MADRID – In the Spanish capital, more than ten kilometres of streets will be made into pedestrian zones within a month. It concerns 200 thousand square meters on which no motorised traffic will be allowed.
Municipal councilor Borja Carabante for Environment and Mobility confirmed the news this week. With the 48 new traffic-free zones 14.6 million cars per year – 40,000 cars per day – will be banned from Madrid. The urban areas where pedestrians have more space are Barajas, Chamberí, Vicálvaro, Centrum, Ciudad Lineal, and Usera.
Better accessibility within pedestrian zones
Carabante announced at the project’s presentation, these locations were chosen to promote local commerce. They will also create or expand green and meeting areas and will facilitate safe access to the schools. Furthermore, they will increase accessibility to the old centres of the aforementioned give way. In particular, the Plaza Olavide in Chamberí, the old quarters of Barajas and Vicálvaro, and the Malasaña district must be made entirely or largely pedestrianized. This is less the case (less than 250 metres street length) in Chamartín, Fuencarral-El Pardo, Moratalaz, Retiro, Puente de Vallecas, Salamanca, San Blas-Canilleja, Tetuán, and Villaverde.
Low Emission Zones
Carabante also announced that all neighbourhoods included in the project will transform into low-emission zones. This is despite the fact the same amount of space for pedestrians is not being created everywhere. The project is part of the city’s sustainability strategy Madrid 360.
This week, traffic is banned in Villaverde and all planned new pedestrian zones will be a fact in January. Deputy Mayor of Madrid Begoña Villacís announced that the impending project will mark a “before” and “after” period in her city. And new meeting spaces would be eagerly anticipated.
