Peatones de Quito

  Ecuador

Advocating for Pedestrian Rights in Ecuador

Peatones de Quito (Asociación de Peatones de Quito – APQ) is a citizen-led organisation dedicated to promoting pedestrian rights, safer streets and sustainable urban mobility in Ecuador. Since its creation, the organisation has worked to ensure that people walking are recognised as a central part of urban life and that public policies prioritise accessibility, safety and inclusion.

Based in Quito, APQ has become an important voice in national discussions on mobility, public space and road safety, advocating for cities that are designed around people rather than the movement of vehicles.

What we do

Peatones de Quito works to improve conditions for walking through advocacy, public awareness, citizen participation and engagement with public authorities. The organisation promotes policies and urban interventions that make streets safer, more accessible and more comfortable for everyone.

Its activities include:

• Advocating for pedestrian safety and road danger reduction.
• Promoting accessible and inclusive public spaces.
• Raising awareness about the environmental, social and health benefits of walking.
• Participating in public debates on mobility and urban planning.
• Monitoring transport and infrastructure policies affecting pedestrians.
• Encouraging a shift towards more sustainable and people-centred mobility systems.

Our Mission and Vision

Peatones de Quito seeks to defend and promote the rights of pedestrians while contributing to the creation of safer, healthier and more sustainable cities. The organisation believes that walking should be recognised as a legitimate and essential mode of transport that deserves adequate infrastructure, public investment and political attention.

The organisation’s objectives include:

• Improving safety and accessibility for people walking.
• Ensuring that public investment reflects the mobility needs of the majority of urban residents.
• Promoting urban design solutions that prioritise people over vehicle throughput.
• Encouraging sustainable mobility policies that reduce dependence on private motor vehicles.
• Supporting inclusive cities that accommodate people of all ages and abilities.
• Strengthening public participation in decisions affecting streets and public space.
• Advancing a vision of urban mobility based on dignity, equity and environmental sustainability.

Key Areas of Advocacy

Peatones de Quito has been particularly active in promoting safer street crossings, opposing infrastructure that creates barriers for pedestrians, and advocating for traffic-calming measures that reduce vehicle speeds and improve accessibility at street level.

The organisation also calls for greater coherence between public spending priorities and the mobility patterns of residents, highlighting the importance of investing in walking infrastructure, public space and sustainable transport.