Sol is pedestrianizing

After a long debate on Madrid Central and its (political) convenience for the city, when it had all been agreed and the court had said that Madrid Central should continue because it was having positive effects on the city and air quality, it has been announced that the emblematic Puerta del Sol is going to be pedestrianised.

Has the news been well received by residents of Madrid? So far, we’ve not heard much, as very few details about the pedestrianization plan have been released. We only know of their intention, that discussions are starting to take place with local business owners and the Madrid 360 actions, a set of measures designed to improve air quality.

The idea is also to pedestrianize part of Calle Mayor, something which will make access to the plaza much easier and pleasant, and part of Calle Alcalá up to Sevilla metro station, allowing vehicles to exit.

Currently, according to data published by El País, 6,800 journeys are made every day in the Puerta del Sol, and 4,000 of those are taxis. In fact, the large queue of taxis in front of the city hall and KM0 has become quite a famous sight.

The Puerta del Sol, as well as attracting countless numbers of tourists every day, is also often the centre of demonstrations and the destination of many marches, it’s therefore always packed with people, something which has also influenced the decision to pedestrianize the streets that open on to it. You only have to imagine a public holiday, a day when the sales are on or before Christmas.

With these plans, the intention is to make Puerta del Sol a much nicer place to be in, a space to enjoy and somewhere that will become the green heart of Madrid, free from exhaust fumes and noise pollution. In short, more human.

Categories: Madrid Turismo