Sustainable mobility
We are constantly on the move. To go to school or work, the theatre or the cinema, the park or to meet up with friends. And the way we get about determines the quality of present-day and future life in the city.
Because opting to walk, travel on public transport or cycle is a decision that not only benefits our health, economy and comfort but also prevents us from producing and breathing in noxious pollutant motor-vehicle emissions.
For a city to live in, with a quality public space that offers places for strolling along and meeting up with the people we love, Barcelona is pressing ahead with sustainable mobility that is environmentally friendly and healthy for people. The city is promoting alternative energies, promoting the use of healthy modes of transport such as cycling and walking, improving public transport systems and opting for electric mobility as a unique “motorised” mode of transport for improving Barcelona's environmental quality to everyone’s benefit.
Sustainable mobility in Barcelona
Whenever you walk, cycle or travel by public transport to get around, you are contributing to cleaner, healthier air for you and for everyone. But you also improve your own health, as you keep your body active and fit.
And don’t forget that by getting around using non-motorised, more sustainable means of transport, you are helping to free up the public space for the benefit of the citizens. Because cities belong to its citizens.
Only use motorised vehicles when it's absolutely necessary. If you need to use a motorised vehicle, try to use the least polluting type possible or opt to share journeys with other users of cleaner vehicles. The way you get round affects everybody's health.
Vehicles with fumes? No, thanks. In recent years, for getting around the city, we’ve left behind the more polluting combustion engine vehicles and consolidated new channels and much cleaner energies. If walking, cycling and public transport are the mobility habits of the majority of people today, electric mobility and cleaner energy forms have become increasingly more frequent among users of motorised vehicles - taxies, commercial vehicles, municipal fleets, etc. Good news for our lungs. Because everything counts.
The city has a network of electric vehicle charging points and is developing a strategy for electric mobility, which is being planned to evolve and adapt to social and economic changes, as well as the changes in the energy market. Because the use of electric energy in mobility contributes to sustainability and respect for the environment, and also helps our progress towards a healthy city.
Did you know that Barcelona has 11,314,797 m2 of roads for vehicles and 9,850,081 m2 of pavements for pedestrians? All in all, the city has 4,034 streets that add up to a total length of 1,376.43 km. Between 2012 and 2016, the city increased its surface area of zones and streets giving priority to pedestrians by 42%, going from 75.3 ha to 107.4 ha in benefit of the people. Spaces for healthy coexistence and for all stages in life.
And with the last Integral Rehabilitation Plan (2015-2018), 7,450 m2 of green space was gained with 883 new trees in the streets and squares; 212 new parking spaces for bicycles were installed and 65,513 m2 of single-platform streets were built. At the same time, there was a reduction of 57,000 m2 of segregated roads or those used exclusively for private transport.
You can access these and other useful data on the City of Barcelona Statistics Year Book for 2018.
You might be interested in…
of CO2 is what a motor vehicle emits during its useful life.
Source: Barcelona City Council - 2013-2018 Barcelona Urban Mobility Plan