Since Lisbon City Council began implementing pop-up cycle lanes in the city, one in particular has become controversial. The one on Almirante Reis, which removed an uphill lane from road traffic in order to introduce a two-way cycle lane, has become the target of successive criticisms by the Facebook group Neighbors of Arroioswhose self-appointed representative even had a meeting with CML's Councillor for Mobility, Miguel Gaspar.
One of the characteristics of pop-up bike lanes is that they are temporary, which is why Avenida Almirante Reis will be altered - as has already happened with another one on Rua Cidade de Bissau, in Olivais. So instead of being two-way, the controversial cycle path will become one-way and will be extended to Areeiro.
The new configuration of the cycle path was tested on a real scale on a plot of land in the Parque das Nações area to ensure its functionality. One of the aims is for the space for cars to be wider, so that in the event of an accident or breakdown, for example, one car can go around another. The measurements and contours have been tried out on the Almirante Reis replica to ensure that everything turns out as planned.
The Almirante Reis cycle lane will run alongside the central divider and will have two lanes in each direction (uphill and downhill), 1.70 meters wide - In total, the space for cyclists will increase. According to the Público newspaper, the alteration work will start by the end of the year on the section that doesn't yet have a cycle lane, between Areeiro and Alameda, followed by intervention on the rest of the road - although the final part, at Rua da Palma, may remain as it is.
