Leiria City Council plans to create 600 free parking spaces by 2025 in the urban area as part of the municipality’s mobility strategy, councilor Luis Lopez told news agency Lusa.
Rotunda D. Dinis, Avenida Papa Francisco, Rua General Norton de Matos (Centro Saúde Gorjão Henriques) are the main new parking spaces that the Municipality of Leiria will create to increase the number of available spaces, with other smaller parking spaces planned.
About 600 spaces will be created, increasing the response from the current 3,694 free parking spaces and 3,653 taxed spaces, the Socialist mayor said.
Since all projects are not yet completed, Luis Lopez explained that there are no final approved budgets yet.
“The activities are expected to be completed and launched in 2024 and 2025, given that they are at different levels of execution and maturity, and in some cases the views of some organizations are still needed,” explained the Mobility portfolio advisor.
Luis López emphasized that the Leiria City Council’s mobility strategy “is not limited to parking alone, and all measures taken must contribute to improving the quality of life of those who live, work, visit and study.”
In this sense, the municipality is working on the mobility that it wants and needs to have, and not on the mobility that is known and corrected, suggested Luis Lopez.
“This requires commitment in the medium to long term, given that it is a change in habits and customs, based on the principles of learning how we understand mobility and daily movement,” he stressed.
Actions continue to improve the supply and frequency of urban, intercity, regional and national public transport, create a new transport coordination center, regulate traffic in the most restricted areas throughout the municipality, create more and better alternatives for smooth movement, improve pedestrian movements. routes, accessibility and inclusion.
Luis Lopez added that there are also educational and awareness-raising activities on climate change and sustainable development, providing more charging stations for electric vehicles, increasing the digitalization of mobility for all users, bicycle trains for schools, improving traffic control systems such as traffic lights , traffic conditioning, pedestrian-friendly and smooth modes.
These measures are part of the mobility strategy that the municipality intends to apply in the urban area and which is in constant coordination with neighboring municipalities through the Intermunicipal Community, as well as with agents and operators.
Asked about the possibility of closing the historic center on weekends and holidays to avoid traffic through the city, Luis Lopez suggested that “this and other measures are being properly studied and worked out, and working meetings have already been held with the security forces.” traders, logistics operators, residents, Polytechnic Institute of Leiria and others.”
The goal is for the decision to be accepted by the majority and understood by the actors in the territory, and to effectively contribute to improving the quality of life of the residents of Leirienses.
At the last executive meeting, PSD councilor Alvaro Madureira asked the municipality about the possible construction of a bunker in the historical center.
For Luis Lopez, it is not a priority project, “considering a strategy of removing vehicles from the historic center and not encouraging more vehicles to enter, move and stay in the area.”
“Furthermore, this type of infrastructure is an extremely large investment given the number of places being created that will be reduced, and is not of interest to private exploration and investment,” he said.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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