On Thursday three platforms were installed next to the pavement in C/ Marina for bar terraces to relocate to. The aim is to free up pedestrian space along the pavement in the Sagrada Família area, which has a high volume of tourists. If the pilot scheme is successful the formula will be applied in other areas, including the entrances to some schools in the Eixample district.

The space previously taken up by bar terraces at C/ Marina 252, 256 and 262 are once again for pedestrian use thanks to the wooden platforms erected in the adjacent street parking spaces. In September platforms will also be set up in the section between C/ València and C/ Aragó and later, in C/ Sardenya. The two streets are those most affected by the movement of tourists between bus stops and temple.

The Sagrada Família receives 3.2 million visitors a year. One of the measures already taken to prevent overcrowding and allow local residents to get around freely was to move queues of visitors inside the temple grounds, rather than in the street. The tourist bus route was also re-defined via a process involving local citizens. The installation of the platforms is the latest measure in pacifying the area.

It is estimated that the initiative will create roughly 30% more pedestrian space in the corresponding area. This measure and others mean that the overall seating capacity at terraces will drop from 193 to 92, less than half the current total.