Several initiatives have been successfully introduced in Pontevedra over the last 15 years to create a city centre free from the negative impact of cars. We examine a few of the most significant.
In order to improve pedestrian security, speed limits of 20km/h and 30 km/h have been instituted in the city centre, and a number of speed bumps have been installed to enforce these limits. According to Cesar Mosqueira Lourenzo, Pontevedra’s mobility advisor, “When a car is travelling at 50 km/h, there is a 50 % chance of mortality in case of an accident. However, at a speed of 30km/h, the risk decreases to 5 %.” Thanks to this policy, the number of accidents requiring police intervention dropped from 1,203 to 484 between 2000 and 2013.
The city council has likewise turned its attention to parking issues. Now, vehicles can only park at surface level in the city centre for 15 minutes (and up to 30 minutes to unload goods and materials), though that short stay is free. Instead, drivers are encouraged to use the free parking spaces located around ten minutes from the centre by foot or pay to park their vehicles in underground car parks. Anyone caught flouting these rules can expect a fine of up to 200 Euros.
In addition to an overhaul of street lighting to improve pedestrian visibility, and building work to render pavements more pedestrian-friendly, much effort has gone in to providing pedestrians with more public space. Indeed, as much as 50 % of street space previously dedicated to cars has been given back to pedestrians. According to the city council, “On some streets 12 metres wide, 4.5 metres on each side are now dedicated to pedestrians and bikes, with cars occupying the rest. Usually, three quarters of the street is dedicated to cars.”
Another initiative, introduced four years, encourages children to go to school by foot, and, if possible, alone, with the aim of discouraging car trips and giving children greater autonomy(1). To do so, several measures have been implemented, such as the provision of personalised walk routes to parents, an effort to make routes safe with the help of volunteers and shopkeepers, and lessons on road safety in schools. “1,942 children are taking part in this programme,” said Cesar Mosqueira Lourenzo, Pontevedra’s mobility advisor. “Of those, 66 % walk to school either alone or with their parents.”
(1) According to the city council, the transformation of Pontevedra was inspired by ‘City of Children’, a book written by educational psychologist Fransceco Tonucci “with the goal of promoting a healthier, happier childhood”.