The Tías City Council has converted three roads in the urban area, around the town hall and the Alcalde Rafael Cedrés school, into cycle streets, where bicycles have priority and motorized vehicles must circulate with a maximum speed of 30 km/h.
The central avenue Alcalde Florencio Suárez and the streets Libertad and Fraternidad are now clearly identified as shared roads with priority for bicycles. The objective is to promote the use of bicycles as a means of transport in the municipality.
The mayor of Tías, José Juan Cruz, and the Councilor for Mobility, Sergio García, confirm "the determination of the government group to advance in the municipal strategy of sustainable urban mobility, which entails a growing need to improve cycling infrastructure." This project has a subsidy from the Ministry of Public Works, Housing and Mobility of the Government of the Canary Islands amounting to 55,204.39 euros.
"Cycle streets can encourage more people to use bicycles as a means of transport. With this system, bicycles can occupy the center of the lane to increase their visibility and safety, which gives users greater confidence," explains García, who clarifies that vehicles must adapt their speed and behavior to the presence of cyclists.
With this project, the Tías City Council intends to reinforce the municipality's transition towards sustainable urban mobility by reducing dependence on motorized vehicles. "We can coexist using motorized vehicles and bicycles, but we want to increase the use of the latter and we do so by creating safer roads for cyclists," says the head of Mobility.
The World Health Organization (WHO) is committed to walking and cycling. According to its Director-General, Dr. Tedros Adhamon, "walking and cycling improves health and makes cities more sustainable. Every step we take and every ride helps reduce congestion, air pollution and disease." "However," he added, "we must make walking and cycling safe, so that more people opt for these healthier and more ecological options."