for the program, Monteria. The funds allocated by the GCF allowed for the feasibility study that included the investment plan, mitigation plan, and monitoring and evaluation methodology, intending to contribute to reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions through the implementation of more efficient low-emission transport systems.

The Steer team supported the identification and prioritisation of the set of infrastructure and/or urban equipment measures, demand management and public transport oriented development planning strategies to achieve the objectives of the Sustainable Transport for Intermediate Cities in Colombia (STIC) program. This meant that investments could be made in their implementation within a target budget of up to US$20 million. To this end, we presented the feasibility and basic engineering for the proposed measures aimed at promoting a shift towards more sustainable modes of transport. We also presented an investment and implementation plan and an analysis of the benefits in terms of GHG emission reductions.

Steer developed the diagnosis to identify the necessary and potential interventions that would target the reduction of transport emissions in Monteria and developed the project prioritisation process with local stakeholders in the city. Our team also developed the feasibility and design of the prioritised interventions, the investment and implementation plan, and quantified the benefits of GHG emission reductions.

The projects recommended and designed were:

• Project 1: Cycle infrastructure connection.
• Project 2: Integration of public transport and cycling (PEP).
• Project 3: Expansion of the BiSinú public bicycle system.
• Project 4: Demand Management Programme.
• Project 5: Public Transport Oriented Development.

With the implementation of the proposed projects under an investment of 13 million dollars, a cumulative reduction of 66,138 GHG [tCO2e] is estimated in 10 years.