At the gates of the municipal electionshe RACC has presented this Wednesday a survey on the perception of mobility in Barcelona. The mobility and its cousin, urbanism will be precisely one of the star campaign issues, so go ahead that coincidences do not exist. He survey of 2,000 people yields certainly negative data on the citizen displacements in the Catalan capital. Things are worse than before, there is more insecurity and there is no sign that the situation will abate in the future. A couple of examples: 80% of those interviewed believe that the traffic congestion It has worsened in the last four years and 65% believe that the situation will not get better from now on.
The survey involved 600 people who they were on foot300 that they were riding a bike200 uploads to a scooter400 drivers y 500 motorists; 2,000 in all, and while I’m sure these 2,000 often use the public transportationthe RACC has not gone down to the subway nor has it gotten on a bus to capture the opinions of the regulars of the collective displacement. In addition, 900 of the participants (45%) are users of a private vehicle when it is an alternative that generates just over 20% of the movements. 61% are under 40 years old, 76% Do they have some kind of driver’s license? and 21% enjoy telecommuting in different degrees. After the presentations, let’s go with the results; Let’s go with the perceptions.
Let’s start with the reliability. Los individual means of transport (car, motorbike and bike) are the ones that generate the most confidence, at a great distance from that generated by the bus, the metro, the tram or the train. The difference is absolutely sidereal, from the car with 93% very or quite confident up to 24% who farm the bus. These data are surprising if one takes into account that last month was the March with the most metro validations in all history, and with the bus very close to reaching the peaks achieved before the pandemic. And so little support is striking when other public surveys carried out on users give notable marks, for example, to the tram, and almost noticeable to the underground. Rodalies, it is true, always stays in the tail, but always above the approved and caressing the six.
more double row
Regarding parking, those surveyed provided what was expected if one takes into account that the city has tended to eliminate car spaces on the road to give them to motorcycles, to paint bike or bus lanes, to place terraces, containers, Bicing stations… 64% of those surveyed think that it is now harder to park than four years ago. If broken down by used vehicle, cyclists say the opposite, with 63% stating that there are more anchorages than before. Motorists, on the other hand, escalate to 83% discontent. They are also the majority -53%- those who now perceive more double row cars than before. The municipal strategy for the urban distribution of merchandise, which is in full development, will play an important role there. There is also agreement (71%; 88%, in the case of pedestrians) that the terraces have invaded the sidewalks.
Refering to congestion80% of those consulted believe that traffic flow has not improved in the interior of the city, by 61% who think the same regarding the rounds. If you are wondering about the future, in the city there are 65% who they sense that we will not get better, for 58% who do not see it clearly in the ring road that surrounds Barcelona. The RACC has also inquired about the radars installed within the urban area, especially in urban environments, in which it is necessary to reduce to 30 km/h, even if one is on Aragó street. They all approve of the measure, but to varying degrees. More in favor pedestrians and cyclistsmuch less, but always within the approved, the motorists and car users.
walking, a danger
Finally, the ‘mobility club’ has asked those interviewed about security, with somewhat disturbing results. 72% of users consider that it is now less secure walk on the sidewalks that four years ago, 68% thought the same but applied to night time and 65% had the same opinion regarding public transport at night.
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If you have come this far, it is likely that you agree that the drawing provided by the RACC survey on mobility in Barcelona borders on the apocalypse. It also raises many questions. Because people perceive more congestion if according to the city council there are 7.6% fewer cars than before the pandemic? That’s where politics comes in. And that is where he has put his trick president of the automobile club, Josep Mateu, when assessing the results of their survey. “We are not doing something right, we should rethink the current mobility strategy”, has regretted His recipe involves prioritizing actions in the metropolitan environment to facilitate access to the big city by public transport. And once that is resolved, get deep with the transformation of the city. She hasn’t said it, but she intuits the criticism of the government of Ada Colaua consistory that has put itself with the second without waiting for the first, which falls on the State and the Government.
The fact that there is more congestion does not imply that there are more cars. In fact, according to municipal figures, there is 4% less traffic than before the pandemic. But that’s not the problem, according to the RACC. What happens is that So much urban reform has guillotined the space destined for the automobile and the motorcycle, so that almost the same number of vehicles have to share a much smaller space (green axes, pacifications, superblocks, elimination of lanes…). Ergo: more congestion. Mateu has summarized it as follows: “We agree on the what, but not the how“. That is, yes to humanize the cityBut first, according to their way of seeing, many other needs must be attended to.
