He argued that a largely pedestrian area installed by the previous administration was “impossible” to manage due to the traffic jams it created and proposed scrapping the low-emissions zone.
The opposition to greener transport is led by Madrid Mayor José Luis Martínez-Almeida, who recorded a video of himself stuck in traffic on a motorbike in 2019 as he campaigned to lead the city government. Related: In Spain after lockdown, soccer resumes for men - but not for women Madrid also received the unwelcome accolade of being named the deadliest city for air pollution in Europe based on its levels of nitrogen dioxide. Spain recently found that children living in its most polluted city neighborhoods weigh less at birth and have a lower life expectancy than their peers in rural areas. The elementary school sits a few feet from 10 lanes of city traffic on one of Madrid’s busiest boulevards. On a recent Friday afternoon in March, families and their kids gathered in front of the Colegio Palacio Valdés. Revuelta Escolar grew out of the Fridays for Future climate movement and already had significant success in Barcelona before arriving in the capital. Related: Kids in Spain venture outside for first time in weeks Two groups have formed - Revuelta Escolar (School Revolt) and Revuelta Vecinal (Neighborhood Revolt) - to take back the streets from cars in the form of road-closure protests. Madrid activists are trying to change that with an anti-car movement. Related: Madrid residents long for green space during city park closures
The Spanish capital’s bike-sharing program hit new records during the pandemic, but this was vastly outpaced by the increased use of private vehicles. London, Paris and Mexico City have all welcomed record numbers of cyclists onto their streets, but Madrid lags far behind the trend. The goal is to make public transport less crowded and reduce the spread of the virus. Cities worldwide have transformed their streets into pedestrian-friendly spaces to encourage cycling and walking during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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