Granada closes two of its main arteries to traffic at weekends to reduce pollution and boost mobility

With this objective and to promote healthier mobility habits, the City Council of Granada has announced the temporary pedestrianization of two of its main arteries: the street Catholic Monarchs and Gran Vía de Colónthe latter until its intersection with the street Lower Prisonvery close to the cathedral. This is a pilot experiment that will begin to be applied on weekends from September 22 and will continue at least until the end of the year.

As detailed by the municipality, this is a “key movement to promote urban sustainability” and the date chosen is not random, but is part of the European Mobility Week“We must promote a more accessible and pleasant urban space for pedestrians and encourage pedestrian traffic,” the council stressed.

As of September 22, the closure of these demarcated streets will be extended in a regulated manner on weekends: Saturday from 12:00 to 22:00 and Sunday from 12:00 to 18:00. At the end of the year there will be a “full assessment to analyze its impact on both environmental sustainability and on the city’s commercial activity and mobility,” they said from the town hall.

At the same time, the municipality assures that it will offer alternative accesses for public transport and residents, as well as for emergency vehicles, which This has been done several times already.. For example, during mass demonstrations – which usually take place in the aforementioned streets – or during Holy Week processions.

The mayor, Marifran Carazohas made no secret of the fact that combating pollution is one of the challenges ahead. “The measures to implement the low-emission zone are courageous but insufficient, they must be complemented by a commitment to pedestrianisation,” he said in an interview with ABC in June 2024, a year into his term.