Benidorm postpones the entry into force of vehicle access restrictions to Mediterráneo Avenue

Benidorm City Council has extended the deadline for the entry into force of the access restrictions to Mediterráneo Avenue from Europa Avenue, a measure that came into force yesterday, January 31, according to the decree signed by the Councillor for Mobility, José Ramon Gonzalez de Zarate.

This measure does not, however, affect the rest of the Low Emission Zones (ZBE), whose restrictions remain in force. In this case, the restrictions on access to Mediterráneo Avenue will take effect "when the appropriate technological means are available" the councillor has detailed.

The decree signed yesterday establishes that the traffic restriction on Mediterráneo Avenue "will continue to have a merely informative nature" and, therefore, "issues related to traffic regulations, such as pedestrian priority, maximum speeds, etc. . They will be governed by the existing signage.

The creation of the Low Emission Zones was implemented in order to restrict access to the most polluting vehicles and favour a low-emission mobility model, as well as to continue with the progressive process of pedestrianization and restriction of access to certain areas and streets. "A process initiated these years that had as its objective the return to the pedestrian of a space that initially and historically was theirs" has indicated the councillor José Ramón González de Zárate.

The City Council requested a subsidy of 3,170,250 euros from the Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda to undertake these actions. Thus, the Low Emissions Zone is divided into three subzones, such as Levante, the urban centre and Poniente. The objective, the councillor explained, was "to reduce the intensity of vehicles circulating in these sections and improve environmental and pedestrian conditions."

"What we do is a friendly, comfortable city within the sustainability objectives and at the same time be a model against climate change" added the mayor.

The project, designed to obtain the subsidy, contemplates, among other actions, "the creation of ZBE of Benidorm, the elements associated with the implementation of ZBE Benidorm, the adaptation and instrumentation of dissuasive car parks with guided parking, the implementation of safe parking for bicycles with improved signalling through 'metrobici' or the management of loading and unloading areas in ZBE”, explained González de Zárate.

The acquisition of electric buses, an electric bus recharging system in the park and ride of the Bus Station and the implementation of an open payment system and associated multiplatform for public transport and park and ride are also planned. According to the mayor, "thanks to the policy in favour of active and sustainable mobility that we have been carrying out for years, in Benidorm we already have much further to go".

In the case of municipalities with more than 50,000 inhabitants, such as Benidorm, the law establishes the obligation to establish ZBE "no later than 2023". In this sense, the program of aid to municipalities for the implementation of ZBE, endowed with 1,000 million euros in two annual instalments, also establishes the obligation to have a Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (SUMP), which Benidorm already has. The maximum limit of eligible costs is set at 90% of each action.

Once the applications have been submitted, they are being evaluated, after which the provisional resolution and the period of allegations will arrive. After the final resolution, throughout this winter, the payment of the advances of the actions will be made.

The requirements of these actions to be carried out indicate that they must have "a high degree of maturity, be completed before December 31, 2024, must help reduce polluting emissions and must promote gender equality, innovation, change modality and accessibility” concluded González de Zárate.