The urban project to extend the bike lane along this stretch of Av. Diagonal includes the creation of rest areas with benches, chairs, litter bins and parking facilities for bicycles. A bike counter will also be installed to gather data on monthly and annual volumes of users and green areas have had a boost too, with garden areas along much of the embankments and other spaces with vegetation.

Besides promoting more sustainable means of transport, safe mobility will also be an important factor, with fencing and safety rails along the entire route and street lighting operating 20 hours a day. Likewise, the bike lane and the footpath will be segregated to ensure safe and respectful use by all users along the new section.

The extension forms part of the Bicivia network, a series of bike lanes uniting Barcelona’s entire metropolitan area with nine major cyclable axis: four main paths following the Llobregat and Besòs river courses, and five horizontal paths crossing the city from East to West.

An urban model promoting sustainable mobility

The extension to the cycling network is part of the strategy to promote cycling as a sustainable mobility option, as set out in the Urban Mobility Plan 2013-2018. Since being implemented, the plan has increased the amount of bike lanes and cyclable routes by over 150% and the prevision is for the network to continue expanding. Work is currently under way on bike lanes in: C/ Ramon Trias Fargas (between C/ Provença and C/ Camèlies), Vallcarca (C/ Esteve Terradas completed, work being done in Av. Vallcarca), the route along C/ Navas de Tolosa , C/ Bilbao and C/ Jonquera, the route along C/ Pau Casals and C/ Bori i Fontestà, and connections between C/ Gran Capità and C/ Carreras, Av. Reina Maria Cristina and C/ Taulat and Pl. Llevant.