Out of cars, onto the cycle paths: Aligning Granada's traffic infrastructure with the European Green Deal

Abstract

If greenhouse gas emissions are not sharply reduced, air pollution, extreme weather events, and desertification in southern Spain will occur, along with many deaths, and collapses of the health system and the country’s main economic sectors, agriculture, and tourism. The European Union adopted a strategy in 2019 with a series of environmental policy initiatives to protect the population from climate change hazards as ‘the Green Deal’.This strategy provides funding opportunities for Granada, one of Spain's most polluted and climate change-vulnerable cities, to reduce its high emissions of harmful greenhouse gases from transport.A spacious, well-connected, and safe cycling infrastructure is needed. New on-road cycle lanes and cycle paths with planted barriers to the car lane should be constructed. An e-bike sharing system can also enable people with special needs to cycle in the hilly city and drive tourism. Extensive participation opportunities and assessments of disparate impacts on access and health outcomes of different population groups need to be used to ensure that existing inequalities are not exacerbated.