In a Ferrari on a pedestrian walkway in Alicante

Residents of Albufereta complain that Alicante’s new pedestrian promenade, which opened to the public a year ago, has become an issue due to the frequent presence of motor cars, which are barred from entering. Residents complain about the lack of bollards and signage, claiming that “incursions” by automobiles and motorcyclists have occurred often in recent weeks.

Christina Knutsson, president of the local residents’ association, believes the situation “has become very dangerous,” because the space where vehicles are accessing “is one that is frequently used by the elderly, children, people in wheelchairs, and pets,” and she is concerned that an accident will occur.

Residents have filmed half a dozen recordings of cars and motorcycles utilising the pedestrian walkway in only the last few weeks. The issue, they argue, is a lack of safety measures: “At the end of the path, on Calle Sol Naciente next to the TRAM stop, the path ends and joins the road without any bollards or barriers,” adds Knutsson.

Furthermore, because it is a dead-end street, he claims that inattentive cars who come across the greenway choose to turn around along the pedestrian walkway rather than backtracking dozens of metres.

According to the association’s representative, this disagreement “would be resolved with some security measures and also with more signage, as there is practically none.” In fact, Knutsson advises that taxis, vacationers, and even emergency services are sometimes disoriented when visiting the area: “It’s a very complex street, and there are no signs to warn you; even ambulances responding to emergencies get confused.”

Waiting for the meeting

For these reasons, the group notes out that it requested a meeting with the Councillor for Mobility, Carlos de Juan, a month ago but has yet to hear back. In addition to the current concerns with the La Cantera greenway, the locals intend to discuss a variety of accessibility issues in the neighbourhood with the City Council at that meeting.

In this regard, they recognise the importance of addressing instances like Teresa’s, a wheelchair-bound homeowner who is forced to share the road with automobiles, motorcycles, and trucks until she can jump onto a kerb due to the 500-metre distance between her house and the next accessible sidewalk. Furthermore, many of the people who are adapted face additional obstructions, such as lamps in the middle of the sidewalk, plants that encroach on pedestrian space, or minor landslides that “eat up” the kerb, making their everyday lives more difficult.

Albufereta inhabitants, on the other hand, are concerned about the increasing number of motorhomes staying the night in the neighbourhood. After numerous towns along the Alicante coast tightened limits on these cars in areas such as Agua Amarga and Santa Pola, citizens complain that they are frequently seen parking near the local breakwaters.