Santa Cruz Repurposes Bike Lanes for Parking, Deliveries

Santa Cruz de Tenerife's Mayor, José Manuel Bermúdez, announced plans to convert parts of the city's bike lanes into other useful spaces. He was joined by councilwomen Evelyn Alonso (Mobility) and Purificación Dávila (Centro-Ifara), and councilman Carlos Tarife (Public Services). Merchants from the Fauca and Zona Centro associations supported the proposal to repurpose bike lanes on Méndez Núñez, El Pilar, and Villalba Hervás streets.

These areas will be transformed to provide more spaces for deliveries, disabled parking, taxis, buses, motorcycles, and scooters. The changes are scheduled to take place between the end of the Christmas and Three Kings' Day shopping season and the start of Carnival.

Mayor Bermúdez explained that the city "cannot wait forever" with unused bike lane signs and structures. He stated that the separating elements on these streets would be removed. This will allow the space to be used for the new purposes, including more loading/unloading zones, disabled parking, taxi and bus stops, and parking for motorcycles and scooters. Additionally, El Pilar street will regain its two traffic lanes between San Clemente and Méndez Núñez.

Evelyn Alonso, from the Mobility department, emphasized that this plan addresses the mayor's concern that the current situation is unsustainable, especially without waiting for a Supreme Court decision. She detailed that the segregated spaces on El Pilar and Villalba Hervás would be given new uses. On Méndez Núñez street, specifically, space will be reclaimed for loading and unloading. This area will be designated for deliveries from 8 AM to 6 PM, and then become a free parking zone for residents from 6 PM to 8 AM.

Alonso also highlighted that the proposal includes a significant increase in motorcycle parking, responding to the growing number of motorcycles in the city. There will also be more parking for people with reduced mobility and for personal mobility vehicles like scooters. Furthermore, dedicated spaces will be reserved for local hotels, pharmacies, and public transport, including bus stops and taxi stands.

The Mayor thanked the merchants for their ongoing cooperation and willingness. He reiterated that the transition to these new uses would occur between the holiday shopping period and Carnival to avoid disrupting local businesses during peak seasons.