It was one of the critical points for Carris traffic. Rua de São Paulo, in Cais do Sodré, no longer has parking on the sides in favor of the fluidity of public transport. Bollards have been installed to block access to the old spaces and increase pedestrian space and, at some points, bicycle parking spaces have been installed.
Parking spaces have been completely removed in the section between Praça de São Paulo and the Bica elevator, while new spaces have been created in adjacent streets. According to a statement from EMEL, "the widening of the sidewalk area of Rua de São Paulo will improve pedestrian mobility and allow the creation of terraces, promoting the recovery of local commerce during the period of deconfinement, and ensuring the gradual and safe return to normal day-to-day life".
Rua de São Paulo was a time-wasting area for Carris due to poor parking. "In 2019 alone, Carris passengers lost more than 94 hours at a standstill, as a result of more than 150 incidents, many of which were due to badly parked cars that blocked the passage of the transport they were following"says EMEL.
A month after the intervention, the Lisbon City Council tweeted referred to that the number of incidents on Rua de São Paulo with Carris has halved.
