Sustainable Mobility, Health, and Time

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Health, Sustainability

Sustainable Mobility, Health, and Time

Improving metropolitan bike and bus networks for better health and more time.

Barcelona Metropolitan Area

Spain

Local policy

POLICY OBJECTIVE

With the High-Performance Bus network:

Improve the effectiveness of the bus network, and the commercial speed and frequency of metro bus services.
Improve reliability and trip time for public transport users.

With the Bicivia Network:

Improve metropolitan connections for bike users with safe and dedicated lanes.
Promote healthy modes of transport.
Reduce trip times for cyclists, particularly commuters.

CONTEXT

Public transport trips in the Barcelona metropolitan area take twice as long as travel by car. The commercial speed of bus services has held constant or decreased in recent years.

Ten years ago, the possibilities of cycling between cities in the Barcelona metropolitan area were next to nil, despite a real potential for this active mode of transport (more than 80% of metropolitan trips are under 10 km).

POLICY DESCRIPTION

The Metropolitan Area of Barcelona (AMB) is working to develop the Metropolitan High-Performance Bus Network and the Bicivia Network.

The first includes two types of services: 7 lines of high-frequency and commercial-speed AMB Exprés (direct on high-demand routes), and 11 lines of AMB Metrobus, with greater capacity and frequency and connections to other transfer stations. It also includes actions like a programme for traffic lights prioritisation, double bus stops and back-entrance capability in buses.

The Bicivia network includes more than 530 km of dedicated lanes and urban space for bikes, with nine main axes connecting all the cities in the Barcelona metropolis.

With specific design criteria, aspects like safety, lighting and signalling are being developed with cities. In the last ten years it has helped increase cycling by more than 60%, with clear health benefits for users of this sustainable vehicle, and reduced time spent travelling.

KEY ASPECTS

Collaboration and agreements with all stakeholders and cities.
Substantial sources of financing to execute projects and public works.
Complementary measures to promote use (communication campaigns, social media, blog, etc.)

RESULTS

In daily mobility, bike trips were up 60% in the period 2010-2020. In the last two years, use of the Bicivia network, including with bikes and e-scooters, has increased as much as 49%.

Policy's Website

Maite

Pérez

Head of Sustainable Mobility Planning Department

mperez@amb.cat

Good Practice