After weeks of negotiations, Madrid City Hall and the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility have agreed to delay traffic is cut off on the A-5 until January 15. According to Europa Press, some jobs will be rescheduled to also obtain a greater strengthening of Cercanías. In order not to saturate the Cuatro Vientos station, alternatives with intercity buses are being studied.
This was explained by the delegate of Urban Planning, Environment and Mobility, Borja Carabanteand the Secretary General of Sustainable Mobility, Álvaro Fernández Heredia, after holding a new meeting at the ministry’s headquarters.
“We agreed on the date of January 15 because it is the date from which the Ministry was able to advance the conditions to be able to strengthen, under appropriate conditions, the Cercanías and the Madrid City Council may delay compliance with the deadlines to achieve the completion of these works at the end of the mandate”, announced the delegate to the media.
Europe Press
So next week they will meet with the Regional Transport Consortium and the Community of Madrid to also be able to redefine certain interurban lines which are currently pivoting to Cuatro Vientos, so as not to overload either the metro or Cercanías.
Carabante said the 3.4 kilometers covered by the underground works will suffer this loss of traffic capacity in the lanes, leaving two in each direction, and which will take place from this January 15.
“We have not stopped the work, which I think is important to point out, but rather we have rescheduled the work that we had planned to do later, and that we could do within 2 to 3 weeks, so that the work execution schedule does not change,” he stressed.
Specifically regarding intercity buses, he noted that Not all those planned in Cuatro Vientos will finish according to the initial plan, a subject that they will have to address with the Community of Madrid..
“What we need to see is how many intercity buses we need redistribute across the network and enable service but that it does not so significantly encumber the Cercanías and the Cuatro Vientos Metro”, he emphasized, to which he praised the “good will” of the Consortium and the Regional Government.
EMT and Metro reinforcement is redefined
Concerning the figures for strengthening the Metro and the Municipal Transport Company, he indicated that following this meeting the exact reinforcement numbers are being “redefined” this will be achieved.
To this end, next week they will hold a technical meeting with the operators and different administrations, as well as meetings to inform the rest of the municipalities affected by this work, in order to define the details of the reinforcement, the detour and the locations.
He the final mobility plan will be ready earlier to be able to implement it on January 15as Carabante pointed out, so that there can be a mobility alternative in public transport that makes work easier.
The free R-5, in the air
On the other hand, and regarding the City Hall’s proposal to make the R-5 free during peak hours, which could alleviate these traffic jams, Carabante indicated that They will discuss it at subsequent meetings because the issue today, which was “essential”, was to resolve the problem of public transport.
“The mobility alternative must concern public transport, we have always said it. We believe that Radial 5 can help reduce traffic congestion on the A-5.and that is why we continue to understand that it is important that it is used as an alternative route, but today’s meeting was aimed at closing the public transport mobility plan”, he declared.
From the ministry, Fernández Heredia indicated on this subject that the three administrations agree that the free R-5 “can help” even if “a working group is needed in which we see how to finance” this possible free radio.
Reinforcement by 40% in Cercanías
Concerning Cercanías, one of the services on which the mobility plan is being tested, the Secretary General indicated that work is underway on operational systems that would further strengthen the C-5.
“When we learned how important it was for the municipality that the date be earlier than the one we had proposed during this consultation to find out if there was a possibility of delay, we worked on other operational lines. We we will be able to strengthen everything that is proximity between 25% and 40%. “We are talking about 6 to 10 extraordinary expeditions of double-composition convoys which will provide a very important service.”he pointed out.
The most affected line is the C-5, although he highlighted the possibility that the reinforcement would also reach C-3 and C-4. “Renfe, which is the operator, is working on what the system should be, but in fact we will not only strengthen the C-5 because our studies say that there will be a diversion to other lines and that this will have to be strengthened,” said
Furthermore, and with regard to frequencies, it has been reported that rush hour is currently 6 minutes on the C-5, with the commitment in this mobility plan to reduce it to 4 minutes.
“We have worked on another technical solution which allows us to obtain this reinforcement to lower the frequency in the 4 minutes without having this road (the new one which is under construction). It was important for us because you know that we are carrying out very important work in Atocha because it has a very big impact on the rest of the networks,” explained the Secretary General.
Generally speaking, both underlined the good harmony of this new meeting, after the disagreement that occurred during the previous one.
Carabante emphasized that were able to “respond” to their needs and that the three administrations will do “everything they can to offer an alternative in public transport”while Fernández Heredia highlighted the “cooperation” and thanked the delegate for “his good disposition”.
