Benidorm exchanges experiences with the 15 municipalities in the region that have Low Emission Zones

The Benidorm City Hall Auditorium today hosted the "ZBE15 Group Conference," which, under the title "Exchange of Experiences in Low Emission Zones," brought together representatives from all the municipalities in the Valencian Community that have LEZs and make up the so-called Group 15, as well as towns from different Spanish regions. Representatives from mobility-related companies and experts in the field also attended.

The conference was opened by the Councillor for Mobility, Francis Muñoz, and the Director General of Transport and Logistics of the Generalitat (Generalitat), Manuel Ríos. In his speech, Muñoz noted that the transition to the LEZ in Benidorm has not caused major disruptions "because in 2021 we already started a restricted traffic zone, which was very useful for us when we had to start adapting to the LEZ in 2023." He also highlighted the "excellent air quality in Benidorm, one of the best in Europe" and the fact that "70% of journeys in the city are made on foot." The councillor expressed his "great satisfaction" with the LEZ design and praised the contribution made to this goal by "reducing speed on the streets, which has led to a decrease in accidents and polluting gases."

Manuel Ríos, for his part, highlighted the participation of the municipalities of the Valencian Community and assured that all of them "will pass" the tests and audits "to justify the subsidies received."

The presentations covered various topics: "Evaluation of acceptability and impact on mobility and commercial activity. Empirical Analysis of Madrid', 'Multi-objective Design and Evaluation of LEZs', 'Urbanity 2030: From LEZs to the Multidimensional Analysis of Present and Future Urban Risks', 'Impacts of LEZ Implementation in Madrid: Evidence in the Social and Environmental Fields', 'More Human Mobility, More Sustainable Cities: Projects and Results of the UCAM Chair', and 'The LEZ of Valladolid: First Months of Operation'.

In the final part of the day, the Mayor of Benidorm, Toni Pérez, defended the implementation of measures that promote sustainable mobility, and specified that the challenge lies in "substantiating" and "knowing how to convey to citizens the message" that these actions are "beneficial" because they "contribute to improving the quality of the air we breathe," "reducing noise pollution," and "reclaiming the streets for pedestrians."

He also asked the municipal technicians from the various cities present to "continue their efforts to convince politicians and managers" that measures and regulations such as the LEZ "are good for citizens" and, at the same time, to be patient with their implementation.

Following the mayor's intervention, the so-called LEZ15 Working Group took place with several presentations: "Conclusions of the LEZ15 Working Group," "Analysis of urban freight distribution in Benidorm," "LEZ in the city of Alcoy," and "DS4MOBMODELS. Regional pilot in the Valencian Community following the LEZ."