Benidorm renovates the northern area of Foietes to improve accessibility and pedestrian safety

Friday, January 28, 2022. The mayor of Benidorm, Toni Pérez, and members of the municipal corporation have today visited the works to improve mobility and accessibility that are being carried out in the area near Benidorm Station. The mayor explained that "we intervene in a place where there are many connections in the city with schools, the social center, the sports center, the station, Mercasa, with which we improve traffic and pedestrian accessibility, and make it easier the daily life of citizens, which is what all the interventions of  Edusi Benidorm project try to do”. The actions will increase the width of the sidewalks with a new non-slip pavement, narrow the traffic lanes, improve the lighting of the area, and install pedestrian recesses to improve accessibility.

These works, which have a budget of €556,139.86, have been co-financed by ERDF Funds of the European Union. In 11 months they will be completed, making this area of ​​Benidorm a safer, more accessible and sustainable place.

According to the mayor of Benidorm, Toni Pérez, "the fundamental thing in this action is to improve accessibility, which will allow us to make pedestrian mobility, basic in this enclave, more comfortable and with all the guarantees". For the mayor, "permanent dialogue with the citizens of the area and active listening through the Department of Citizen Participation have been key for the planning of these works that will improve the life of this neighborhood, and of the entire community. town".

The works that are being carried out also include the renovation of the rainwater, drinking water and sewage network. Likewise, in collaboration with Iberdrola, improvements are also being made in the electrical service. In this sense, Pérez specified, "those lights that are included in the content of the EDUSI action, financed with the funds of this action, are renewed, but the improvements in lighting also cover other enclaves of connection with the urban fabric that are introduced thanks to a grant from the IDAE”. In any case, the mayor explained that the replacement of the entire luminaire will entail LED technology “with the consequent economic and energy savings. We are committed to energy efficiency as we do in all the pipes that are renewed. In reality we are talking about a comprehensive rehabilitation”.

The affected area, which extends from the south of the FGV station and north of Avenida Capitán Cortés, is an area with a lot of traffic for children due to the school itineraries that run through it. Every day, more than 1,000 schoolchildren travel this area with their families to access their educational centers. By narrowing the traffic lanes, the speed of vehicles will also be reduced, improving the safety of minors who travel through the area.

These works also include the remodeling of Prelado Cosme Bayona square. The square will be restored with non-slip pavement and trees will be planted to create new green areas that provide shade. The renovation also includes the installation of new urban furniture, which will allow citizens to enjoy this public space more.

These works to improve mobility and accessibility are part of the Benidorm DUSI Strategy (Sustainable and Integrated Urban Development Strategy). The actions respond to the objectives set out in Action Line 03 (LA03), which seeks to "improve mobility in the area and in general in Benidorm, promoting sustainable mobility with white media". They are also included in other strategic lines of the city's EDUSI, such as Line of Action 04 for improving energy efficiency or Line of Action 06 for improving urban areas and green areas.

ABOUT THE WORK TO IMPROVE ACCESSIBILITY AND MOBILITY IN THE STATION AREA:
TOTAL investment: €556,139.86
Amount of AID from the EUROPEAN UNION: €222,455.94
Execution period: 11 months.
Operation: Improvement of accessibility and mobility in the station area.

ABOUT EDUSI IN BENIDORM:

The Pluriregional Operational Program of Spain 2014-2020, and the Operational Program for Sustainable Growth (POCS) promote the DUSI strategy, for Sustainable and Integrated Urban Development, of which Benidorm, as established in the Resolution of May 4, 2018 published in the Official State Gazette (BOE) of the Order of the Third Call HFP/888/2017, has managed to opt for and obtain financing from the FEDER aid of 10 Million Euros, through its EDUSI BENIDORM strategy.

EDUSI BENIDORM is made up of a series of thematic, specific, strategic and operational objectives, encompassed through 13 Lines of Action, whose social, environmental, economic and urban impact on the city aims to transform a delimited urban area of ​​the city into the to intervene and regenerate comprehensively, for the sake of producing an impact and global improvement in the city.