The works in the street have become a summer tradition in Barcelona. The logic of taking advantage of the months in which less movement is expected in the city, due to the end of the school year and because most of the working holidays are concentrated, makes the people of Barcelona who stay in the Catalan capital accept with more resignation that be patient with the inconvenience caused by road reforms. Also tourists, although their mobility has little to do with that of citizens who live in Barcelona or reside in its metropolitan area and go to work there. This year, however, the magnitude and significance of some of the planned reforms means that we are attending a different summer of others. A total of 56 interventions on public roads are scheduled, including the cutting of metro lines L4, Tram T4 and S1, S2 and L6 of the Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya (FGC). The first two, which alter the access to the beach with alternative bus transportation, already began in June, so that the usual confusion of the first days has already been overcome.
the progress of the connection of the tram through the Diagonal it will be the project that is likely to cause the most disruption. The streets of Mallorca, Valencia and Aragó will lose lanes at their confluence with the highway, in order to work on the railway junction. At these points, although it is assumed that there will be fewer drivers than on normal weekdays, the space strangulation It will test the capacity to absorb traffic on this road and the possible alternative routes. Although it must be acceptable that traffic slows down, it should not reach the level of saturation that we have seen in other previous road reforms. Although what is really desirable would be that the drivers of private car, nor that they were pushed by this setback, they opted for public transport to move around the city on those days (and perhaps convince themselves that they do so the rest of the year).
The Tram connection was one of the topics of debate during the last election campaign, as was the the ‘superilles’ (whose works are almost finished). These are two large plans that have changed the city urbanistically, with the purpose of making it more sustainable and pedestrian friendly. There are numerous scientific studies that warn of how harmful the particles emitted by vehicles are, so that the reduction of traffic should not be in question. Yes, on the other hand, the way to do it, which will only be successful if good public transport alternatives are offered, and maintaining good road options for those drivers who, for various reasons, must continue moving in a private vehicle.
The same debate applies to bike lanes, whose construction always raises complaints from drivers who lose space. This summer the network for cyclists is expected to expand, and the Via Augusta, one of the most controversial, will open in its entirety. The new mayor Jaume Collboni, He promised to “re-evaluate” it once it’s up and running. It will be necessary to listen to all those affected.
Summer works can be seen as a simple nuisance or as something necessary to improve public transport and street paving. As the construction of the mobility that Barcelona needs.