The review of the Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (PMUS) confirms that 75% of journeys in Benidorm are pedestrian

Three-quarters of all journeys in Benidorm, 75%, are made on foot, according to a study presented today to the Mobility Council on the revision of the Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (SUMP). This report, prepared by the company responsible for the Plan's revision, also indicates that car journeys within the municipality account for 15% of total journeys. Bus journeys represent 5%, while motorcycle journeys make up 2.2%. Other, even less common, modes of transport include trains (1.7%), taxis (0.8%), bicycles (1.1%), and scooters and personal mobility vehicles (0.2%).

The data, presented by the SUMP director, Jesús Alba, validates "the direction and work carried out in recent years and demonstrates that we are on the right track," stated the Councillor for Mobility, Francis Muñoz. Alba, for her part, reiterated that “the numerous national and international awards and recognitions also attest to this.”

The review of the Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (SUMP), whose initial work has already begun, will also entail the review of other plans such as the Universal Accessibility Plan, the Public Transport Plan, the Comprehensive Road Safety Plan, the Sustainable Parking Plan, the Cycling Plan, and the Electric Mobility Plan.

The main objective of the Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (SUMP), which covers all areas of transport, is to promote and develop soft modes of transport (pedestrian mobility, public transport, and cycling). “But the presence of private vehicles, safety, modal interchange, and parking will also be addressed,” Alba pointed out. He added that the aim is “to continue working on all aspects where further improvement is possible.”

Thus, the preliminary work will include compiling existing information, an infrastructure inventory, traffic characterisation, social media monitoring campaigns, and the use of mobile phone data. A Public Participation Plan (PPP) will also be implemented, based on surveys of the population and interviews with members of the Mobility Council. “All of this will serve to complement our technical perspective, understand the needs, and receive proposals,” Jesús Alba stated. Francis Muñoz, for his part, emphasised that the City Council “will continue working in the direction we took a few years ago, which has led us to achieve these excellent results.”

During the Mobility Council meeting, information was also provided on the Master Plan for promoting the reuse of reclaimed water. At this point, the City Council's Chief Engineer, Vicente Mayor, reviewed Benidorm's water situation and available resources, highlighting that while the Spanish average allocates 80% of water to irrigation, 15% to drinking water, and 5% to other activities, in Benidorm, the percentages are 51% for irrigation and 49% for drinking water. He also emphasised that the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) processes approximately 13.5 cubic hectometers per year, while the volume reused is 4 cubic hectometers, "so there is a high percentage of water available for reuse and preventing its discharge into the sea." The mayor also compared the cost of a cubic meter of reclaimed water, which is €0.41, to that of drinking water, which is around €1.

Finally, the municipal engineer explained that the reclaimed water project in Poniente is currently underway to supply water to the area's residential developments once the regulations have been finalised, tariffs set, and residents' associations have signed up.

Likewise, the Mobility Council was briefed on the Municipal Acoustic Plan, whose key aspects indicate that the two main noise sources within the municipality, the AP-7 motorway and the N-332 ring road, "are located far from the town centre, resulting in a favourable acoustic environment." The Plan also indicates that in 2019, 5% of the population was exposed to high levels of noise, while by 2025, only 0.1% will be. Furthermore, 87% of the population experiences low noise levels during the day, a percentage that rises to 100% at night.

Among the proposed measures are “continuing to align with the Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (PMUS) and the Electric Mobility Plan, advancing the renewal of the bus and waste collection vehicle fleet, and actively protecting bicycles.” The revised document is currently in a public consultation period and will soon be submitted to the Generalitat (Valencian Government) for approval.

Regarding the Jaime I underground parking garage, the project manager specified that it will have two levels and 406 spaces along its 317 meters of construction. The construction period is planned for 15 months, “but the avenue will open sooner even if the work is not yet finished,” Muñoz clarified.

Similarly, an update was provided on the progress of the park-and-ride facility on Beniardá Avenue, a road used by approximately 25,000 vehicles daily. This parking facility will have 347 spaces, in addition to five designated for family vehicles and 14 for people with reduced mobility. There will also be an electric-vehicle charging station and green areas with trees for shade, as well as a sustainable drainage system to collect rainwater and discharge it into El Moralet. The project, funded by European funds, will be completed in June.