In an effort to reduce conflicts between pedestrians and users of bicycles and scooters, the Barcelona City Council has introduced a new sign prohibiting the circulation of these vehicles on certain streets.
The measure has been implemented in seven strategic points of the city, specifically in the neighborhoods of Sant Andreu, Nou Barris and Les Corts. The signs, blue in color and based on the DGT’s R-422 model, seek to reinforce the existing prohibition in areas where pedestrian-bicycle coexistence is especially delicate.
The new sign, which does not restrict access or indicate alternative routes, simply requires bicycle and scooter users to dismount from their vehicles at specific sections. According to the official communiqué of the City Council, the signage has been installed in places where there was already a bicycle traffic ban, but it has been decided to reinforce the indication to improve coexistence in these areas.
The City Council’s strategy is part of Pla Endreça, a comprehensive plan aimed at bringing order to the city and improving urban mobility. The installation of these signs will be accompanied by informers at selected points until the end of the year to remind the general traffic regulations in the city. In addition, more than 30 additional signs are expected to be installed at various locations in Barcelona.
The pilot experience and the first marked points
The new signal had already been successfully tested at two points in the city: the Nou Pont del Treball Digne, in the Sant Andreu district, and Via Augusta with Pau Alcover street, in the Sarrià-Sant Gervasi district. As a result of these trials, the City Council decided to extend the initiative and expand its implementation in areas where pedestrian-bicycle coexistence is a constant challenge.
According to the City Council, the first seven points chosen for the installation of these signs are:
Plaza de Ferran Reyes 2-8, district of Sant Andreu
Ferran Junoy Street – Sao Paulo Street in the district of Sant Andreu
La Maquinista footbridge in the district of Sant Andreu
276 Meridiana Avenue, district of Sant Andreu
285 Meridiana Avenue, district of Sant Andreu
92 Agudes Street in the district of Nou Barris
Gran Vía Carlos III – Sabino Arana Street in the district of Les Corts
These points have been carefully selected to reinforce and make clearer the prohibition of bicycles and scooters in areas where vertical signage already exists. The new sign, identified as B-56c, provides a more specific and easily understandable indication for users of these vehicles.
Bicycles and scooters are banned from circulation: citizen response
Although the initiative has been greeted with praise for improving the clarity of traffic rules, the first days of implementation have revealed widespread non-compliance with the new signage.
Citizen response in this initial phase highlights the challenge facing City Hall in promoting behavioral change. However, it is hoped that, over time, the signage will become more effectively integrated into the consciousness of users and contribute to a more harmonious coexistence on the streets of Barcelona.
