That Barcelona becomes overcrowded at Christmas is nothing new. Year after year, Passeig de Gràcia is full of walkers on weekends (now, with the success of the lights, even more) and in general the whole center of Barcelona is full of neighbors and visitors looking to find their ideal gift or visit one of the markets and nativity scenes around the city.
Obviously, the traffic does not help to clear the busiest areas. If in Madrid for years the center has been pedestrianized and cut for the holidays, now an organization is demanding something similar for Barcelona: to restrict traffic during the Christmas holidays.
This has been requested by Eixample Respira, an entity that has asked the Barcelona City Council to implement traffic restrictions in the busiest areas of the city center during the Christmas holidays.
Which streets would be cut off?
The proposal includes turning areas such as Passeig de Gràcia, Rambla Catalunya, Plaça Catalunya, the sides of Gran Via and the main shopping areas of the neighborhoods into pedestrian-only areas during evenings, weekends and holidays.
According to the organization, these measures would allow the people of Barcelona to better enjoy the festivities in a safe environment free of traffic jams and pollution. In addition, they claim that the congestion and noise generated by the increase in Christmas traffic affects both neighbors and visitors, complicating mobility and the enjoyment of the activities and shopping typical of these dates.
The problem of Passeig de Gracia and its Christmas lights
Eixample Respira has also pointed out a recurring problem: Christmas lights, especially those on Passeig de Gràcia. In their opinion, many of these installations are designed to be appreciated from motorized vehicles, which causes dangerous situations when pedestrians occupy the roadway to admire them or take pictures. “This generates unnecessary conflicts and puts the safety of passers-by at risk,” they warn.
The entity recalls that initiatives such as the Sant Jordi without smoke or the Obrim Carrers program, applied in axes such as Sants-Creu Coberta or Gran de Gràcia, have demonstrated the effectiveness of restricting traffic during multitudinous events.
In addition, they consider that extending these restrictions to the main commercial axes during Christmas would help to decentralize Christmas activities and promote local commerce, favoring both neighbors and small traders.
Who is Eixample Respira?
They define themselves as “a non-partisan neighborhood platform of the Eixample district of Barcelona that shares a great concern about the poor quality of the air we breathe daily, the noise levels and the high occupation of public space by private vehicles”.
Traffic control during Christmas
For its part, the Barcelona City Council has activated Operation Christmas, a plan that will be in force until January 7 with the aim of ensuring optimal levels of safety and coexistence. This plan includes the reinforcement of the presence of the Guardia Urbana, which will collaborate with the Mossos d’Esquadra, as well as the extension of public transport frequencies and an increase in the cleaning of the busiest public spaces from December 6 onwards.