September 2014
Starting January, the City of Madrid will close off 190
hectares of its central core to traffic, expanding its restricted
vehicular areas to 352 hectares. Vehicles not belonging to residents
within the city’s four most central barrios will be restricted to large
avenues. If a vehicle enters the car-less zone, and does not have access
to one of the 13 official parking lots, the owner will be automatically
ticketed €90 ($115 U.S). The new legislation is part of a larger goal
to completely pedestrianization central Madrid by 2020.
At the moment, the goal is to reduces vehicular traffic by
more than a third in restricted areas. As Justice Minister Alberto
Ruiz-Gallardón describes: ”The main objective is to reduce traffic
passing through neighborhoods and looking for parking agitation, while
increasing parking spaces for residents.”
