Solving some crime and traffic challenges in Bogota, Colombia: steps that will attract more tourists and make local voters happier

In August 2008, I had an unpleasant experience with two confidence men trying to get my money, near the Bolivar monument at Las Aguas. Fortunately they were unsuccessful, because I remembered reading about a man in the area acting like a plain clothes police inspector. That warning had been posted at my Candelaria hotel by the manager. Follow up from my experience leads me to suggest several improvements in tourist policing:

1. When a crime or attemped crime is reported to Bogota police, a written report on its details should be prepared by the police. This was done in Rio de Janeiro when I reported on July 28, 2008 a robbery of my computer, camera, and money (civil police document #906-01542/2008). That written report shows information on the suspect, method of the crime, and other information helpful in further investigation.

2. Using such crime reports, Bogota police should post warnings in hotels and restaurants in the area, including a request that similar events be reported to them.

3. Catching tourist crime perpetrators is an important job of the police, both for protecting tourists and for the negative publicity/ effects on tourism income that such crimes can cause. Although it was known that one or more similar confidence scams had happened in the Candelaria area, Bogota police were not taking active steps to stop the crimimals. For many crimes against tourists, only the police have the capablity, using sting operations, to apprehend criminals and to collect sufficient evidence to get a conviction.

Problem: Carrera 4 is a major southbound route and freeway exit towards La Candaleria and some of Bogota's major universities. But traffic on carrera 4 is often stalled as it narrows to one lane near the Av. Jimenez traffic light. Shortly after the light, traffic often stalls again at the awkward intersection of carrera 4 and calle 15.

1. Change the one-way traffic direction (to the west) for the one block of calle15 between carreras 3 and 4. This would allow a free flowing 3-way split of carrera 4 traffic at its intersection with calle 15.

2. Build a large parking/ hotel building at the new dead-end calle 15 near the Nueva Granada playoleta area. This prime location near Av. Jimenez is now largely occupied by parking lots, not currently easily reachable by vehicles.

3. The new multi-level parking building, plus the 3 way road split at calle 15, should allow for a free flow of 2 lanes of traffic on carrera 4 from the freeway to Av. Jimenez. Some widening of parts of carrera 4 would be needed.

4. If traffic still is slowed at the Av. Jimenez/ carrera 4 intersection, the city could replace the traffic signal with a road overpass/ underpass. This would help pedestrian safety while speeding vehicle traffic.

To enhance the Av. Jimenez frontage of the proposed new hotel (as well as other Jimenez properties), the terraces pools could have increased water flow to create splashing waterfalls that would be more attractive and sound pleasing than the current still pools. There is plenty of water upstream (near the tram to Monserrate) to allow this.

For input on other traffic areas, Bogota planning officials should regularly meet with those most affected by blocked streets: taxi companies, hotel and restaurant organizations, universities, Chamber of Commerce, and similar groups.