The local administration of Santa Cruz de Tenerife (CC-PP) frequently underscores that, similar to the movement opposing the indiscriminate cutting down of trees, community groups like Urban Centro El Perenquén consist of very few members and do not reflect the sentiment of the majority. However, this organisation is not particularly favoured, as last May it achieved a legal victory against the council (which can be appealed) in the Superior Court of Justice of the Canary Islands concerning restrictions on vehicles due to the low emissions area outlined in some sections of the ordinance. This situation mirrors the earlier experience with the Orotava government and the Coordinadora El Rincón (which was the initial complainant in the Las Teresitas case, prior to Ínsula Viable) or with other similar groups.
In Santa Cruz’s instance, the president of El Perenquén, Silvia Irene Barrera, is deeply frustrated by the implications that the planned cycle lane (designated as the Personal Mobility Network) is having on various central thoroughfares in the capital, where construction is starting to extend into critical areas such as Méndez Núñez Avenue (adjacent to the town hall or García Sanabria Park), El Pilar Street, and others in the heart of the capital.
Nevertheless, she believes that the development is not progressing as it ought to, with the elimination of traffic lanes, parking zones, and loading and unloading spaces that are vital to maintain (she perceives the term ‘pamper’ as unrealistic) commerce in the central area, which, according to her concerns, is deteriorating year after year and could deliver a “fatal blow” in certain locations.
Additionally, she suggests that the prioritisation of electric scooters and, predominantly, their use by tourists navigating the city quickly is overshadowing the needs of bicycles, despite the alignment with the lane’s intent. However, she is alarmed and cautions about the repercussions for “elderly residents, many of whom live in these areas, pregnant women, individuals with mobility challenges, or mere pedestrians who do not use bikes or skates; in fact, they are frightened by the incidents occurring, the accidents or the speed at which some travel.”
Her concerns extend further as she believes there could also be issues with rainwater drainage if existing intakes and channels are not preserved, which she suspects may already be the case in Méndez Núñez (where a new layer of surfacing has been applied). Likewise, she does not dismiss the possibility of additional tree removals and the reduction of planters and green areas in the city’s central area.
Silvia navigates through key routes such as Méndez Núñez and El Pilar Street, raising alarm about the “traffic chaos already emerging, which is likely to intensify during peak hours when lanes are lost, leaving many roads with just one.” In her view, rather than supporting the diminishing commerce in the area, this will exacerbate daily life and the struggle to thrive against large stores and prevailing trends.
Back in 1994, the notable Urban Plan included a bicycle lane but also the establishment of new parking facilities in this central area, as the association highlights.
Méndez Núñez Street, the inception of the future Personal Mobility Network
This week, the councillor overseeing Public Services, the conservative Carlos Tarife, underscored the “steady progress” of the works for the upcoming Personal Mobility Network. As he informed DIARIO DE AVISOS, “the work commenced on the 13th on Méndez Núñez Street and is currently situated at the level of Santa Cruz City Hall, where the initial tasks involve paving the bus lane, with the bus stop relocated to Weyler Square.”
He also elaborated that this represents “the inaugural action of a project with a budget of 1.7 million euros, financed by the European Next Generation funds, which will encompass a length of 16,050 metres of cycle-street and 2,420 metres of bike lane. The works focus on the segregation of the cycle network, a first phase that will be completed shortly to continue along El Pilar street.
For the El Perenquén association, while the aims of this network may be commendable, the implementation and final design will likely result in far more issues than advantages for the centre of the Tenerife capital.
