Burial

If we consult the evolution of the population data of Playa Honda, we can see that we have had the same population figure for twenty years, around ten thousand inhabitants. We have had an industrial and commercial area very visited by people from all over the island for the quality of its shops for just as many years. However, we have been having traffic problems all this time, mainly in the accesses and exits, and with the problems caused by the presence of a highway that separates the two areas, and a passage between them that does not meet the minimum necessary conditions of accessibility and security. What I mean by this is that this is not a new situation, nor is it caused by the population growth of Playa Honda, that is clear.

The political party that holds the government in the municipality of San Bartolomé has been in power for 16 years and has not solved any of this so far. Not long ago, they began to defend the possibility of burying the LZ-2 as a solution to this problem, as long as the technical reports certified the viability of the proposal. Once the consultation with the Government of the Canary Islands is carried out, it issues a report in which seven different road options are presented, many of them with burial as a totally viable option. However, the report determines that the best option is to create a new road that bypasses the industrial area of Playa Honda and goes from the José Molina Orosa Hospital to the airport approximately. The Government of the Canary Islands begins the procedures for the execution of this last option, despite being the most expensive, due to the amount of money that must be dedicated to the expropriation of land, and the one with the greatest environmental impact due to the amount of territory it consumes, without entering into other considerations such as the protection of the jable passage or the species of flora and fauna that could be affected by this route.

Faced with this situation, no one gives explanations, neither the mayor of San Bartolomé, nor the president of the Cabildo, nor our regional parliamentarians. Why this change of criteria? How is it possible that a consultation is made on the possible burial of the LZ-2 to the Government of the Canary Islands and a new belt ends up being created that restricts the possible future development of Playa Honda? Is it an imposition of the Government of the Canary Islands? Do the Cabildo, the town hall and the citizens have nothing to say about it? And what we consider most outrageous, to what extent does this option solve the problems of Playa Honda? I'll tell you, in none, it does not improve the lives of our neighbors in any way.

On the other hand, the opposition parties in San Bartolomé limit themselves to defending the burial without much enthusiasm, more to wear down the political adversary than out of true conviction. From Lanzarote en Pie San Bartolomé, we do not fully agree with any of the options. The new road proposed by the Government of the Canary Islands does not seem to respond to a very thoughtful decision, wouldn't it be more appropriate to plan what you want to do in terms of mobility and roads at the island level? Develop a plan, not through imposition, but through consensus, with the participation of citizens, with respect for the environment, adjusting to the present and future needs of the island. It seems like a more appropriate and democratic way to act, don't you think?

In this polarized world in which we live, it seems that we always have to choose between two unique options, in this case burial or new road. Burial could be an option for the problems of Playa Honda, it is true, but it is still a very expensive option. It is more respectful of the environment than the other option mainly because it does not consume territory, not because it is environmentally adequate in itself, and I don't even want to think about the inconvenience that these works would cause for a prolonged time to residents and businesses in the municipality and to all those who pass through that road, which are not few.

"If you don't like anything, propose something", they will surely tell me. Without being a technician or specialist in the matter, I would dare to say that I think a simpler intervention could be done to solve the access problems of Playa Honda consisting of doing something similar to what was done on the LZ-3 at the intersection that connects Argana with the entrance to Arrecife from the barracks but, in this case, at the height of the Deiland roundabout. Separating on the one hand those who enter the industrial area from those who enter the residential area. In this way, what is today the bridge and the two roundabouts, having practically no traffic, could be converted into a spacious green, pedestrian and accessible area, thus uniting the two areas of Playa Honda.

Beyond whether the option I propose could be viable or not, (as I said before I am not a specialist in the matter), I believe that many times, getting involved in the political fight makes you lose perspective. There may be other avenues to explore that are not taken into account because time is being wasted in discussions, instead of being on what needs to be done, which is to seek and provide solutions to the problems of our neighbors.