The path of Pontevedra towards a city for people

To achieve the above, it was mandatory to reduce the danger posed by the heaviest and fastest users: motor vehicles, especially private cars.

A necessary step for this is to limit and reduce the speed of motorized traffic, for which the following elements are essential:

• Redesign of the street and public space
• Raised pedestrian crossings
• Speed limits
• Reduction of motorized traffic volume
• Elimination of transit routes

The consequence of the measures taken has led to a crucial element that undoubtedly holds the greatest hopes for the consolidation of the model and its permanence over time: the widespread establishment of a culture of mutual respect among people, which undoubtedly already existed long before, and among all modes of transport, with walking and staying always taking precedence.

Pillars of the implemented system

The pillars of this system can be explained in the following terms:

• 
  A global perspective: The changes affect the entire city, not just the center. All actions share the same philosophy: that public space is a continuation of private space. A friendly and safe space, unhurried, pleasant for the development of daily life.
• Public space: The city has reclaimed its essence as a forum, transforming its streets and squares into spaces for coexistence and relationships among people. Previously, most of the public space was dedicated to automobiles; now it is dedicated to people.
• Integrative city: A special effort has been made to create conditions for the use of public space with people who have more difficulties in mind, so that the improvement of public space is for everyone, helping to achieve a more independent life for people with different abilities and for children.
• Democratic city: From the beginning, a more egalitarian mobility was chosen, with multifunctional streets and squares, avoiding the segregation of uses and people. As noted in the document "Transportation Strategies for Zero Emission Systems by Design": “In the case of Pontevedra, a series of measures were adopted to radically change the distribution of the streets and their redesign, as well as the parking policy, and were accompanied by a change in mindset in land use planning”. “Moreover, the transformation of Pontevedra was carried out with the logic that the solution to urban mobility goes beyond mobility; thus, instead of the city being conditioned by the need to improve mobility, mobility must be conditioned by the need to improve the city.” "The example of Pontevedra shows that approaches aiming to restore the balance between mobility and proximity are relevant and can be applied in small cities."

Progressive reduction of maximum speed limits and their extension to more areas of the municipality



Since mid-1999, when a total change in the policy related to public space and its use was initiated, there has been a reduction in the maximum speed limit for motorized vehicles and an expansion of this measure to increasingly more streets, areas, and zones of the municipality. Speed has a particular impact on the number of pedestrian collisions and accidents on the road, and on their severity. Additionally, speed contributes significantly to the creation and reinforcement of the barrier effect. Furthermore, motorized vehicles increase their fuel consumption, emissions, and noise levels (especially tire noise) as the circulation speed increases. The importance of acting to reduce maximum speed limits is clear.

EXPLANATION OF IMPLEMENTED POLICIES

Objectives

In this section, we explore the fundamental goals behind the restructuring of public space in Pontevedra. This project aims not only to improve the functionality of urban space but also to transform the relationship between citizens and their environment. The objectives focus on creating a public space that is intuitive and welcoming, facilitating orientation and mobility for all users, and fostering a sense of belonging and community. To delve into how these principles materialize in the daily reality of Pontevedra, we detail the specific objectives that have guided the transformation of public space in the city:

• Actions centered around achieving a public space that is easily legible and interpretable, where each person feels as integrated as possible and welcomed by the environment. A space where it is easy to know where one is and how to get to one's destination. Essentially, a space that is flexible and also with a simple readability of its uses.
• An environment that feels, as much as possible, like one’s own. A public space that facilitates relationships and communication with other people. A space where seeing and being seen is simple and almost inherent to wandering and staying in it.
• A space that many people have transformed into something of their own and communal, into something common.
• All these elements have led to great coexistence, mutual respect for public space, and tolerance in Pontevedra, all fruits of having internalized the priorities of the model. It is a model that would be unthinkable to assume emerged spontaneously or could have been imposed. It is a model that, if it is enduring, is because it is embraced by the citizens with nuances, opinions, and criticisms, but internalized.
• The Pontevedra model demonstrated that cars can pass, but everyone knows that pedestrians have the priority. That is the great value of the model implemented in the city.

Implemented measures 

The measures that were carried out are as follows:

• A fundamental measure consisting of a new conception of public space and its use.
• Public space as a citizen's right on the same level as health or education.
• The redesign of public space and streets with a priority focus on people's presence and pedestrian movements.
• Among the measures taken in relation to motorized traffic that deserve mention are:
• Reduction of speed on all municipal roads to around 30 km/h, and in specific cases, 20 km/h, 10 km/h, and 6 km/h.
• Reduction of through traffic in the city center.
• Elimination of through traffic in areas of high residential and commercial density.
• Elimination of ordinary heavy vehicle traffic in high-density residential areas, with rerouting through other roads.
• Declaration of pedestrian zones and pedestrian priority areas, with elimination of all motor traffic not necessary for the service of the area itself.
• Declaration of coexistence zones, with strong restrictions on indiscriminate motor vehicle circulation.
• Facilitation to the maximum in all areas of motorized services necessary for residential or economic activity, with deterrence of opportunistic and convenience uses.
• Making indiscriminate parking along road edges difficult, which leads to the disappearance of traffic seeking parking.
• Combining "expulsion" traffic measures with the generalization of traffic calming measures for motorized traffic.
• Other traffic management measures, such as the removal of traffic lights in the city center.

As indicated, the measures were not limited to the urban center but were extended, almost from the beginning, to the neighborhoods and rural areas.

Parking policy

Public space has a high value and cannot be used solely for the circulation of cars or for their parking. Much of the existing traffic is due to the facilities provided for cars and their parking. The parking policy is an essential part of the transportation and traffic policy.

Regarding parking, a process was initiated to eliminate parking spaces, with part of the recovered area being allocated to service parking and loading/unloading. These activities now occupy almost 100% of the parking currently available in the city center, with a maximum time limit of 15 minutes for the first of these activities and 30 minutes for traditional loading and unloading.

A potential policy that was debated and rejected in Pontevedra are the ORA systems, which do not significantly reduce traffic but optimize the occupation of parking spaces (depending on the policy to be developed, either to promote long-term parking or short-term parking). The "Ordenanza Reguladora de Aparcamiento" (Parking Regulation Ordinance) or "Ordenanza para la Regulación de Aparcamientos" (ORA) is a municipal ordinance applied in several Spanish cities, establishing certain parking zones where users must purchase a ticket for their vehicle.

Network of deterrent parking lots

These parking lots are free and have no time limit. Generally, they are located 10 to 15 minutes on foot from the center. The creation of these strategically located peripheral parking lots was a success, responding to the needs of people who wanted to access the city and were facilitated parking to eventually walk to their final destinations located in the traffic-calmed zones, where parking was not allowed.

The progressive reduction of maximum speed limits for traffic and extending these to more areas of the municipality

Since mid-1999, when a total shift in policy related to public space and its use was initiated, there has been a reduction in the maximum speed limit for motor vehicles and this measure has been extended to more and more streets, areas, and zones of the municipality. Speed has a particular impact on the number of pedestrian strikes and accidents on the road, and on their severity. Additionally, speed strongly contributes to the creation and reinforcement of the barrier effect. Also, motor vehicles increase their fuel consumption, emissions, and noise level (especially that originating from tires) as the driving speed increases. The importance of acting by reducing maximum speed limits is clear.

The maximum speed limit allowed is generally 30 km/h. However, under several conditions, this speed decreases to 20 km/h, for example, where there is no sidewalk, or it is less than 1.5 meters wide, or there are visibility issues. The speed is reduced to 10 km/h in pedestrianized areas, which drops to 6 km/h in the presence of pedestrians. This policy of reducing the maximum allowed speed has been accompanied by the implementation of traffic calming elements, ensuring that the design of roadways, streets, and avenues naturally prevents speeds above 30 km/h.

Bicycles, their circulation, and parking 

In Pontevedra, the privileged conditions of mobility and movement for the most vulnerable street users have resulted in the widespread coexistence of transport modes within a framework of reduced speed and very high road safety. The existing speed limits in the municipality greatly contribute to this situation. It is important to remember that Pontevedra is a medium-sized city with a consolidated policy of friendly mobility on its streets, where walking and cycling play an essential role. From the start of the friendly mobility policy in Pontevedra, segregation of transport modes in the use of public space and in structuring circulation was dismissed. The results confirm the appropriateness of this decision. In line with what many cycling organizations advocate, it is most reasonable for cities to integrate cyclists into traffic. The bicycle is legally a vehicle and is entitled to its space on the road. Cyclists and other drivers have similar rights and obligations and must coexist civilly. "Cycling networks" are not necessary; rather, safe streets and civic-minded drivers are needed. However, there are bike lanes in Pontevedra, on some access and peripheral roads outside the central area. Another necessary infrastructure to promote bicycle use is providing safe and convenient parking, which Pontevedra has done by distributing more than 400 parking spots throughout the city.

Urban logistics 

Logistical transport is necessary for the functioning of the city and, in the case of Pontevedra, is quantitatively reduced and perfectly compatible with a plural use of public spaces. For context, regarding parking, a process was initiated to eliminate curb parking spaces that were unlimited in time and free, with part of the recovered area allocated to service parking and loading/unloading. These activities now occupy almost 100% of the parking currently available in the city center, with a maximum time limit of 15 minutes for the first of these activities and 30 minutes for traditional loading and unloading.

Policy of control and law enforcement consistent with the goal of reducing infractions and increasing road safety

It is well understood that the degree of compliance with traffic regulations by road users, especially motor vehicle drivers, has a direct relationship with road safety, both quantitatively and qualitatively.

Below, it can be seen the processed complaints in absolute values, and in relative values (%) the complaints processed and collected. This is an indicator of the effectiveness of police action, as these values are not usually so high in other cities.

Experimentation

Experimentation is crucial as a system for testing new devices and techniques in urban space management. This approach allows for evaluating the effectiveness of innovative solutions in a controlled environment, continuously adjusting and refining strategies in response to the outcomes observed. Below are several examples tested in Pontevedra aimed at reducing traffic speed and increasing the safety of all road users.

Regarding the design of Raised Pedestrian Crossings (RPC) and Physical Speed Reducers (PSR), it was concluded that:

• Gentler slopes than those stipulated by the order FOM 3053/2008 (which, moreover, does not apply to municipal roads); and
• A high number of RPCs is recommended to maintain reduced speeds (as it is precisely conservation that is sought).

As for prefabricated physical speed reducers, the experience produced discouraging results, with high noise and accelerated wear. They are not considered advisable. Regarding the Berlin cushion, the literature and experiences from other cities did not suggest that this system could be recommended, especially compared to PSR and RPC; however, it was tested, and the above was confirmed.

Finally, concerning deterrent circuits for through traffic, these elements, essential for moderating and reducing traffic, are designed and conceived for each case and according to the roadway of the area in which they are implemented. Monitoring and analyzing the results obtained is very important in order to draw conclusions and deduce possible improvements.

IMPACTS OF THE POLICIES AND ACTIONS IMPLEMENTED IN PONTEVEDRA

Modal Split In 2011, after more than 10 years of implementing the first measures, the modal distribution of trips in the city showed the following breakdown:

• 66% of trips were made on foot
• 5% of trips were made by bicycle and public transport
• 29% of trips were made by private motor vehicle

According to the household survey conducted in 2021, the results for the city of Pontevedra show the following modal distribution, which includes all trips with origin and destination within the city of Pontevedra, i.e., journeys with both ends within the city:

• 84.3% of trips are made on foot or by bicycle
• 14.7% of trips are made in private motor vehicles
• 1% of trips are made by other means of transportation (including bus public transport)

The following graphs display a benchmark of other Spanish cities, clearly showing that Pontevedra is an outlier, an extraordinary and successful case of how sustainable mobility can be implemented and endure as a system for moving in an urban environment.

This table shows the modal split of Vitoria-Gasteiz, which is a city with similar policies to Pontevedra:

And below is the modal split of Madrid according to the Mobility Survey of the Community of Madrid in 2018, as an example of a city with a sustainable mobility policy different from Pontevedra and Vitoria Gasteiz:

Reduction of motorized traffic in the city

As discussed and detailed in many publications about Pontevedra, this reduction was achieved by eliminating unnecessary traffic and traffic searching for parking, while maintaining the essential traffic needed for the functioning of the city and for services.

Below it can be seen the streets that have go through traffic, the ADT in the downtown and the entire city, and 3 questions: how many vehicles enter the city every day, what is the time inside the city until they stop, and how many vehicles are started in the city.

Conclusion on Traffic Reduction

It can be concluded that: a) Motorized traffic in central areas and also in the compact city was significantly reduced. There was a substantial decrease in motorized traffic and a modal shift. A large part of very short-distance trips (which can clearly be identified as unnecessary traffic) that were previously done by private vehicle either no longer take place or are now made on foot. This is an example of what is known as "traffic evaporation," which refers to the "disappearance of traffic." b) Traffic on the peripheral roads also decreased.



To summarize, the following image is provided, which reflects the percentage reduction in motorized traffic volumes in different areas, as it is very telling and speaks for itself:

Reduction in Delays Linked to Traffic Jams

In 2014, the maximum authorized speed limit was much lower than in 1996, which might lead one to think that traffic theoretically moved slower. However, this is not the case. Delays due to hold-ups and traffic jams are much lower.

Following table talk about time (minutes/car) maximum, minimum, average, accumulated (hours/year) by inner and Whole city.

Increase in the Average Speed of Motorized Vehicles

The final outcome was an increase in the average speed of motorized vehicles. The average speed is what truly matters, as it affects the majority of users, and it increased significantly. This is a direct consequence of the reduction in motorized traffic volume and the decrease in the number and duration of traffic jams.

Following table shows maximum, minimum and average speed for inner and whole city.

Road Safety

The increase in road safety is a direct and notable consequence of the mobility policy implemented by the City Council. Specific interventions, such as traffic calming elements like raised pedestrian crossings, have had a significant positive impact on reducing accident rates. These measures not only moderate traffic speed but also enhance visibility and pedestrian priority, which are crucial elements in preventing accidents.

Below is the evolution of fatalities in traffic accidents:

The following graph shows the number of seriously injured who had to be admitted to hospital for more than 24 hours:

School Mobility

A good indicator of the achievement of public space for everyone is to observe how the most vulnerable populations are incorporated into it, enjoy it, and use it. This is especially true in Pontevedra, where the space is designed, thought out, and regulated for use so that children, the elderly, and people with mobility issues can set their preferences and meet their demands and needs. This is coupled with a change in the priorities of public space usage mentioned earlier.

A clear sign of a radical change in public space and the establishment of friendly mobility is school mobility, which is predominantly on foot, as can be seen in the following graphs.

From left to right and in % (walking accompanied, walking alone, and remainder, which includes bus and car):

Air Quality

Air quality in Pontevedra has undergone significant changes, reflecting the continuous efforts of the City Council to improve the urban environment through sustainable mobility policies and restrictions on motorized traffic. These policies have not only sought to enhance active mobility but have also had a direct impact on reducing air pollution.

Below, the compliance with air quality according to WHO guidelines is shown:

Noise Pollution

The actions taken reinforce Pontevedra as a standout example of how urban policies focused on sustainability and friendly mobility can effectively transform the soundscape of a city, making it a more welcoming and less acoustically aggressive place.

Below is a table with a series of noise indices in two areas of Pontevedra, Mollabao and Campolongo, from 2012 to 2019. The data reflect noise measurements during the day, evening, and night, as well as averages and different percentiles of transient and background noise. The results demonstrate a notable trend towards the reduction of noise pollution in the city, especially in the category of background noise, which has significantly decreased in both neighborhoods over the years.

Recognition and Awards

Pontevedra has not only been a pioneer in implementing policies of mobility and sustainable urban planning but has also been widely recognized for its innovation and leadership in these fields. Over the years, the city has accumulated an impressive collection of national and international awards that reflect its commitment to creating an inclusive, safe, and friendly urban space for all its citizens. Below, we present a detailed list of the awards received, which underscore the effectiveness of the adopted policies and the positive impact they have had on urban quality of life.

• Stone City Award from the Galicia Granite Association - O Porriño 2006
• Cermi Award for Universal Accessibility - Madrid 2007
• National Galician Culture Award for Heritage Defense - Santiago 2008
• Fesvial Award for Road Safety - Madrid 2010
• Cities for Road Safety Award (DGT and FEMP) - Córdoba 2011
• Child Friendly City from the Children's Foundation 2012
• Intermodes 2013 Award for pedestrian intermodality - Brussels 2013
• UN-Habitat Award for a transferable example of a city designed for people - Nairobi-Dubai 2014
• Center for Active Design of New York Award for excellence in healthy urban design 2015
• Cities that Walk 2015 Award
• Euro China Smart Mobility City Award - Hong Kong 2015
• Award for Smart Urban Mobility - Shenzhen 2016
• Cittaslow Award for good practices in mobility - Jeonju– South Korea 2017
• Award for work done in road safety and sustainable urban mobility. City Council of Cangas. 2019
• 1st EU Urban Road Safety Award from the European Commission - Brussels 2020

LESSONS LEARNED

The transformation of Pontevedra into a model of sustainable urbanism was not a matter of chance but the result of years of careful planning and meticulous execution by its leaders. In this section, we will share insights and valuable knowledge gained throughout this transformative process directly from those who have implemented these policies.

Learned Lessons and Advice Directly from Pontevedra

Here are some key insights learned over the years by the leaders of Pontevedra:

• Identifying necessary traffic is a hallmark of the Pontevedra Model. It can be noted that:
• In Pontevedra, the number of pedestrian streets is very limited, contrary to what many might think.
• In Pontevedra, most streets should be identified as coexistence or conviviality streets, and in all of them, the principle of pedestrian priority prevails. This principle is adopted and sanctioned in municipal regulations and embodied in the design of public space.
• A core element for establishing necessary motorized traffic is that it must be essential for the functioning of the city. Necessary vehicle traffic is essentially that which is needed to attend to the services and needs essential for the proper functioning of the city and municipality, i.e., indispensable for residential and economic activities to function under the conditions demanded by today's society.
• This includes, in addition to public and emergency services, those traffics and parking necessary for the functioning of the city, such as courier services, home delivery, access to garages in traffic-restricted areas, access for people with reduced mobility, hotel services, parcel transport by residents in buildings without a garage, moving and related activities. It includes in the concept of services the traffics of vehicles expressly authorized for residents, merchants, professionals, centers.

• Service parking: This is a consequence of the previous point. It required a dual approach:
• Conceptualization, definition, and regulatory embodiment of the concept, continuously adjusting it to different cases and according to the definition of necessary traffic.
• And its application on the road, with dual management of its control and learning by the neighbors of its correct use.

• Management of loading and unloading: The management of this issue in Pontevedra provides a differential element compared to many other cities. A reduced schedule or a concentration of loading and unloading in a few hours was not applied. The results are considered very satisfactory and well received by local commerce. The aim and achievement were to avoid excessive pressure from distribution vehicles at specific hours. However, this policy and these results:
• Must be placed in the context of the policy carried out of significant reduction of unnecessary motorized traffic.
• Also, in the context of the generalized reduction for automobile vehicles of curb parking in deterrent parking areas.
• Require continuous monitoring.
• Attention is paid to the evolution of last-mile distribution logistics and the rise of online commerce to see if it is convenient to adopt some measure of readjustment or regulation for this last mode of distribution.

• Elimination of the ORA: The option to park generates motorized traffic. In fact, in every journey, two parkings are necessary (departure and arrival). ORA systems do not significantly reduce traffic but optimize the occupation of spaces (depending on the policy to be developed, either to promote long-term parking or short-term parking). The elimination of parking spaces on coexistence streets and in pedestrian priority areas is what really helps to limit and/or eliminate motorized traffic. The creation of strategically located peripheral parking areas clearly shows the need to walk to the final destinations located in the traffic-calmed areas where parking was eliminated, as mentioned.

• Suppression or Significant Reduction of Traffic Lights: This decision was quite significant and somewhat innovative at the time, especially due to its general application across the urban continuum. The monitoring and experience of this change were mandatory, and the results have been very satisfactory, resulting in a decrease in traffic speed and an enhancement of coexistence and conviviality on the streets. This shouldn't seem strange, as traffic lights are primarily to manage and optimize vehicular traffic. Notably, the few remaining traffic lights are used to reduce the number of vehicles allowed to pass, essentially reversing the function of traffic lights from stopping pedestrians and facilitating traffic to prioritizing pedestrians and slowing motorized traffic.

• Reduction and Maintenance of Minimal Road Casualty Levels: Pontevedra stands out, among other things, for its extremely high level of road safety. Maintaining casualty rates at current levels and improving, even slightly, the ratio of seriously injured people in traffic accidents is crucial. This requires:
• Continuing the policy of designing public spaces for all people, not just as a conduit for mobility, maintaining and extending the principle of pedestrian priority over other modes of transport, and reducing motor vehicle speeds.
• Monitoring traffic accidents that occur and analyzing their location, cause, and specifics to adopt appropriate approaches and measures.
• Promoting walking to school by students alone without accompaniment, moving beyond the concept of a school path towards a more child-friendly city, necessitating:
• Maintenance of road safety conditions on public roads.
• Maintenance of cleanliness, quality, and attractiveness of the roadways and urban design.
• Conducting surveys and regular checks.
• A final effort to extend these practices.
• Regular awareness-raising and sharing of opinions and experiences with schoolchildren and educational centers

• Bike Lanes on Sidewalk Streets and Arcade Zones: From the outset, Pontevedra opted to limit vehicle speeds on streets. This policy means that current maximum speeds on municipal roads are 30 km/h (even before the recent amendment of Article 50 of the General Traffic Regulations), 20 km/h, and 10 km/h, and moreover, a vehicle must always adjust its speed to that of pedestrians on the many pedestrian-priority streets. This long-standing philosophy has resulted in an extremely low rate of road casualties and the consolidation of the coexistence of transport modes on the roadways. This led to Pontevedra's choice to encourage bicycles to use the roadway safely.

• However, at one point, the possibility of implementing bike lanes on sidewalk streets was considered but ultimately discarded due to lack of benefits, the unwanted segregation of space between different uses, which is considered highly negative, and the dangers to pedestrians (especially with the high volume of pedestrians in Pontevedra) and to cyclists themselves (for example, during left turns and other specific cases). In the case of streets with arcades, the problems were significantly greater.
• These and other aspects advised against the general implementation of bike lanes and reinforced the coexistence of transport means and their conviviality on the streets.

Tactical Urbanism: Taking Action Planning and Execution Seriously

In Pontevedra, from the outset of the public space reform proposal, it was recognized that reclaiming these spaces for everyone implies that their quality must be perceptible from the beginning so that the action is not seen at any point as a makeshift or temporary remedy. It is considered that one of the characteristics that defines the recovery of the city for uses other than mobility is that the level of quality of the action should be perceived from the beginning and be similar to or higher than the quality typically associated with all actions for motorized vehicles. In this context, it is important to be aware that cases of "tactical urbanism" done for cars are non-existent or minimal. Indeed, on one hand, the professional teams responsible for design are not accustomed to this, and it is not included in the projects, which are usually designed to incorporate the definitive solution; on the other hand, the pressure from drivers facing a "tactical" measure would be immediate and they would strongly propose that the "botch" be quickly corrected. Very little of this occurred regarding tactical urbanism aimed at people. They resign themselves, which is particularly disheartening, as on one hand, they act as if they should be grateful, since "finally something was done for pedestrians" and, on the other hand, they see and accept that at best they are entitled to substandard, rather unattractive actions with a poor finish. There is talk of needing to redesign public space for everyone, and this in Pontevedra implied:

• A global and comprehensive plan for the city and actions in public spaces, even if carried out sequentially.
• High quality in all actions, as it is in the street, in the public space of all people, including vehicles, where intervention is taking place.
• Not to conceive actions as interventions for certain public way users—pedestrians who had little space and are now urgently and provisionally accommodated in a small part—but as interventions to design and build the city through its streets and squares.
• In line with this last point, the programming of municipal budgets considered the actions completely, so these were not interventions done because "there was some money left over" or because "something had to be done." The isolated cases in which interventions were initially started, which were subsequently dubbed as "tactical urbanism," were quickly abandoned. It is considered necessary to continue in the development and in the permanent analysis of measures that help the implementation and maintenance of reduced speed, new priorities in the use of public space, and friendly mobility.
  

References 

This article, including data and illustrations, is based on the following publication:

Concello de Pontevedra. (2021). Asistencia técnica para a revisión da estratexia de mobilidade e apoio na actualización e redacción do Plan de Mobilidade Urbana Sostible do Concello de Pontevedra. Coordinado por Fernando Nebot Beltrán, dirigido por Jesús Gómez Viñas, con la redacción de Xosé Manuel Tato Camino, Daniel Macenlle Díaz, y Santiago N. López Fontán. Retrieved from https://pmus.pontevedra.gal/