Fernando Davara Méndez is the Coordinating Editor of the Sustainable Mobility Plan of Tenerife, whose preliminary phase underwent a public participation process carried out by the Tenerife Island Council, which culminated on the 21st. He is a Civil Engineer with over 25 years of experience in the field of mobility and transport, born in Santa Cruz de Tenerife and residing in La Laguna.
[–>
How long did it take to finalize the plan?
[–>
It has been, and still is, a lengthy process, initially 24 months, which will extend to 36 and includes three processes of public participation and consultation. The promoter, the Island Council, wants to have a solid document for which time and resources have been invested in data analysis. They now have a very precise understanding of mobility and transport utilization on the island. Few territories have this tool at their disposal. The work was tendered and awarded to Tema Ingeniería, which has a multidisciplinary team. Alongside the technical team of the Island Council’s Mobility Service, professionals with experience, knowledge, and a high level of commitment.
What is the current situation and what are the forecasts?
[–>
The diagnosis was tackled on three different but integrable scales, with the division of the island into 14 regions, 31 municipalities, and 216 mobility zones. The evolution of mobility in recent years and population growth paint a challenging scenario. This demographic increase is ongoing, leading to a higher demand for trips in a territorial model with dispersed activities and uses, where over 80% of journeys are made by private vehicles, resulting in higher congestion levels and increasingly longer peak hours. An unsustainable model, impacting travel time losses, travel comfort levels, emissions, and noise. The primary mode of transport always demands more space for road infrastructures in a self-reinforcing spiral, as more vehicles require higher-capacity roads that, in turn, make room for new vehicles. A vicious circle.
Why the focus on sustainability?
[–>
The Island Council wanted a strategic document that analysed travel relationships between different points on the island. This includes the reasons for generating and attracting journeys, origins and destinations, how they are resolved across the territory, in mode (private vehicle, public transport, on foot, etc.) and in itineraries. This is reflected in road congestion levels or public transport usage. Secondly, it proposes a model that organises policies, infrastructures, and services to have an efficient, safe, flexible, and enduring system for the next fifteen years, along with a vision for another ten. Hence, the focus on sustainability. It’s not about demonising the private vehicle but rather promoting the use of the most energy, economically, and environmentally efficient mode. The strategic nature stems from it not being a planning tool in the Land Law. Infrastructure actions will require other steps for legality (territorial plan, island interest, PGO, etc.).
Ideas like the Garachico funicular may seem eccentric from an outsider’s perspective.
[–>
This preliminary document focuses on the diagnosis and proposes an island planning model that provides comprehensive responses to identified issues. At this stage, the effort is on bringing to the table all transportation infrastructures that have ever been considered. However, there are three scales: island-wide, regional, and local. At the island level, a funicular may not have a significant impact, but it could in Garachico, although it may not be part of the core structure.
Are they aware of the level of detail reached?
[–>
Yes, so far, a lot of detail has been sought in the diagnosis and the foundation for alternative analysis and evaluation. I believe the Island Council aimed to provide specific numbers and data for each proposal. The infrastructures, in particular, respond to achieving objectives: reduced travel times, pollution, cost of investment and operation, etc. The next phase will see the model developed in more detail. The analysis is for 2035, comparing alternatives, but always keeping an eye on 2045, to see if the selected planning model remains valid and designing the actions to be taken. A timeline to have a demand perspective and manage it most sustainably with actions and budgets.
The president of the Island Council, Rosa Dávila, and the economic and social agents agree on an excellent outcome.
[–>
The game is not over yet, and I am more interested in the outcome. When the final document is approved, let’s be able to gather consensus and willingness to set it in motion.
Are Park and Ride facilities next to transport hubs the key to encouraging public transport use?
[–>
One more way, but this won’t work without the role of local councils in managing municipal mobility. We need to drive the shift towards public transport not just in the main island routes, where the hubs are planned, but particularly within the city’s internal connections.
Why are there queues every day on TF-1 and TF-5?
[–>
Because demand during rush hour has long exceeded supply. These are not motorways strictly speaking but multi-lane interurban roads with very limited capacity. The tourist area in the south stands out, where TF-1 is the main urban traffic route for the municipalities of Adeje and Arona.
Public or guided transport (trains) – Could a combination be the solution to queues?
[–>
Public transport above all. Alternatives like bus-VAO lanes are rated better, but that doesn’t mean rejecting guided transport. On the contrary, tram systems work very well in all scenarios and trains are very competitive for longer distances and high demand. The island’s population keeps growing and trains are there to transport many people. Managing demand is the solution to queues because infrastructure has a limited impact without accompanying policies that discourage private transport use.
Tenerife: a ratio of 1.3 occupants per vehicle, nearly one car per resident, three million daily trips… Can this outlook change?
[–>
Certainly. It’s a cultural matter, not because we’re different in our inclination to use private vehicles compared to other places, but because they are years ahead in implementing policies to discourage private ownership and promote public transport. This is evident in the modal preference trend: given equal time, frequency, and cost, 80% would choose their car while only 20% would take the bus.
The 44% increase in public transport passengers due to free rides. So, why hasn’t the number of private vehicles in Tenerife decreased?
[–>
It’s very positive that trips have shifted to public transport, which has seen significant growth, but it only represents just over 1% of the total on the island. That gives us an idea of the challenge we face. Journeys continue to rise due to the increasing residents, but in that 44%, there are also new induced trips that weren’t taken before the free rides, along with those that were on foot.
Davara has a passion: swimming. He practices it successfully in the veteran category in which he has won national and international championships. This week he competes in Doha (Qatar). From there he responds to EL DÍA. The headline comments: If all the vehicles on the Island were lined up, the queue would reach Austria: “Well, surely, but the problem is not so much in the availability of the vehicle but in the use made of it.” He emphasizes that “it is not about discouraging ownership, that everyone buys what they want, but rather that many Tenerife residents feel that its use for their recurring trips is not worth it.” He values some data in the document such as that “more than 3.2 million trips occur on the Island per day, of which 200,000 are made by non-residents.” Likewise, he points out that “80% of trips are carried out by private vehicle, only 6% by public transport and 14% are non-motorized trips.” The areas with the most are “the Metropolitan Area, the South and the La Orotava Valley, with 1.5, 0.9 and 0.4 million trips per day.” 75% of them “are internal” and 50% “in less than seven kilometers.” | JDM