The heart of Santa Cruz is gearing up to become fully sustainable with the launch of the initial personal mobility network. This will involve adjustments and enhancements to the city streets, focusing on promoting the movement of bicycles and electric scooters.
The plan encompasses a total length of 18.77 kilometres (comprising 16.05 km of cycle streets, a 2.17 km bicycle lane, and a 0.550 km bicycle sidewalk). The affected areas will include the vicinity of Méndez Núñez Street, The pillar, Villalba Hervás, the extension of Ramón y Cajal, Bravo Murillo towards the Interchange, the Market zone and lower part of San Sebastián Avenue, Anaga Avenue, and the Tres de Mayo roundabout.
The City Council’s Governing Board recently greenlit the tender for the project, with a budget of nearly €1.7 million, predominantly funded by Next Generation European resources. The construction is slated to commence in September, with an estimated completion period of six months.
Over 60 streets to be adapted for bike and scooter-friendly use
The mayor, José Manuel Bermúdez, stated that “through this investment, Santa Cruz aligns with cities like Seville, Barcelona, and Madrid, where the demand for bicycles or scooters is on the rise.”
Bermúdez highlighted that “since 2019, the daily and weekly usage of scooters and bicycles in Spain has surged by 45%. Therefore, there is a growing potential demand to which Tenerife’s capital is responding, contributing towards a more sustainable city, reduced harmful gas emissions, and ultimately, a healthier city, leading to an improved quality of life for its residents.”
Meanwhile, the Councilor for Public Services, Carlos Tarife, noted that “the personal mobility network will cover the city centre and for the first time, endorse the eco-friendly usage of bicycles or scooters on approximately 60 streets. These roads will serve as cohabitation zones where personal mobility vehicles (VMP) will share space with cars, and others where they can circulate independently, ensuring maximum safety and accessibility.”
Furthermore, he emphasised that “the initiative will incorporate, in addition to pavement reconstruction, parking facilities, charging stations, and lockers to enable VMP users to store helmets or personal belongings during their journeys.”
