Santa Cruz is getting ready to partake in the European Mobility Week, scheduled from the 16th to the 22nd of September, with the final day marked as Car-Free Day. The city’s council, in collaboration with the Mobility department, the Santa Cruz Sustainable Foundation, and the Sports Service, has organised a variety of events themed around Shared Public Space to honour this occasion. Among the planned activities, a skating rink and a pump track (a small circuit for cyclists or skateboarders) will be installed along Anaga Avenue, alongside workshops and tours aimed at children and the wider public to encourage sustainable urban mobility.
The councillor overseeing this initiative, Evelyn Alonso, states, “The commitment of our capital to Mobility and the observance of this European week seeks to foster behavioural change towards active mobility, public transport, and other eco-friendly and smart transport alternatives, which is why we are reinforcing our dedication to highlighting the advantages of opting for sustainable transport methods.”
Throughout this week, various events will be organised to promote public transportation and reclaim spaces for pedestrians and cyclists through engaging, appealing, and safe activities for residents, with an emphasis on raising awareness, as noted by the councillor.
Among the aims set for this European Mobility Week in Santa Cruz are informative workshops designed to encourage a more balanced use of private vehicles in favour of public transport, personal electric mobility devices, and bicycles. There will also be an initiative to urge citizens to utilise public space, setting aside the use of private cars for a single day (Car-Free Day) to heighten awareness of the significance of fostering a more liveable and healthier city, minimising pollution and noise, and advocating ecological consciousness.
The programme will commence on the 16th, running from 10:00 to 11:30, with a visit to the traffic control room at the Town Hall, limited to 15 participants, necessitating prior registration at [email protected]. On the 17th and 18th, Open House events for the Tenerife Metropolitan Railway and Titsa are scheduled, again with limited capacity requiring registration at the same email address. The 19th and 20th will feature a technical conference on New Technologies in Urban Mobility at the Mencey Hotel, while the 21st will see the Route of Singular Trees take place.
Workshops for Learning Bicycle, Scooter, and Skating Skills
In conjunction with the European Mobility Week activities, the City Council will host several events concentrating on personal mobility vehicles. Specifically, on the 21st and 22nd of September, the BiciEscuela will occur, offering workshops to learn how to ride a bicycle, with registration and further information available via Tenerife Por la Bici.
On the 22nd, coinciding with Car-Free Day, five areas featuring various activities will be demarcated on Anaga Avenue. The most prominent among these is the skating rink, a mobile track reminiscent of an athletic rope, allowing participants to skate to musical accompaniment, alongside a pump track, featuring slopes for bicycles, scooters, and inline skates, where demonstrations will take place, and skills can be developed.
Another section will focus on bicycles, providing workshops for learning to ride and gymkhanas. Lastly, an additional space will be dedicated to electric scooters.
