Buenos Aires is a big city with a variety of landscapes. During my travels in the city, I rolled more than 50 miles on its sidewalks to become familiar with sidewalk accessibility. I saw many sidewalks and a lot of variation, but found the accessibility of Buenos Aires sidewalks to be good on the whole.
What does sidewalk accessibility in Buenos Aires look like? Let’s take a look – you’ll notice accessible features like curb cuts/curb ramps and crosswalk signals are common.
Many sidewalks become level with the streets at roadway intersections, meaning wheelchair users don’t have to drive into a mass of pedestrians using the curb cut. Not always the case, but often so in downtown Buenos Aires.
In certain areas, sidewalks may be broken or cracked. This doesn’t usually make a sidewalk unusable, but it’s important to watch out for potholes.
Although most sidewalks in Buenos Aires are made of cement, rougher surfaces do appear. On the waterfront walkway pictured above, rough cobblestones intersect the sidewalk every few meters, presumably as a design characteristic.
Although crossing signals are installed at high traffic intersections, low-traffic side streets don’t have them. Always look for oncoming traffic before crossing the street.
Some streets are reserved for pedestrians only during the day (or, in the case of Florida Street, at all times), and these pathways are accessible. Not all business entrances are level with the street, however.
As always, sidewalks in major pedestrian areas at the city center can be expected to be more accessible than what you’ll find in primarily residential areas. Since this is a travel guide written for tourists, I have not made an effort to review each of the residential communities in creating this guide. So, to Buenos Aires locals, if you’re disappointed with the accessibility of sidewalks in your own neighborhood, I hear you.
