Low-emission areas and transformation of urban and metropolitan transport

The measure seeks to promote the sustainable and digital transformation of transport services. In doing so, it should contribute to reduce the use of private vehicles in urban environments by 35 % by 2030. The measure shall also cover incentives for the transition to cleaner passenger and freight transport fleets of companies providing transport services.

This investment shall be implemented by the local authorities, regions and the Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda (MITMA). Examples of aspects that will be covered by those investments are: (a) the conversion of public transport fleets for their greening; (b) the implementation and management of low emissions zones; (c) digitalising public transport and making it more accessible; (d) measures for prioritising collective transport and active mobility, including cycling infrastructure and pedestrian lanes; (e) incentivising the penetration in Spain of new zero-emission technologies in transport; (f) parking for deterrence located outside these municipalities and capitals of province to reduce traffic entering to the urban centre and (g) the extension or upgrading of the rail transport system (e.g. metros or railways); (h) digitalisation projects complementing measures to support sustainable mobility, including real time information systems on public transport services, mobility as a service, projects to improve intermodal or inter-service ticketing, projects to support traffic and mobility management and information analysis in order to increase the efficiency of the transport system.

The investments under this measure shall be implemented by 31 December 2025.

Examples of investments at local level:

Deployment of a new service of public bicycles in the city of Valladolid (Castilla y León)

Cycling line in Castellana, Madrid

The project will be the backbone of cycling mobility in Madrid. The infrastructure will be developed on 6 sections and the first section, the longest, is running from Plaza Castilla to Calle Raimundo Fernández Villaverde. A continuous and secure route connected to the rest of the cycling network will extend over a total of 13 km with a width of 2 metres in each direction. The rail will be separated from the pedestrian walkway from the boulevard and from the parking band by a longitudinal parterre with shrub plantations. This infrastructure leads to a significant environmental improvement with a reduction of more than one million km per year travelled by car, which is equivalent to a decrease of 187 tonnes of CO₂ and 319,000 kg of Nox. The first section (4.4 km) will be completed by end of March 2023 (EUR 6 million EUR).

Sustainable transformation of transport in the metropolitan area of Barcelona

EUR 74.8 million from Recovery and Resilience Facility will be allocated to improve public transport and boost active mobility.

Within the city of Barcelona, in the Example, five streets will be turned into green axes for almost EUR 26 million, controls on the low-emissions zone will be established (EUR 1,5million), electric buses will be purchased (EUR 16million), new cycle paths built (EUR 9.2 million) and the speed reduction to 30 km hour promoted (EUR 4.4 million). The transformation of the Meridiana street (EUR 6.2 million), elevators or escalators for areas of the city on steep slopes (EUR 9.4 million), the digitalisation of mobility services (EUR 2.3 million) are amongst the projects that have secured funds.

The Metropolitan Area of Barcelona (AMB) will receive EUR 40 million. The promotion of a metropolitan public bicycle (AMBici) will take EUR 7.5 million, technology for city buses EUR 11.2 million, and the digitisation of metro stations a further EUR 7 million. EUR 11 million will also be devoted to completing the Bicivia, the network of lanes linking metropolitan municipalities. And there will be funds to expand the bike parking box system.

This project is complemented by the fifteen projects presented in the same call by metropolitan municipalities with a global funding from Recovery and Resilience Facility funds of EUR 158.6 million euros. The municipalities are: Badalona, Barberà del Vallès, Barcelona, Cornellà de Llobregat, Esplugues de Llobregat, Gavà, L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, the Prat de Llobregat, Sant Andreu de la Barca, Sant Boi de Llobregat, Sant Cugat del Vallès, Sant Feliu de Llobregat, Sant Joan Despí, Santa Coloma de Gramenet, Viladecans

More information can be found here

Digital and sustainable transformation of urban transport in Manresa (Barcelona)

The city of Manresa will receive EUR 2.3 million from the Recovery and Resilience Facility to electrify and digitalise the city’s urban transport service. The funds will allow the City Council to purchase eight new electric buses, as well as to adapt the facilities to facilitate the charging of vehicles and improve the digitalisation of the urban transport service.