The holding of the 37th edition of the America's Cup yachting competition in Barcelona between August 22nd and October 27th will represent an organizational challenge of the first magnitude in terms of mobility - with the need to enable smooth access to the waterfront for both people who want to see the boat races as well as those who want to use the beach area for its ordinary uses and, especially, for residents of the neighbourhoods involved, that is to say, Barceloneta (in the Ciutat Vella district) and Vila Olímpica and Poblenou (in the Sant Martí district), as well as the workers in these areas and in Port Vell. As well, urban goods distribution (DUM, in their Catalan acronym) has to be guaranteed, and, at the outset, it is planned that no street will be closed to traffic!
With all these objectives in mind, Barcelona City Council has this Monday announced its specific mobility plan for the holding of the America's Cup, and it starts with an initial recommendation: that "sustainable" means should be used to reach the areas where you can follow the competition, especially the Plaça del Mar at Barceloneta and Bogatell beach, the two specific areas that will be readied so that the general public can follow the boat races in spaces equipped with giant screens. What does sustainable mean in this context? It means you go there on foot, by public transport or by bicycle, and conversely it also means there will be restrictions on the use of private vehicles, whether cars or motorcycles.
No racing for La Mercè or the Diada
Thus, the council has prepared a series of measures focused on different aspects: travel on foot; travel by public transport; travel by bicycle and VMPs; travel by private vehicle; access guarantees for residents and workers; and goods distribution. One key point that should be borne in mind at the outset: the race calendar does not, initially, plan to hold any competition on certain designated dates that coincide with the celebration of the America's Cup, that is, the city's largest street festival, La Mercè, from September 20th to 24th, and Catalonia's National Day, the Diada of September 11th. So the boat races will - most likely - take a break for these key periods. Most likely, not 100% certain, because the progress of the competition depends on sea and wind conditions, and for this reason the council has left the race organizers with some margin for switching dates.
The recommended option: travelling on foot
In any case, to ensure that the America's Cup "takes place with maximum guarantees and maximum capacity between the beaches of Sant Sebastià and Bogatell", according to statements by Xavier Paton, city manager for mobility, infrastructure and urban services, the council recommends travel on foot as a priority, and for this reason it has announced the installation of 25 information totems and five large location maps to guide pedestrians, in addition to carrying out route adaptation works such as pedestrian crossings and traffic light adjustments in areas for which high attendance is forecast, especially around the areas enabled for the public to follow the competition on land.
Extra public transport services
However, the most important preparations being made will be related to public transport, with intensification of services on the race days when greatest influx of spectators is expected. For the Metro, the closest stops to the competition area will be Barceloneta, Ciutadella-Vila Olímpica, Bogatell and Llacuna on L4, in addition to Drassanes (L3) and Marina (L1), but the public should also bear in mind that the Rodalies services that go to the Estació de França station, the Ciutadella-Vila Olímpica tram stop and several bus lines can also provide access to the waterfront. In summary, these are the changes planned for mass public transport:
- Greater frequency of Metro L4 on peak days, which will be defined a week in advance once the impact of demand in the previous days has been assessed.
- Reinforcement of bus lines D20, V15, V19, V21, V23, V25, V27, H16 and 47 during the peak hours of the event on peak audience days.
- Reservation of space around Pla de Palau for use as terminals for the lines and/or shuttles coming from more distant "Park and Ride" parking lots.
- Implementation of a new bus lane on Rambla Prim between Plaça Llevant and Carrer Santander. This will be set up after the summer, in September.
- Implementation of a new double bus lane on Carrer de Trelawny, which will be implemented at the beginning of July.
- Enablement of loading and unloading zones for coaches on Passeig Joan de Borbó and the World Trade Centre.
- Generation of additional taxi space around the Hotel Vela
To these measures must be added the entry into service from the beginning of July of the Bus Nàutic - the small harbour ferry that will connect the Drassanes wharf - at the bottom of the Rambla - with the Llevant wharf - on the Barceloneta side of the Port Vell.
Extra Bicing services and safe parking for bikes
With regard to travel by bicycle and personal mobility vehicles (VMP), in particular electric scooters, the mobility plan foresees the entry into service of the Passeig Joan de Borbó cycle path, currently under construction, and recommends also using the bike lanes on Carrer Marina, Paral·lel, Colom and Doctor Aiguader. In addition, there will be a reinforcement of the Bicing public rental bike service with two temporary parking lots to increase the capacity by around 250 spaces, as well as the creation of four safe parking areas for bicycles and personal mobility vehicles at Plaça del Mar, close to the Centre of Biomedical Research, at the Port Olímpic and on Bogatell beach.
No blue zone and "Park and Ride" car parks
As for travel by private vehicles, the main messages are about avoiding it. The city council informs that Blue Zone street car parking in Barceloneta will be out of use during the holding of the America's Cup and its space will be converted into space for parking motorbikes or for goods loading and unloading (DUM). As an alternative for those who want to come by car, two large Park and Ride car parks will be offered, one in the Fira de l'Hospitalet area - for those approaching Barcelona city from the south or west - with 1,258 spaces; and another at the north-eastern end of the Barcelona coast, at the Parc del Forum's Plataforma Marina, with a further 1,200 spaces. Both will offer special parking rates and a free shuttle bus service to the competition area. The city council has decided that during the America's Cup it won't be opening up the car parking areas on Mar Bella and Nova Mar Bella beaches, currently unused.
As for motorbikes, pavement parking will be prohibited on Passeig de Joan de Borbó, Passeig Marítim and Carrer Pepe Rubianes, but instead, parking areas will be provided on the road, taking advantage of part of the Blue Zone which is being removed from service. Thus, 80 car spaces in the blue area will be transformed into 370 parking spaces for motorbikes. Likewise, three motorcycle parking areas will be created at Nova Icària, Nova Bocana and in the Pla de Martí Taradell. The motorcycle parking area in the Plaça de Pau Vila will also be expanded.
Residents' vehicles must be accredited
As for the residents and workers of Barceloneta, access on foot will not have any kind of restriction, but they will have to obtain accreditation for their own vehicles, both for those who have a resident's place in the Green Zone and for those who have a private parking space that they have rented or purchased. People who live or work in Barceloneta and must come with private vehicle, even if they do not have a parking space, must also obtain accreditation. Accreditations can be acquired at the Barceloneta Civic Centre, except in the case of having a resident space or parking space in a BSM car park or in the Port area, who will receive the accreditation sent to their address.
Guarantee for loading and unloading
Finally, goods loading and unloading (DUM) services will not face any circulation restrictions and to guarantee them, loading and unloading hours will be increased from 07:00 to 21:00, that is, an extra hour at each end of the day from the current timetable of 08:00 to 20:00. In addition, 40 new DUM places will be created in out-of-service blue zone spaces.