This morning, the Mayor of Santa Cruz, José Manuel Bermúdez, alongside Councillor for Mobility, Evelyn Alonso, and General Director of the area, Ofelia Manjón, unveiled the activities scheduled in the capital to commemorate European Mobility Week. This event will run from today until Sunday, the 22nd, culminating in the “Car-Free Day,” which will take place exclusively on Avenida de Anaga. “We aim to promote alternative, more sustainable travel methods within cities,” the mayor explained.
Bermúdez stated, “Under the theme Shared public space, the focus areas of Security, Mobility, and Universal Accessibility, in conjunction with the Santa Cruz Sustainable Foundation and the Sports Service, are dedicated to fostering the celebration of European Mobility Week.” He elaborated that, “various activities will be organised for children and the general public, as well as any stakeholders interested in urban mobility, particularly regarding this Corporation’s Sustainable Urban Mobility strategy.”
“Consequently, during this week, from 16 to 22 September, centred around Car-Free Day on the 22nd, we plan to arrange various activities to encourage public transport usage and reclaim spaces for pedestrians and cyclists,” the Mobility Councillor added. She further mentioned that “Santa Cruz City Council aims to engage with this edition through a series of innovative, appealing, and secure activities for citizens, while also raising awareness and fostering sensitivity to these issues.”
Conference on Technology and Innovation in Urban Mobility
Ofelia Manjón provided details about the objectives and agenda for the Conference on Technology and Innovation in Urban Mobility, scheduled for next Thursday and Friday, 19 and 20 September, at the Iberostar Heritage Grand Mencey hotel in Tenerife. This event is to be organised by the Santa Cruz City Council, with cooperation from the Spanish Road Association. She expressed, “Santa Cruz must stay abreast of new technologies in mobility management, particularly given its status as a provincial capital and its unique circumstances as an island territory.”
Manjón elaborated, “This intricate management situation is underscored by the fact that Santa Cruz has a population of 210,000 and around 170,000 private vehicles, in addition to more than 80,000 cars arriving daily from other municipalities on the Island.” She added, “Moreover, we manage nearly 1,100 kilometres of municipal roads. We possess all the requisite elements to share at these events, making it imperative for cities to engage with a private sector experienced in applying new technologies.”
European Mobility Week Programme
· Tuesday, September 17 (pending confirmation), Open House Day at the Tenerife Metropolitan, featuring a visit to the Taco depots. A limited capacity of 15 participants requires prior registration via email.
· Thursday and Friday, September 19 and 20. Technical Conference on New Technologies in Urban Mobility at the Mencey Hotel.
· Saturday, September 21, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., Route of Singular Trees. Interested individuals must pre-register by filling out the form at the Santa Cruz Sostenible Foundation https://forms.gle/yvjpv9cDStKX7zu67
BiciEscuela (first day), registration and information available through Tenerife Por la Bici: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd7O9QD6k47jQh4kt3BWXxoA2R0BD_kV7Elc0SFHgMN0Kgktw/viewform
· Sunday, September 22.
BiciEscuela (second day), registration and information available through Tenerife Por la Bici.
Car-free day (Anaga avenue)
Five activity zones will be designated to host a variety of content:
Zone 1: Skating rink. An athletics-style track will be set up for skating accompanied by music. A mobile service stage with built-in sound equipment will be provided.
Zone 2: The world on wheels. A skills and learning circuit will feature a pumktrac, which includes slopes, banks, and other skill areas for small bicycles, skates, and scooters.
Zone 3: Bicycle universe. Workshops teaching bike riding, gymkhanas, and other activities linked to bicycles as a sustainable mobility option will take place.
Zone 4 and 5: Electric Scooters. Aimed at educating and raising awareness among citizens regarding the correct and safe use of shared micromobility vehicles, information will be communicated through various channels: via the vehicle, the app, online, and in-person. Each zone will feature two activity areas.
In light of the upcoming “Day without Cars” on Sunday at Anaga Avenue, which will host diverse planned activities, this road will be closed from the Cruceros area to the junction with the end of Las Ramblas until approximately 2:00 p.m.
