The report, prepared by the company Gea21- Grups d’Estudis i Alternatives, outlines a revolution in two of the main road axes of the Girona capital, based on the «inverted pyramid of sustainable mobility». This philosophy prioritizes pedestrians, followed by bicycles and public transport, leaving private vehicles at the lowest level. The low-cost proposals are limited to signage, painting, and urban furniture, avoiding major civil works.
Regarding Barcelona road, the study points out deficiencies in pedestrian and cycling mobility, with narrow sidewalks and a lack of trees. It proposes creating a continuous cycling infrastructure and segregating buses in congested sections, especially northbound. The central idea is to apply a «funnel» from south to north, progressively reducing space for private traffic as it approaches the city center.
This translates into four distinct sections. From Mas Gri to the future Institut Ermessenda, the current section is maintained, but laterals will begin to be transformed into sidewalks. From the future Institut to Plaça Salvador Dalí, it is proposed to eliminate a northbound lane to create a bus lane and complete the bike lane. From Plaça Salvador Dalí to Passeig d'Olot, private circulation would be reduced to 1+1, the west sidewalk would be widened, and a bidirectional bike lane would be created. Finally, between Passeig d'Olot and La Devesa, it is proposed to penalize or restrict private traffic to reserve space for buses, taxis, loading and unloading, services, bicycles, and pedestrians.
In the short term, the study suggests two alternatives to begin the transformation. The first includes prohibiting northbound circulation on Ronda Ferran Puig, converting the freed lane into a bidirectional bike lane and reorganizing traffic flows on Álvarez de Castro. The second alternative adds the creation of an exclusive pedestrian space on the west roadway of Plaça Marquès de Camps, expanding the square and breaking the continuity of private traffic through the central section of the axis.
The intersection of Ronda Ferran Puig with Plaça Marquès de Camps is, in fact, the most polluted point in the city, with an average of 40 μg/m3 of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) recorded in 2024, exceeding the average of the monitoring network of 25.6 μg/m3 and the acceptable health limit.
Regarding Riu Güell street, the proposals are more moderate. They mainly focus on creating the pending bike lane section between Poble Sahrauí and Santa Eugènia streets, eliminating a traffic lane, and widening the bike lanes on Fontajau bridge. In the longer term, it is proposed to reduce the section between Passeig d'Olot and Santa Eugènia street to 1+1 to improve acoustic quality and widen sidewalks.
The study, titled Proposals for the road ordering of the Barcelona and Riu Güell street axes, was delivered in December 2024. Its background is twofold: to improve urban and environmental quality, including noise reduction and the implementation of the Low Emission Zone, and to change the logic of mobility in Girona, making crossing the city by car no longer the easiest and most competitive option.
