ISSUES

Geographic Disparity

Geographic disparities in wealth and poverty are evident in Ciudad del Este -- particularly between the areas just southwest of the Microcentro and the western and northern parts of the city.

Population density is highest in the southeastern and northeastern sections of the city. The dense northeastern neighborhood called San Blas, along the Acaray River has a high concentration of informal settlements that are often in areas vulnerable to flooding. On the other hand, the lowest population density is located in the area immediately southwest of the Microcentro, originally planned by Itaipu for higher income workers. Houses are larger and more spread out, despite their proximity to the core.

As you move towards the west, the population density decreases with many informal settlements spread out north to south off of Ruta 2. Population density also decreases in the area immediately southwest of the Microcentro, which was originally planned by Itaipu for higher income workers. Houses in this area are larger and more spread out, despite their proximity to the urban core.

Population Density

1 Population Density

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Housing Quality

Housing quality is poorer in the western neighborhoods and in the San Blas neighborhoods, all of which have a significant number of informal settlements. Housing quality deficiencies are defined as lacking access to subsistence, education, and quality housing structure. Areas lacking in at least one of these categories are concentrated mostly southwest of the Microcentro.

1 1 Housing Quality

Access to Internet

Access to Internet

Similarly, the wealth of certain neighborhoods is reflected in the households with access to internet, where the highest concentrations are located in the area immediately southwest of the Microcentro. Outside of this small, but less dense, part of the city, the percentage of households with internet access are below 40%, and in many areas, below 20%.

Vehicle Access

The same geographic disparities exist in terms of access to vehicles. Motorcycle use is more heavily concentrated in the western, poorer areas of the city, while automobile use and ownership is concentrated in the wealthier inner neighborhoods to the southwest of the Microcentro.

Household with automobiles Household with motorcycles

Poor Transit Connectivity

Ciudad del Este’s current bus network is operated by several concessionaire companies over 19 routes. There are no published maps or schedules, no fixed stops, and routes are only partially fixed so it is difficult to predict where a bus will be available and when. The bus routes that do exist all serve the same areas of the city. The routes are highly duplicative of each other and provide very little coverage of the city.

Boarding a bus downtown

The lack of access to reliable bus service across the city means that residents must rely on other modes, particularly cars, taxis, and moto-taxis, in order to travel. This reliance on low-capacity transportation options exacerbates the congestion issues the city faces from the large numbers of trucks that pass through the city.

Bus Route Map

Despite the highly variable, unpredictable, and duplicative nature of the local bus routes, there are several important takeaway points:

• All routes serve at least part of the Ruta 2 frontage roads • Most routes serve Avenida Bernardino Caballero or parallel streets • Several routes serve the area south of Ruta 2 immediately to the west of Microcentro, but only as far west as Km 7 • Only two routes serve the area to the north of Km 4 • Only one route serves the western half of the city, and only goes as far as Km 10 The city is also served by several intercity buses. Some arrive from Brazil across the Puente de la Amistad and terminate right by the Microcentro, and others arrive from other parts of Paraguay, particularly Asunción. The domestic intercity buses also terminate near the Microcentro, and many of them also deviate to serve Km 4, a major intersection and hub of the city where Ruta 2 and Ruta 7 meet. However, none of the intercity buses provide any other form of local service.

Congestion & Safety

Poor public transportation and the lack of a clear road hierarchy on city roads makes congestion another major transportation issue facing Ciudad del Este. Traffic congestion is particularly serious on the main roads and major intersections leading into the Microcentro area.

Freight trucks clog up Ruta 2 as they wait for hours to cross the Puente de la Amistad. In addition, people arrive on many of the side streets as early as 4 am to set up stalls to sell goods in the Microcentro market. The limited road space, adjacent to the shops, tend to be packed with pedestrians, vehicles, and mototaxis.

Congestion is exacerbated by the lack of traffic signals and crosswalks at major intersections, as well as the limited lane markings, which contribute to increased crowding of pedestrians, vehicles, and mototaxis. Congestion peaks in the morning, as a large number of tourists and shoppers enter the marketplace and also peaks in the evening, as Microcentro workers return home to other parts of the city and to cross the Puente de la Amistad back to Brazil and Argentina.

Downtown Microcentro Traffic on the Friendship Bridge

Vehicle Crash in Ciudad del Este

In addition to traffic congestion, road safety and insecurity is another common issue. There is not much traffic enforcement in the city, which can exacerbate the congestion of the road network and lead to more frequent car crashes. Additionally, in order to make an effective transportation plan that ensures transit is a safe alternative to private vehicles, addressing the safety associated with riding public transit into the Microcentro is necessary for encouraging ridership. This refers to the insecurity many locals have described when it comes to feeling safe in the Microcentro at night. This, in addition to improving road safety through better street design interventions, will create a safer and less congested street environment.

Traffic Flow - All Traffic

Ruta 2 is the main road connecting two major cities in Brazil and Paraguay, therefore high traffic volume and limited road capacity frequently result in congestion along Ruta 2. The figure above shows the reuslt of a traffic survey conducted near Km 7 in Ciudad del Este. The flow of vehicles was recorded and estimated for a 24-hour period. The results show that among all vehicles, traffic flow was highest in the east to west direction. This traffic is predominantly caused by private vehicles.

Flooding

Due to the city’s location by the river, as well as the sloping elevation of the city near the waterfront, streets in Ciudad del Este often flood.

As a result of climate change, rainstorms are intensifying, leading to heavier downpours and increased flood risk. Many neighborhoods of the city have experienced devastating flood damage in recent years. Beyond the damage to homes and businesses, city streets frequently are inundated as a result of heavy rainfall, which has affected transit accessibility and functionality.

KEY OBJECTIVES

KEY OBJECTIVES

The vision for this plan is for Ciudad del Este to become

a transit metropolis that ensures accessibility for all residents by integrating successful transit

service with strategic land use policies. This vision guides the key objectives and is the benchmark for developing the core elements of this transit and land use plan.

Based on the existing conditions of the city, this plan addresses the unequal transit connectivity, high amount of traffic congestion, and flooding concerns that inhibit growth and hinder the transportation system in Ciudad del Este. Based on these concerns, there are five key

objectives that will help transform the city into a transit metropolis.

Ensure equitable accessibility for all residents of the city

As residents of Ciudad del Este rely on various forms of transportation, it is necessary to consider all

types of transit when planning an integrated

transportation and land use plan. This includes making sure buses, motorcycles, cars, and pedestrians are all thought of when designing the plan. Within the city, access to public transit varies neighborhood to neighborhood. Residents living in the western part of Ciudad del Este, further away from the wealthier central neighborhoods, are not only less likely to own to private cars, but have less access to reliable public transit.

Additionally, western Ciudad del Este is home to a number of informal settlements. Through improved connectivity and land use investments that specifically consider informal settlements, the city will be better prepared to ensure equitable accessibility. In order to create an integrated transit and land use plan, it is necessary that these residents are not left out.

Better connect assets

The second key objective is to better connect assets in the city and the region. By creating an organized transportation network that not only links the neighborhoods within Ciudad del Este, but also with nearby municipalities such as Hernandarias, Minga Guazú, and Presidente Franco, as well as neighboring Brazil and Argentina, Ciudad del Este (and Paraguay itself) can better take advantage of industrial

assets, economic nodes, and tourist attractions

in the region.

Manage congestion and improve safety

As a border city, there are high daily traffic volumes concentrated along Ruta 2 as vehicles enter the city from the Puente de la Amistad. It is clear that congestion is a severe problem in Ciudad del Este, especially within the Microcentro area near the border. A pivotal aspect

of making mobility more effective and accessible is to establish interventions that more efficiently manage traffic in the city.

In addition, in order to ensure transit is a safe alternative to private cars, improving security on transit is important. Improving street safety through better street design interventions will also reduce vehicle crashes and create a better walking environment for pedestrians.

Encourage growth around transit improvements

Transit investments can be helpful catalysts in encouraging growth around transit infrastructure

and in shaping future land use since proximity to transit encourages both housing and commercial development. This plan will facilitate denser and more mixed-use development around transit corridors and specifically around key nodes. Additionally, developing activity nodes in the western areas would encourage balanced, bidirectional transit ridership in the city.

Support commercial tourism & attract people to stay

Lastly, one of the biggest assets of this region is tourism. Most tourists who visit the region stay in Brazil or Argentina and visit Ciudad Del Este for one day shopping trips to take advantage of cheaper goods. According to Ciudad del Este’s Plan de Desarrollo Sustenable, the city’s local development plan published in 2016, the city hopes to figure out strategies to capitalize on regional tourism and encourage individuals to stay in Paraguay for longer than a day. This plan seeks to support this goal.

TRANSIT AND LAND USE PLAN

Transit Plan Land Use Plan