65% of the sidewalks in Madrid do not allow maintaining an interpersonal distance of two meters | Madrid

The Government’s recommendations for people who have to continue going out to work despite the state of alarm and also for walks with children under 14 years of age include the one to “keep the physical distance of one and a half to two meters” . It would not be an always acceptable limit in most of the city of Madrid. 65% of the capital’s sidewalks are less than 3.5 meters wide and would not allow maintaining the two-meter interpersonal distance, according to the analysis of the geointelligence technology company, Inspide, which has launched a tool free consultation with the width of the sidewalks in each point of the city from the data of the City Council of the capital.

The idea of ​​the creators of this tool is to show if it is possible to walk them following the recommendations for an interpersonal distance of two meters between citizens. “We are seeing how many they meet and the truth is that not many,” says Juan José Cabrera, CEO of Inspide. Their data reveals that the number of linear meters of sidewalks that do not meet the distance recommendations in the event of crossing (less than 3.5 meters) represents 65.6% of the total city, and “9.8% neither they are not even accessible for a wheelchair ”(less than 1.2 meters).

The width of the sidewalks is represented by colors that go from the yellow of the narrowest to the purple of those that allow to keep more distance, in addition to specifying what they measure. When perching on the sidewalk, three icons appear to know if their width is adequate: the first represents the distance between two adults, the second represents the distance between an adult accompanied by a minor and another adult, and the third represents two adults accompanied by minors. Thus, the tool marks in red the figure that cannot respect the recommended distance at that point.

“We see a lot of yellow, especially in neighborhoods where the rent is lower,” says Cabrera. From your map, you can see entire areas where residents do not have any alternative to go to the supermarket or pharmacy along a sidewalk that ensures they maintain the recommended distance in case of crossing another passer-by, with El Goloso, Ensanche de Vallecas and Valdebernardo leading the list of the neighborhoods with the narrowest streets. “The M-30 is a physical barrier, those on the other side are systematically yellow. We hope that people who can make decisions can rely on objective data and not launch measures just because they are aware, “adds Cabrera.

It is, he adds, “a lever for citizens to make objective decisions about where to go and if they are going to feel comfortable.” For example, he explains, “if you are going to look for a supermarket and you have to queue at the door, it tells you if you are going to do it on a street where you feel comfortable as a user or it is a very narrow sidewalk and you decide to go to another site to make the purchase ”.

After the announcement of future expansions of terraces in Madrid, he assures that it can also serve to know if those extra meters are recommended. “It is as much for the citizen as for the public administration. If they have to make the terraces wider, the communities of neighbors or people in charge of the neighborhood can see it and say ‘hey, you have to widen this sidewalk,’ ”he says.

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