The government of Mayor Jaume Collboni will not order the dismantling of the Via Augusta cycle path. A report commissioned by the City Council concludes that the infrastructure barely requires a few tweaks in order to integrate more harmoniously into its surroundings. We are talking about new traffic light regulations and other actions to make the passage of vehicles more fluid. Furthermore, this lane has already reduced traffic on Via Augusta by a quarter. This was detailed yesterday by the City Council in a press release.
And in this way and a few months late, the little political soap opera that started in the last electoral campaign concludes. Because this bike lane became a banner both for those who defend a more sustainable way of moving around the city that helps stop climate change and for those who understand that administrations must pay more attention to the consequences of the installation of these infrastructures.
Then, with swords raised high, the now mayor and at that time candidate promised that if he won the City Council he would commission a thoughtful study on the convenience of this lane and that he would act accordingly. Thus, in passing, the socialist marked differences with his former government partners. Ada Colau and her people were not amused that the socialists questioned one of his flagship initiatives.
But the ratification of this bike lane does not seem like an attempt to mend the currently battered relations between socialists and commoners. In truth, it seems more like a flirtatious wink from the municipal executive to the ERC councilors. The Republicans are the only members of the opposition who have already expressed their support for the PSC budget proposal. They are also the only ones with at least so far some indication of one day joining the Collboni executive. And on top of that, this Tuesday they presented a request to the Urban Planning Commission for the mayor to rule in favor of maintaining the Via Augusta bike lane. The municipal executive accepted the request and soon the City Council issued a press release to announce that it will maintain the controversial lane, which will only make some small modifications.
Immediately, Junts spokesperson, Jordi Martí Galbis, posted a comment on “This is not the change that Barcelona needs.” And Janet Sanz, the spokesperson for BComú, said that “this rectification shows that we have an erratic, directionless government that risked making a fool of itself by ruining a sustainable policy in the 21st century.”
