Cities used to think the solution to heavy traffic was more roads, whether that came in the form of new freeways or extra lanes. But it’s more and more common now to go in the other direction and take lanes away. In Madrid, according to a new general plan that will likely be approved early next year, 24 of the city’s busiest streets are going to be redesigned for walking instead of cars. advertisement advertisement The streets will link up with urban parks in an “environmental network” that gives top priority to pedestrians, followed by public transportation, then bikes, and finally cars. As some of the car lanes go away in the process, two-thirds of that space will go to people on foot. It’s not the first time Madrid has reclaimed pavement from cars; some streets off the main city square, like Calle del Arenal, are almost completely car-free. A couple of years ago, the city even tore down a freeway, rebuilding it underground so the space could … [Read more...] about Goodbye Car Lanes: Madrid Wants To Take Back Streets For Pedestrians
