The Carmen neighborhood in Murcia will undergo a profound transformation in the coming months. In recent weeks, the mobility plan of the Murcia City Council has sparked controversy among some residents and merchants due to the changes that the plan will introduce. Part of these groups have demonstrated against and have organized a series of protests cutting the Old Bridge. These are the answers to the main questions raised about the project.
Is the Carmen neighborhood of Murcia closed to traffic?
The mobility project of Carmen de Murcia will not close the entrance to the neighborhood of any type of vehicle, whether or not they are electric or do not reside in the area. The circulation of any type of tourism will not be prohibited.
Will private cars be able to pass through the neighborhood?
The vehicles will be able to circulate throughout the neighborhood, through the lanes enabled for it. Yes, the Old Bridge and the Alameda de Colón, one of the sides of the Floridablanca garden, will be closed to private traffic. The two roads will be used exclusively for public transport, bicycles, scooters and pedestrians. The park can be crossed through Proclamation Street (parallel to Alameda de Colón) in the same direction as is allowed now.
Will it be possible to cross the Old Bridge?
Private cars, therefore, will not be able to circulate on the Old Bridge. Traffic will be limited to public transport, bicycles, scooters and pedestrians.
Where will you be able to enter the neighborhood?
You can enter with a private car from Barriomar, the A-30 motorway, the Miguel Caballero footbridge and from El Infante and Ronda Sur.
The main novelty, in addition to the closure of the Old Bridge, will be on the Miguel Caballero footbridge, which crosses the river at the height of the Francisco Cascales Institute, next to the Ministry of Finance. This bridge will change its direction and will remain only as the entrance for private traffic from the city center.
From El Rollo, the entrance will not be through Floridablanca avenue (which becomes one-way and with one lane) but through the train station. Up to that point, the Plaza de la Industria, can also be reached from El Infante via Calle Pintor Flores, which will only have one direction in this direction for private traffic. It will also have only one direction Marqués de Corvera in the direction of the Floridablanca garden.
Where will you be able to go out into the neighborhood?
Departures to the city center should be made via Floridablanca avenue to El Rollo towards the A-30 motorway, via the bridge in front of the Reina Sofía hospital or via the La Fica bridge.
Calle Pintor Pedro Flores, which connects with Infante and Ronda Sur, cannot be used as an exit as it only has one lane for private vehicles.
When was the project published?
One of the main complaints from neighbors and merchants is the lack of information. After the controversy broke out, the Murcia City Council advanced the campaign it had planned and summoned the six southern neighborhood associations on Monday to explain the project and answer questions.
The first news about the mobility plan was known in February, when the Murcia City Council announced the construction of a transport node in the Floridablanca garden. Many attendees at the Old Bridge rallies have complained that they had been summoned for a meeting on August 22. The Consistory responded that they had already held a meeting on May 4 to detail the plan and answer questions.
Starting next week, an information tent will be set up in the Floridablanca garden where municipal technicians will answer questions about the mobility plan on Mondays and Wednesdays from 5 to 7 p.m. The City Council also assures that a ‘door to door’ campaign will be deployed to visit businesses and homes and Mayor Serrano promised to meet this week with the merchants.
The complete project can be consulted
in this direction and all the updates of the contracting, bidding and awarding of the works can also be visited at
this website.
What is the intermodal node that is going to be established in Floridablanca?
The execution of an intermodal node implies the reduction of private traffic to a single lane and the creation of exclusive lanes for buses and bicycles. In addition, it also includes parking for scooters and bicycles, as well as recharging spaces for electric vehicles, and connects them with taxi and bus stops.
The node, which will affect an area of 20,000 square meters, will cover Juan Antonio Hernández del Águila, Proclamación, Sacerdotes Hermanos Cerón and Alameda de Colón streets. The plan will give priority to public transport and will create 4 Bus-BTR stops, 20 bicycle parking lots and 20 for scooters with recharging points, 6 taxi stops, 7 ORA blue zone car parks, 9 resident car parks, 33 motorcycle stops and four parking lots for electric vehicles.
How many vacancies for residents and blue zones are created?
The Murcia City Council project includes a rearrangement of parking throughout the neighborhood. There will be 331 new places for residents (836 in total) and 239 more in the blue zone (they will increase to 774). Those for loading and unloading will rise from 100 to 130. Seats will not be created, but the current white zone ones will be absorbed. The Consistory has not specified the total number of car parks that will be eliminated.
Where do the deterrents go?
The dissuasive ones are another of the great claims of neighbors and merchants, who complain that the City Council has not yet fulfilled its promises of new car parks. At Monday’s meeting, it was “a taboo subject,” according to attendees. “They have not wanted to specify, although they have said that there will be one, for example, near La Fica,” said Ángel Lana, president of the San Pío X association.
The organizers of the protests in recent days demand a deterrent in Floridablanca because they maintain that the area needs them inside “and not in other nearby neighborhoods.” So far, near the Carmen neighborhood there are only paid car parks in La Glorieta and in the Artillery Barracks. The parking areas of the Malecón and the Chimenea are also used illegally.
It has been confirmed that the customers of the shops will be able to park at the Artillery Barracks for a maximum of 0.50 euros per hour in a maximum of two.
What news will there be in public transport in the area?
Murcia City Council ensures that direct connections will be established with the neighborhoods and the 48 districts, and that the number of bus shipments will increase by almost 15%, although it has not specified the development of this service.
How much will bus and bike lanes be widened?
One of the project’s objectives is to promote the use of public transport and sustainable mobility. To do this, 3,690 meters of new bus lanes and 4,026 meters of new bike lanes will be built in the neighbourhood. These spaces will cross the entire neighborhood, from the bridges, through Floridablanca, to Almería Avenue and the train station.
What streets will the bus and bike lanes pass through?
The new bus and bike lanes to be built in the Carmen neighborhood of Murcia will pass through the following routes:
Old Bridge
Canalejas Avenue
Camachos Square
Juan Antonio Hernandez del Aguila Street
Miguel Caballero Bridge
Gonzalez Conde Square
Florida White Street
Engineer Juan de la Cierva Square
Almeria City Avenue
Juan Antonio Perea Avenue
Industry Square
Industry Street
Marquis of Corvera Walk
Street Painter Pedro Flores
Alameda de Colon
–
On these roads, only space for bike lanes will be built:
Romo Tower Street
mozart street
Priests Street Cerón Brothers
princess street
Infante Juan Manuel Avenue
Capuchin Street
Murcia City Council continues to insist that it is working to extend the Murcia tram line to the Carmen intermodal station. For now, he is negotiating with the Ministry to obtain the necessary funds, which are not yet available.
The extension of this means of transport to the south and to El Palmar has been a recurring debate since it arrived in the city more than a decade ago, but since then no step forward has been taken nor is there any firm project to build new lines.
Are any roads pedestrianized?
Although no road is completely pedestrianized, more space is given to pedestrians, especially between the Old Bridge and the Alameda de Colón. In total, the Murcia City Council ensures that the area for pedestrians will be increased in these areas: Canalejas Avenue, Alameda de Colón and Princesa, Industria, Juan Antonio Hernández del Águila and Floridablanca streets.
– Canalejas Avenue: +84.5%
– Alameda de Colon: +56%
– Princess Street: +21%
– Industry Street: +20%
– Juan Antonio Aguila Street: +14%
– Floridablanca Street: +13.6%
When do the works start and how long do they last?
🚧 This will be the schedule of the works of the new bus / bike lanes in the city.
📆 Works will begin in November 2022 in the city. pic.twitter.com/CVY91wWsgf
Sustainable Mobility Murcia (@MovilidadMurcia) October 4, 2022
The works to deploy the bus and bike lanes will begin at the beginning of November and will last until June of next year. Therefore, they will last about eight months. The works will begin on Floridablanca avenue and the last to finish will be the streets further south, around the station and Ciudad de Almería avenue.
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