Santa Cruz yesterday received confirmation of its access to Next Generation funds through the Low Emissions Zone (ZBE) project with which it intends to limit traffic access to the city center. The Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda published the concession of 9.4 million for the implementation of this project, in which the City Council of Santa Cruz contributes another 5.6 million, until completing the more than 15 that the implementation of this ZBE, which also involves the purchase of 100% electric buses (2.2 million), the remodeling of Imeldo Serís (1.9) and La Rosa (1.7) streets, a personal mobility network (1 ,2) and auxiliary installations for electric buses (696,000 euros).
This project, which on the map coincides with the Area of Great Tourist Influx, involves the implementation of up to 39 points with license plate recognition cameras, the limitation of surface parking to favor its use by residents or the implementation of what is known as blue zone, to favor the rotation of existing car parks.
The mayor, José Manuel Bermúdez, praised this milestone yesterday, pointing out that “the granting of more than nine million for projects related to the future Low Emissions Zone of Santa Cruz de Tenerife is great news for the city. It supposes, in the first place, an endorsement of the projects presented by the capital and the officials of each of the services involved. These initiatives are well constructed and have an obvious justification for the benefit of improving the quality of life of citizens”.
The alderman added that, “on the other hand, they also imply the promotion of a city project, a planning that implies that citizens gain space in front of cars; that the city’s services sector, which is the majority, can generate new business opportunities and continue building jobs, and, in addition, continue promoting the reduction of polluting gas emissions”. Bermúdez defended that the development of this project “will also allow us to recover, for the enjoyment of the residents, and to revalue, one of the main arteries of the city center such as Calle de La Rosa, which will experience a remodeling that the City Council and neighbors have been looking for for a long time”.
For the new head of Public Services, Carlos Tarife, “the approval of this project represents a boost to a transformation of the city and its public services, each day less polluting, more efficient, and closer to the objectives of sustainable development” .
From the Mobility area, Evelyn Alonso, pointed out that “Santa Cruz is experiencing a key moment in terms of the transformation of mobility and its relationship with sustainable policies. This project is a starting point to order said mobility and that it supposes an impulse to continue implementing measures that favor a mobility closer to the needs of the citizenry”.
