It works as a kind of "Ask Me Anything. The municipal deputies ask and the Lisbon City Hall answers. For four hours, the different political forces represented in the Lisbon Municipal Assembly (AML) were able to question the city council's executive. The questions are sent in advance and the answers are prepared by the councilors, who consult the City Council's services and technicians.

The topics covered were diverse and previously announced on the AML website.

The session had, as the usual plenary sessions of the Assembly, online broadcasting on YouTube. Next, Lisboa Para Pessoas highlights the main themes and the answers that the CML executive gave to the municipal deputies.

PEV: when will the Alcântara underpass be rehabilitated?

The PEV deputy Cláudia Madeira took the subject of the Alcântara underpass, "which is dirty, rundown, poorly lit, unsafe, where the escalators don't work and there are no elevators ", as we reported here. "This underpass, which opened 50 years ago, has been the responsibility of the City since 2005"said the ecologist, saying that the municipality has never given an answer to the accessibility problems verified in that space "in addition to minor interventions in terms of cleaning and lighting".Although promises have been made. Cláudia said that on the surface there are no conditions for safe pedestrian crossingwho want to "make the crossing from the riverside area to the more central part of the parish, who want to access the Alcântara-Mar station or simply want to cross the avenue".

The answer:

Vice President Filipe Anacoreta Correia gave a "pretty straightforward answer"It is planned to upgrade the Alcântara underpass. "and the area surrounding the Alcântara-Mar station". "It is planned that the said works will start in the second quarter of 2023 with a duration of 10 months."It is expected to be completed in "first quarter 2024"he explained.

No further details were given.

MPT: when will the audit of the cycling network start?

José Inácio Faria, MPT/Partido da Terra municipal deputy, asked for an update on the promised audit of Lisbon's cycling network.

The answer:

Filipe Anacoreta Correia, who took over the Mobility portfolio earlier this year, indicated that his predecessor, Ângelo Pereira, "authorized the hiring in November" and that, "at this moment, the tendering process is underway". “We have already received all the responses and they are being analyzed. We think that by the end of the month, more likely during the next month, we will be able to award the contract.said the responsible. In other words, Lisbon City Hall launched a call for tenders to choose a company to audit the city's cycling network, has already received the proposals and will decide on the winning entity between the end of January and February. Anacoreta Correia also said that the audit will have "a shelf life of eight months"so the results will be presented to the autarchy "probably in the third or fourth quarter" this year's.

The context:

While the Councilman of Mobility was speaking in the Assembly, the Municipal Director of Mobility, Ana Raimundo, was presenting the municipality's strategy in the field of active mobility in a seminar promoted by ANSR (National Road Safety Authority). In this conference, Raimundo confirmed that the company that will conduct the audit will be chosen by the end of February and that its work will focus on an evaluation of the existing network, looking particularly at intersections and identifying sections for improvement. It will also make a prioritization of the improvements to be made, "based on an assessment of the problems and how easy it is to make improvements".

Between March and July, and while the audit is underway, the Chamber will be focused on prioritizing the new works for the network expansion, on how to resolve discontinuities and on improving intersections, as well as on ensuring the maintenance of existing infrastructure.

BE: is there a willingness to rethink traffic on Silver Street, taking advantage of the unexpected construction work?

Municipal deputy Isabel Pires asked, given the "unexpected circumstance" that led to the interruption of traffic on Rua da Prata and his desire to have "more streets in downtown Lisbon without traffic or with much less traffic", whether it is "thought of some intervention in this road that rethinks the traffic in a more profound way" on this street.

The answer:

The Municipal Works Councilwoman, Filipa Roseta, recovered the context that he had given in the previous session of the Municipal Assembly and mentioned that "the work will be long, and let's think about what that space [Silver Street] can be“without going into further detail or making any commitments. Roseta said that "the [drainage] manifold rebates are complicated" and that "we have about 10 works" related with rebates "right now in the city". "The Silver Street one is more complex"mentioned. "It's mainly a restoration operation, because we're going to redo the Pombaline collector [that broke] with the original stones."

The context:

The Free presented last week, in a private town hall meeting, a suggestion: recover ZER ABC's proposal for Silver StreetThe street will be permanently closed to road traffic after the sewer repair work, keeping only streetcar 15, making the street essentially pedestrian and introducing a bicycle path.

IL: will the CML reinforce the enforcement of scooters to enforce the rules already existing in the Highway Code?

Liberal deputy Rodrigo Mello Gonçalves recalled, in the Municipal Assembly, that rules for scooters and bicycles are already defined in the Highway Code, which can be better enforced, regardless of the new agreement between shared micromobility operators and the future regulation."Violations such as using headphones, riding on the sidewalk, using a scooter by more than two people or not respecting traffic signs are already foreseen [in the Highway Code], as well as the respective fines that in some cases can go up to 600 euros."said the Liberal Initiative deputy. "More than new rules, what we need to ensure is the application, compliance and enforcement of those that already exist" Mello Gonçalves mentioned that "today there is a feeling of impunity on the part of many users of scooters and bicycles" and asked whether the City Council intended, with the Municipal Police, to monitor compliance "of the rules that already exist".

The answer:

The Vice-President and Alderman for Mobility, Filipe Anacoreta Correia, did not answer about the inspection of scooters by the Municipal Police at this stage, having highlighted the agreement signed last week between the operators. "We were able to call operators to awareness and responsibility"he said, mentioning that the agreement is a "innovative method, not only in national terms, but also internationally". The signed document "provides for regular meetings, on a monthly basis, which will be an opportunity for us to deepen" the regulation of shared micromobility. The next step will be the regulation, which is being drafted and which, in addition to the issues already covered by agreement, will allow for the "licensing of public space and operators" of scooters.

The context:

On January 9th, the Lisbon City Council signed a collaboration agreement with the five scooter and bike sharing operators to solve three problems identified by the autarchy: the excessive number of vehicles present in the city, the multiple situations of abusive parking and the maximum speed circulation. Thus, Lisbon will have a maximum of 7500 shared scooters in the winter and 8750 in the summer; these vehicles can only be parked in certain locations (otherwise, users will not be able to finish their trips); and the maximum speed will be increased to 20 km/h.

Free: how is the climate refuge project going?

"2022 was the hottest year on record, it had six heat waves and we know that the next few years will be like that. It is urgent to make sure that there are pleasant spaces throughout the city with mild temperatures where people can be and seek refuge in the hottest hours."said Isabel Mendes Lopes, municipal deputy for Livre. Isabel Mendes Lopes wanted to know what is being done to create climate refuges in Lisbon, who in the city council is responsible for this project, and what the budget is.

The answer:

Ângelo Pereira, Alderman in charge of Green Structure and Civil Protection, among others, explained that the climate refuges "are under the responsibility of the Municipal Civil Protection Servicethat it will develop this project together with the National Civil Protection Authority and is part of the Cool the City Program“. The climate refuges "will be realized in locations that are being selected in public space and in public space buildings as contingency measures for heat waves". According to Ângelo Pereira, "proximity solutions" will be privileged, such as parks and gardens of the city's Green Structure, and "buildings and equipment with climate control systems and areas available to accommodate people in thermal discomfort will be selected".

The context:

In July 2022, the Free Party had recommendedin the Municipal Assembly the creation of climatic refuges in the city of Lisbon, taking inspiration from cities like Barcelona or Paris, which have created networks of cool places where people can escape the heat waves. In December, in a small gatheringHelena Barros Gomes, landscape architect from the Municipal Green Structure, Environment and Energy Department, presented the Cool the City Programin which micro-scale, easy-to-implement solutions for cooling the city's public space are proposed.

PCP: when will the works on the Carnide Urban Park be resumed?

Fábio Sousa, President of the Carnide Parish Council and municipal deputy for the PCP, took the topic of Carnide Urban Parkwho has had a difficult birth, and where the new Feira Popular de Lisboa was planned to be installed. But even with the People's Fair uncertain future, the Urban Park is to be finished and opened. "The PCP argued in July last year that the municipality should find an alternative space for the Feira Popular" if you give up building it in that Urban Park. "Since the closure of the Feira Popular in Entrecampos by a PSD/CDS management decision in 2003, the PCP has argued that the city of Lisbon should not be deprived of a space with those characteristics. Lisbon must have a Feira Popular".Fábio Sousa said, adding that the PCP defended the location of the new Feira Popular on the riverfront "in an area integral to the urbanization plan of the Expo zone" but that did not stop supporting Carnide's choice, criticizing, however, "the lack of involvement of the Parish Council and the population" in this decision. Feira Popular aside, Fábio Sousa asked "how much will the works on the Carnide Urban Park be resumed, since the City Council informed us that it would have reached an agreement with the contractor by the end of 2022".

The answer:

Focusing on the Urban Park, where she has been more focused, Filipa Roseta, Councillor for Municipal Works, mentioned that "we are trying between the Environment [Municipal Directorate] and the Legal Department to reach an agreement with the contractor. Because of various difficulties, it is being complicated, but we are still hoping to get it soon. If we can't we will have to go another way.". For the rest, Roseta's statements were similar July: "it's a wrapped up work that we are trying to unwrap". "The work was supposed to be completed in 2020. When we arrived [at City Hall] in 2021, we had a contractor who had abandoned the work and it was half done."

PS: when is the final version of the Climate Action Plan 2030 published?

Luís Coelho, socialist municipal deputy, asked when the Municipal Assembly will receive the final version of the Climate Action Plan 2030 (PAC 2030) so that it can discuss and vote on this document. He mentioned that the CAP 2030 "translates a decade-long commitment to make the Portuguese capital a neutral and resilient city, setting targets to reduce gas emissions by 2030 and setting the path to carbon neutrality by 2050". "It is strange that after 10 months, the PAC 2030 has not yet been sent by the City Council so that it can be discussed and approved by this Assembly"he said, accusing the city council of "inertia"as it approved the document in March 2022.

The answer:

Filipe Anacoreta Correia explained that "there was a positive event that was Lisbon being chosen as one of the 100 cities that anticipated most of the objectives that were foreseen in the Climate Action Plan". The Vice-President was referring to the project 100 Cities Mission of the European Commission, which is counting on Lisbon to become carbon neutral by 2030. "Carbon neutrality was planned for 2050 and we have anticipated it by 20 years"explained Anacoreta Correia. Therefore, the PAC has to be reviewed, he said. "We have to review the Climate Action Plan that has been approved and that requires working with the European Commission, because that is what is also foreseen under the 100 cities program."he clarified, pointing out that the response from the European Commission's side has been less at the moment, "due to several emergencies that happened in Europe"such as the War in Ukraine. "So that's just the reason. The Climate Action Plan that was approved in the Chamber has become outdated And that's why it didn't come to the Municipal Assembly."

The context:

O Climate Action Plan 2030 (PAC 2030) was presented and put out for public consultation in 2021. This process resulted in a final document that was eventually approved in March 2022 by the Lisbon City Council executive, and was never released. However, the initial version of the PAC, as well as the public consultation report, can be downloaded here:

BE: why doesn't Carris make data access free to enable innovation?

Isabel Pires, BE municipal deputy, asked why the "exclusion on Carris' part from access to data that could enhance projects" such as GeoBusa voluntary application created by João to help users of public transportation. "There are those who want to go further, who think projects, who put the information about mobility in a more user-friendly way for daily use"Isabel Pires said, praising GeoBus and its functionality to predict waiting times with traffic data. For the bloquista, it would be important the "open access to data" to "leveraging tools that go beyond those that already exist".

The answer:

The deputy's question was not answered.

The context:

Hours after the news from Lisboa Para Pessoas about GeoBus, a application that João Vasconcelos created voluntarily to help people know where the Carris buses are in real timethe carrier's data became inaccessible. Carris changed the key, making it impossible for João to access the API. Without real-time information about the buses, GeoBus becomes useless. "It leaves me quite frustrated and disappointed. Even more so because Carris is a public company, now under the management of the Lisbon City Council."João laments. You can read the story here.

BE: Does the City have a project to solve the accessibility problems at Carris?

Isabel Pires also questioned the executive regarding Carris' failures in terms of full accessibility. The BE municipal deputy said that "there have been too many times" in which people with limited mobility "find it extremely difficult to get to their work, to go to an appointment, or to do any ordinary task like anyone else". That is, they still have to "fight hard for your right to mobility". Isabel Pires said "accessibility conditions for everyone on Carris are not yet completely guaranteed". and asked "whether the City Council has taken note of this problem and when a definitive resolution of these situations on Carris buses will be forthcoming". The deputy took the opportunity to mention the lack of accessibility in the public space, where often "on one street that accessibility exists but around the corner it no longer exists".

The answer:

Filipe Anacoreta Correia said that the Carris' special service for reduced mobilityfor people with 60% disability or more, will be "integrated into the Navigator Pass". "The information I have is that that is being implemented and it's not yet." Currently, this service is paid, costing 2 euros per trip (on-board fare), and the Navegante pass is not accepted. The Councilman of Mobility said that the accessibility problem "It's not unique to Carris, unfortunately. It is common to the public space. Also in the Metro there are obstacles to people with reduced mobility". For Anacoreta Correia, the issue cannot be approached "generic" but at the level of "concrete situations"The municipality intends to develop a pilot and example neighborhood in terms of full accessibility to test solutions that can later be extended to the entire city. "We would very much like to have in the city of Lisbon a pilot project for people with reduced mobility, which could be implemented by an application from a Junta de Freguesia (parish council) in the scope of the investment contracts"he detailed. "Instead of trying to achieve [accessibility] broadly across the whole city, which is almost impossible, we're going to look for territories that can be exemplary and can then be extended to other areas."

MPT: Where does the planning of the LIOS network stand?

"Where does the LIOS network planning stand?"José Inácio Faria, MPT/earth party's municipal deputy, asked. LIOS is to be a light rail surface network, divided into two sub-networks: the Western LIOS, which will connect Lisbon and Oeiras; and the Eastern LIOS, which will connect Lisbon and Loures.

The answer:

Filipe Anacoreta Correia, Vereador of Mobility, explained that Lisbon City Hall has "accompanied the evolution of the project, namely with great involvement of some services of the City Council and also of Carris". "We are aware that this is a great project and that it will have a great boost this year," he added, noting that "the Metro [of Lisbon] took charge of the design [of the route] in dialogue with the municipalities"..

The context:

The realization of LIOS results from collaboration between the Lisbon, Oeiras and Loures City Councils, Carris and Metro de Lisboa, which is leading the project. In this scope, there are two lines under study: the Western LIOS will connect Oeiras to Alcântara, and the Eastern LIOS will run between Santa Apolónia and Sacavém. According to information available at Metro de Lisboa website, Different routes are being studied with the three municipalitiesfollowed by the global feasibility study phase where a comparative analysis of the different hypotheses will be included in order to choose the most advantageous route from the environmental, technical, economic, and social points of view. Then the Preliminary Study and the Environmental Impact Study will be carried out. The total length of the two lines, as well as the number of stops, will depend on the route that is selected. There is no investment window yet for this project, which is still in its infancy.

PEV: What are the deadlines for the electrification of the Port of Lisbon?

"It is well known that pollution from shipping has very negative consequences, as it affects air quality, water quality, biodiversity, climate and human health."says Cláudia Madeira, from the PEV. The environmentalist deputy pointed out that "cruise ship tourism represents one of the main sources of pollution" of the city and who don't even pay the two-euro tourist tax, contributing to the dynamism and improvement of the city. "In 2019, this fee earned the council about 36 million euros." Cláudia Madeira wanted to know "whether the City will minimize environmental impacts and invest that tourist tax in the electrification of the Cruise Terminal". "What is the status and timeframe for creating the conditions for supplying electricity to the ships at berth, and what steps has the City already taken to restrict cruise ship berthing based on the fuel used and the amount of pollutant emissions produced?"

The answer:

Filipe Anacoreta Correia said that the electrification of the Cruise Terminal is a concern "very pertinent" and that it is a will of the Lisbon Chamber. "We have had a dialogue with APL [Port of Lisbon Administration] to create conditions for the electrification of the Port, which, as you understand, is not the competence of the City Council. But we have conveyed our concern on this matter." The Vice President said that this electrification is being prepared "with a very relevant undertaking and a very large investment by APL".stating that "soon" will be "in a position" to give more details. "What I know is that the intention is to take advantage of some of the works in progress in the present year 2023 with the PGDL [Lisbon General Drainage Plan] in order to reconcile the two works, which are really of great dimension"Anacoreta Correia added, pointing out that the Chamber's investment is "of persuasion and follow-up" so that electrification of the Cruise Terminal may come to fruition "as soon as possible".

Regarding the tourist tax, the vice-president of the municipality said that "the City Council has had a great effort so that the cruise ship activity also starts to be charged this tax, which is foreseen in the regulation but has not been charged".. On the operators' side, Anacoreta Correia says that it is necessary "some time in advance" in the decision because passengers buy the cruises some time in advance. "The Chamber is determined about this matter. It seems unacceptable and incomprehensible to us that cruise ship passengers do not pay the tourist tax", reinforced, advancing the "first half of the year" as a timetable for the resolution of the question.

Free: Bicycle Trains will start at the beginning of the school year?

For the second consecutive school year, the Bicycle Trains are not starting in schools as early as September, but in the middle of that school year. It happened last school yearThis is what is happening this school year 2022/23, and only this January the Bicycle Trains are taking to the streets. Isabel Mendes Lopes, Free municipal deputy, wanted to understand why and if this municipal program will be, starting next school year, integrated into the school calendar and the life of schools."Despite our insistence, this school year started again without the Bike Trains program. The entire first [school] term went by without the Trains resuming. Now finally the Trains are starting to take off in several schools. And the 300 children who are enrolled show the willingness and the importance of this program."she pointed out. "How is it being guaranteed that next school year we start with Bike Trains and we don't go the entire first term without Bike Trains?"

The answer:

The Councilman for Mobility, Filipe Anacoreta Correia, highlighted the importance and interest of the Bicycle Trains for the city's mobility dynamics and said that the municipal program "is in a position to be able to continue and be strengthened". "Incidentally, we already have more enrollments this year than we had last school year. So it's a program that "is in a position to be strengthened" and that the municipality wants it to pass "following the school year cycle". Next week, Anacoreta Correia will "participate in an action to enhance this project"he announced without giving details.