If Humboldt were to come back to life and approach the viewpoint that bears his name in the town of La Orotava, he would probably be risking his life. I lived very close to there for almost 26 years, in the Las Cuevas housing development. A privileged place for the magnificent view that I could enjoy from my house. I still remember and long for the sunsets that tinged the blue sky orange from that unique balcony in the Valley of La Orotava. Some years have passed since that time, but there are situations that, despite the time elapsed, seem to be practically in the same point where I left them when I lived there.
A few days ago, I was sent some videos of illegal races that have been taking place on that entrance road to the municipality for several months now. The passion of some for risking their lives at full throttle in a reckless and premeditated manner, endangering the integrity of anyone who crosses their path, is astonishing. I am told that these races are organized through social networks and take place on any day of the week and at any time. The ongoing complaints posted on the profiles of the Humboldt Residents’ Platform and the echo that these events are having in the media have prompted the local and island authorities to take action so that the Guardia Civil also intervenes. Traffic controls are already visible, which will probably have an effect, but only in the short term and on a sporadic basis.
The concrete jungle / Humboldt Residents’ Platform
According to Lucas García, one of the promoters of this platform, “the issue of the races is just the tip of the iceberg of a serious road safety problem that we residents have been suffering for many years.” Lucas tells me that these races arose after the road resurfacing works carried out by the Cabildo in the previous term, which left “a circuit” in perfect condition for this use. But beyond resurfacing the potholes and covering the gaps in one of the main entrances to the municipality, perhaps the most beautiful one, what this road really needs is a comprehensive refurbishment that has been demanded for far too many years.
Mario’s Odyssey
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Trying to access the historic center of La Orotava from Las Cuevas, through the Quiquirá area and the Araucarias avenue, is a very risky mission. There are no sidewalks or adapted areas for walking in many sections. And even worse for people with disabilities. Mario suffers from a degenerative disease but does not want to depend on anyone to go to the pharmacy, just 420 meters from his house. Getting there is a whole adventure that starts as soon as the wheels of his wheelchair touch the street. He moves parallel to the vehicles that circulate at quite a speed in that area and finally reaches his destination. The journey back is even more complicated as he does not dare to return by the same route with the vehicles this time moving in the opposite direction. He then decides to cross at a pedestrian crossing without any speed reduction measures and when he reaches the other side, he encounters a step on a sidewalk without accessibility. And back home.
When I lived there, there was complete reliance on private vehicles or public transport to reach the historic center. Furthermore, I always considered that for the La Orotava City Council, the town ended at La Charca. Years have passed and I realize that the situation is practically the same. Those of us who grew up there could never walk there. It was a recommendation from our parents, which became a prohibition when a girl died after falling into La Charca when she climbed a wall to allow a bus to pass. I believe that this tragic event occurred in the early nineties and unfortunately, it has not been the only one. Years have passed and apart from minor actions, there has not been a comprehensive intervention to provide this area with a safe avenue for both vehicles and pedestrians, as exists in any other place.
We cannot advocate for the promotion of healthy lifestyles, such as the gesture of leaving the car in the garage when the minimum conditions to make it possible are not offered, as in this case. While the majority of the inhabitants of this area were formerly foreigners seeking a quiet retirement in the Valley, today Las Cuevas is an important residential area where many families live, with members who work in the city center or children who attend schools in the municipality.
For the platform, the administration’s response is somewhat contradictory. “We cannot become the children of discordant parents,” Lucas tells us, referring to the competence responsibility that the different administrations, in this case, the Cabildo and the City Council, have in improving this road. “As it is an island road, it is the responsibility of the Cabildo, but when it covers the urban network, it is the responsibility of the City Council. In between is the citizen who lives with the problem without seeing the solution.”
The concrete jungle / Humboldt Residents’ Platform
And we have a clear example. “The resurfacing work carried out by the Cabildo two years ago included the removal of garden trees with no environmental protection, to widen the passage for people, but the island spokeswoman for Sí Podemos has mentioned the minimal environmental and landscape criteria during the process.
Canarias During that period, Maria José Belda came here almost to halt the work by formalizing a complaint requesting the imposition of precautionary measures not to touch a single tree. Finally, the court dismissed the complaint, but the initial project was never resumed. Furthermore, they decided to put up a fence around each tree, making it even more difficult to pass through. Of course, the environment and biodiversity must be respected, but it shouldn’t go to such extremes where the safety of people is put at risk.
The Platform now sees another threat in the form of an institutional motion, approved in January 2023 by all parties forming the City Council, requesting the Cabildo to conduct a study on the possibility of converting the road into a single lane and a bike lane. For the Platform, “when making these kinds of decisions, there should be at least a process of citizen participation so that those truly affected could give their opinion on its convenience, as it would greatly complicate the traffic at this entrance to La Orotava.”
Another resident, Eva Marichal, emphasizes the need for “urgent action before another tragedy occurs.” Beyond undertaking a major project that is certainly necessary, urgent deterrent measures are needed to limit the speed because we cannot continue to wait. Eva also points out that “it is a very busy road not only for the residents of the area.” “A lot of people pass through here daily from this and other neighboring municipalities. It is the most beautiful entrance to La Orotava and there isn’t even a sign announcing the entrance to the municipality,” details Eva Marichal.
Reassuring Message
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Narciso Pérez, the councilor for security at the La Orotava City Council, amid the uproar that this issue has caused in the media and social networks, has made statements in which he sends a reassuring message as they work with the Cabildo on short, medium, and long-term measures to provide a solution to this problem. On the one hand, he announces the installation of deterrent elements for vehicles to reduce speed, while in the long term, they are working on an ambitious project to plan a pedestrian route that provides road safety with minimal environmental impact. We will be attentive. We leave the situation of the Humboldt viewpoint for another day.
“A pedestrian will die here. Sidewalks now!”. This sign placed at the entrance to La Orotava by Las Cuevas is the way the residents have chosen to demand urgent measures to improve safety in this area, where the lack of sidewalks and pedestrian areas makes it a great danger. This is compounded by the illegal races organized at this point.
