Benidorm plans to reach 134 kilometers of cycle lanes by the end of the year

Benidorm City Council intends to reach 134 kilometers of cycle lanes by the end of the year, thus becoming the second city in the Valencian Community in terms of area destined for cycling, only behind Valencia capital. This is clear from the proposed Cycling Plan presented last week at the Mobility Advisory Council, which includes “the actions that we already have underway and those that will foreseeably arrive between now and the end of 2021 to increase the kilometers of roads cyclists in the city and promote sustainable mobility by promoting the use of bicycles ”, as reported by the area councilor, José Ramón González de Zárate.

De Zárate has indicated that "at the moment Benidorm has 91.1 kilometers of bike lanes, cycle paths, cycle paths and pedestrian areas in which the circulation of bicycles is allowed." “With the actions we had scheduled for 2021, the forecast was to reach 111.6 kilometers of cycle lanes; forecast that the proposal presented to the Mobility Advisory Council proposes to expand to 134.7 kilometers, a horizon that is feasible to specify throughout this year, ”he added.

Among the projects that will allow this increase is the development of El Moralet Green Circuit, which "will soon go out to tender and which includes the generation of 12.3 kilometers of bicycle path, which have been drawn up by the Mountain Section (BTT) of Benidorm Cycling Union ”. This section also includes the development of Partial Plan 2.1 Poniente, which is in the process of urbanization and which will involve the opening of new roads; as well as the new access to Salto del Agua and the redevelopment Colombia Avenue, both in progress. In addition, the implementation of cycle paths is planned in projects such as the renovation of Mallorca Street, El Murtal Avenue or the future Discotheques Vial.

The bulk of the remaining kilometers arises from "the reconversion into‘ cycle streets ’of various roads and avenues, mainly in the Centro, La Cala and Rincón de Loix areas." De Zárate has remarked that "this conversion is possible thanks to the strategy of establishing speed limits in the city as a whole that favor and allow the coexistence of the bicycle with the rest of the vehicles".

The councillor of Mobility has indicated that "so far this year we have already carried out some actions, such as the implementation of new pedestrian and bicycle sections in various streets in the vicinity of Tossal de La Cala." Furthermore, "we have meshed the existing bike lane in Levante area by converting various sections of Gerona, Derramador, Filipinas and Esperanto into‘ cycle streets ’."

In this regard, De Zárate has highlighted that “one of the strengths of our cycling network, and this was revealed in the Advisory Council, is precisely its meshing, which allows bicycle users to move practically from one end of the city to the other. the city circulating at all times on roads enabled for this vehicle, already through bike lanes, 'cycle paths', 'cycle streets' or pedestrian paths ”. "Not only are the kilometers important, but that they are connected," he pointed out.

Increase of bike lanes

Benidorm has experienced a significant increase in the area used for bicycles. The biggest boost has occurred in the last five years, as evidenced by the figures set out in the Cycling Plan. Thus, it has gone from the 35.8 kilometers of cycle lanes that existed in Benidorm at the beginning of 2015 to the 91.1 kilometers at the end of the year 2020.