The first section of the "Lanzarote Island Bike Path" project is beginning to take shape, according to the Cabildo, which will connect the towns of Costa Teguise and Puerto del Carmen. This is an ambitious initiative with which the island institution responds to the promise of "providing cyclists, tourists and residents with a segregated, safe and integrated route in the environment for cycling", as indicated this Monday by the Councilor for Public Works of the Cabildo, Fabián Martín, and as underlined by the Councilor for Sports, Manuel Cabrera, during the presentation of said plan.
The land, an eternal problem
The towns of Costa Teguise, Arrecife and Puerto del Carmen will be connected by a specially adapted lane with 20 kilometers in length and 4 in width, measures to "guarantee maximum safety for cyclists, promote the use of bicycles as an alternative means and remove these users from conventional roads, avoiding traffic incompatibilities", explained Martín. It will be a green road, duly signposted and which, given the difficulties presented by certain sections, will have about 5 kilometers of mixed road, in which cyclists must circulate together with motor vehicles.
In 1992, a prestigious architect put on the table the proposal to unite different areas of the Island by means of a bicycle lane. The Territory Plan that prevailed in Lanzarote both then and today and the problems of lack of land, the projections of new constructions and the obstacles of the Environment have been the most powerful brakes for which the idea, until now, has not gone ahead.
Soon for the inauguration party
"Now we have the approval of the Environment, the Canary Islands and the association of cyclists of the Island", said Fabián Martín. But there is still time for users to enjoy this first section. "We have to carry out all the bidding procedures, proceed with 3 expropriations, put it out for public display and start with the works, which have an execution period of 20 months", said the councilor. Thus, until 2011, being optimistic, there will be no welcome party.
However, both Martín and Cabrera agreed that "our intention is for a bike path to pass along the length and breadth of the Island. Once this first one is finished, according to the words of the councilors, we will begin to project the future ones, although we are already thinking about the hows and the possibilities we have to include it within that Territory Plan that is currently being revised," said the Councilor for Youth.
ACN Press
