Almirante Reis bicycle path stays as it is. Currents Project on hold

In the opinion of the Mayor of Lisbon, "no more manipulating and bipolarizing the city". Carlos Moedas decided to withdraw his proposal for the construction of the new bike lane on Avenida Almirante Reis to go ahead. The project he had for a third pop-up is on hold and in the drawer; it may be recovered later, but the President's speech now points to a long-term vision for that Avenue.

"No more manipulating and bipolarizing the city. The issue is too relevant for partisan games. Mobility in the city cannot and should not be conditioned to a single bike lane. This is what I assumed from the very first moment. I still believe that the solution I presented is the right one, but in this case it is better for everyone to take a step aside to ensure prudent and fundamental serenity in the important discussions for the city. We will continue to work to rethink an intervention in Avenida Almirante Reis for everyone. I welcome the fact that all councilors have shown willingness to jointly debate a long-term project for Almirante Reis, as I have always advocated."

- statement by Carlos Moedas sent to journalists on Wednesday, June 8

The context

Carlos Moedas' statements came after a private meeting of the municipal executive, which took place this Wednesday morningand in which two proposals for the bicycle path on Avenida Almirante Reis were discussed off-agenda:

• a joint proposal by BE, Livre and Cidadãos Por Lisboa (CPL) which called for the new bike lane on that avenue to be supported by technical advice and a public consultation period of no less than 45 days and with all the processes, documents and reports associated with a formal public consultation;
• and a proposal by Carlos Moedas so that the work already underway on the Avenue would go ahead as scheduled by his Office.

You can check out the two proposals here:

Moedas eventually withdrew his proposal, which means that, in practice, no work will go forward on Almirante Reis. It doesn't mean that the mayor has given up on the project pop-up that it had for that avenue, but it means the suspension of it indefinitely. In his statement, Moedas said he still believes in the solution he presented, but spoke of giving "one step to the side" and in debating "a long-term project for Almirante Reis". The discussion and vote on the BE, Livre and CPL proposal was postponed to a future meeting.

The Coins Proposal

Worked within Carlos Moedas' Cabinet, in a process led by the President's advisor and architect João Castro, the proposal meant the following:

• eliminate the bike path in the upstream direction, returning the two traffic lanes in that direction. Put the entire bike lane, in bidirectional format in the downstream direction;
• the cycle track would continue to function as an emergency fast lane;
• limit the entire Avenida Almirante Reis and Rua da Palma to 30 km/h between Alameda and Martim Moniz with horizontal and vertical signaling;
• change the traffic directions in the surroundings of the Arroios Market.

You can get to know the proposal in more detail here, view the presentation made at the last public session here, see the detailed project here e see some additional documentation here.

The main premise for Moedas' proposal was a need to better flow traffic out of the city. The Mayor's Office presented some data showing a transfer of traffic to parallel, neighborhood streets with the implementation of the cycling channel on Almirante Reis.

The new bike path should cost between 290 and 400 thousand euros.

"A step aside" or a step back?

The President's position during Wednesday's private meeting and his statement sent afterwards to the media were quick perceived by the opposition represented in the City Council as a retreat of Moedas:

• o PS said that if Moedas had not withdrawn the proposal, the socialists would abstain - "even though I don't agree with design" -, so it would be approved. "We have a President who wants not to govern, but to victimize. Saying you don't want to polarize the debate at the very moment when you know you have a majority, after having spent weeks accusing the opposition of not letting you govern, is telling about your intentions."criticizes the PS, quoted by Público;
• from PCPCouncilman João Ferreira commented: "For someone who at one point was so sure about that bike path and what needed to be done in Almirante Reis, suddenly we've gone to a moment where it's all hesitation and some disorientation. This is still cause for some surprise, but, in fact, it seems to indicate the fhigh of a vision about what is intended for that axis“he said, quoted by Lusa;
• o Free welcomed, in a communiqué, the decision not to go ahead with the works for the time being, considering that they could "impairing the circulation of ambulances on Almirante Reis and endangering the safety of cyclists". He adds that "a The President's decision avoids unnecessary polarization of a subject that interests everyonewhile at the same time making room for public consultation".;
• already BEby Councilwoman Beatriz Gomes Dias, said that “a requalification solution is needed for the entire avenue and adjacent axes and will present its own initiative for this debate that Carlos Moedas indicated would take place after the discussion of the provisional amendment for the Almirante Reis bicycle lane, a time that now begins".. He said he was "available for working meetings to reach a consensus proposal".

Recall, however, that in an interview with Público in April 2021, when he was still a candidate aiming to defeat Medina in September of that year in the local elections, he had stated the following: "the bicycle lane on Avenida Almirante Reis is to be finished". However, the participatory process promoted by Moedas' Cabinet earlier this year made it clear that the bike path was going nowhere - the President had changed his position and was now looking for a solution that would consensualize the flow of upstream traffic with the maintenance of a continuous, segregated downstream bike lane.

Strong civil society opposition

In addition to strong opposition from the left represented in the Lisbon City Council, Moedas faced several protests from civil society. To wit:

• an manifestation that will have gathered a thousand people in October 2021, a day after Carlos Moedas took office. The demonstrators walked down the avenue and ended the protest at the City Hall;
• an petition with more than three thousand signatures delivered to the Municipal Assembly in early December 2021;
• an second manifestation with two hundred people in May 2022, part of the Massa Crítica movement. The participants walked down the Avenue from one end to the other to the sound of bells and shouts like "more bicycles";
• an picnic-protest which occupied a section of the Avenue in May 2022.

Climáximo, one of the civic collectives that helped organize some of these protests, sang "victory". In press releasementioned that "Carlos Moedas' decision to backtrack on the archaic proposal to remove part of the Almirante Reis bicycle lane in order to introduce more cars into the city is late, having lost months in an incomprehensible conflict in the middle of the climate crisis". Climáximo, one of the most active climate activism groups in our country, understands that "popular and social pressure was determinant for this outcome".

Difficult Opinions

Carlos Moedas' proposal for the bicycle path on Avenida Almirante Reis, which also included changes in the surroundings, would still have a difficult road ahead. Opinions from the fire department, EMEL, Carris, and the City Council's own Department of Mobility Management (DGM) presented several suggestions for improvement.

Not being binding, the opinions - to which Lisboa Para Pessoas accessed and that were all dated after the start of field markings - could mean changes to the original project e construction delays which, after preliminary work in March, would begin on May 30 and last for three months. None of the opinions were negative towards Moedas' proposal.

What then did the different entities say?

• on the Regiment of Sappers Fire BrigadeThe opinion dated May 30 states that the new solution is detrimental to the rescue and that "now, going up and down, the rescue vehicles are never held up in traffic because they use the bike lanes. The firemen add, however, that "the solution presented has advantages in terms of mobility of rescue means" compared to Medina's version with bollards.
• on the EMELIn its May report, EMEL makes some suggestions on traffic signalization. For example, in the bike lane connection on Avenida Guerra Junqueiro, EMEL recommends that the current design of the pedestrian and bike lane crossings and the existing signalization be maintained.
• on the CarrisIn a report dated June 2, the opinion makes practical proposals for changes to the location of bus stops and the circulation of buses. Several of Carris' concerns relate to Rua Carlos Mardel, in the vicinity of the Arroios Market, where it would be necessary to ensure that there is no abusive parking in order to allow buses to turn around on the "very tight curve" right at the beginning of the street. In the same Carlos Mardel, Carris says it is necessary to guarantee a minimum width of 3.65 meters throughout the street and suggests a BUS corridor with at least 50 meters at the end of the street, "by eliminating some of the herringbone parking provided in this project", to increase "significantly the outflow" of the street. It also suggests the creation of a temporary traffic circle in Chile Square, until the project under study for the avenue - Carris says that this will take pressure off Rua Carlos Mardel and make it easier to turn onto Rua Morais Soares;
• on the side of the Lisbon Chamber - through the Department of Mobility Management (DGM), which integrates the Municipal Mobility Department (DMM) - an opinion dated June 3, makes several notes. It indicates that the circulation of buses on Rua Carlos Mardel, an area of "residential use"would go for "high frequency expected" of the same, to induce "increased noise level" - suggests the Carris alternative of revising Praça do Chile. DGM also warns that the inclusion of two traffic directions on Rua José Falcão may lead to an increase in "traffic volume at peak hours on Rua Alves Torga/Rua de Arroios"., which "is already at the limit, considering it is a neighborhood area". The same department also makes other detailed notes, for example, on pedestrian crossings, loading and unloading, street widths, or vehicle left and right turns.

What's coming?

With Moedas' project on the back burner, the Almirante Reis issue is not on hold, however. What could come next?

• the discussion of the BE, Livre and CPL proposal, which may determine a public consultation period on the Almirante Reis. This proposal is already submitted and will need to be discussed and voted on at a future city council meeting, unless it is withdrawn - which is unlikely at today's date. However, the parties may reframe this discussion to be more about the Avenue as a whole and less about the bike path;
• Free has a preliminary proposal for a background requalification of Almirante Reis, which presented in April at LACS, in Anjos. The party is currently collecting people's contributions for this proposal on your site. We should know more about this work in the coming months;
• the PCP already announced that will present a proposal for the creation of a participative Urban Plan for Avenida Almirante Reis which "integrate and enhance true public participation and act on the set of urban, environmental, social problems through the cross-fertilization of knowledge and resources". The communists want to think not only the Avenue but all its surroundings, including Largo de Santa Bárbara, Largo das Igreja dos Anjos, Praça das Novas Nações or Jardim Constantino, in the various dimensions "from the point of view of biodiversity, pedestrian enjoyment, public transport and mobility";
• in September, the drainage works at Almirante Reis that will disrupt traffic on a section of this avenue for two years in the Intendente area. Any major work on this axis will only be able to move forward after 2024;
• by not advancing the new pop-up at Almirante Reis (at least, for now), it remains to be seen if the previous version will finally be completed. The traffic lights in the Alameda area have been off since they were installed during the previous term.

What is certain is that there seems to be a give up on the side of Moedas' leadership to think about Almirante Reis in the short term. The Mayor had said at the beginning of the mandate that he wanted two solutions for the Avenue: an immediate one to solve the problems he said existed with the current bike path; and a long-term one to dignify that axis.

Speaking to Lusa, at the end of Wednesday's meeting, Carlos Moedas said the following: "My opinion on the bike path stands: it was a mistake. In fact, it was done and redone, built and rebuilt, so I don't want to now fall again here into a polarization of doing and then undoing and redoing. Let's think long term." And he pushed a conversation about this solution until after the drainage plan works.