It seems that civil services are realizing and trying to work for promoting sustainable transport, following the example of other cities.  The Provincial Council is one of the first on getting down to work through sustainable urban mobility plans.

These plans are focused for those villages with more than 10.000 inhabitants and they want to improve the traffic and reduce the carbon dioxide emissions to the atmosphere. The Provincial Council is the responsible for preparing the projects for those village councils which apply for them, but the councils shall set the project in motion and finance the measures established in the project.

Pilar Parra, the local Deputy for Tourism, Local Development, Sustainability and Culture, explains that “the first thing we do is a study of the municipal situation, its parking, bus lines, loading and uploading areas, etc. From the results produced by this study, measures are set in motion.”

The awareness of the citizens is also necessary and basic. To date, Alcaudete, Linares and Úbeda have their mobility plans. In Jaén itself the study is being done and, during this year, according to the Provincial Council, the plans for La Carolina, Baeza, Marmolejo, Andujar, Alcalá la Real, Cazorla, Bailén, Villacarillo, Villanueza del Arzobispo, Jódar and Torreperogil are going to be started.

Linares

Pilar Parra holds Linares as an example of the measures created, such as it has been approved that the public transport were free for students. Besides, it has been planned that streets were pedestrian and there were a bike lane in the new university campus.

Another example is Úbeda, where the Council put a link in its website for collecting the suggestions of the citizens, who have actively collaborated in the future design of the city regarding the traffic. Parra explains that “many villages have created a Municipal Traffic Board, composed by different groups, where everybody contributes with their suggestions for the Mobility Plan.”

Transport

Transport plans are included in the mobility plans, which are specific measures in city or village areas where the traffic is excessively intense. According to Pilar Parra, a transport plan for the industrial area Polígono de los Olivares and Princesa Hospital is being executing in Jaén. Another plan will be made for Geolit, a scientific and technology park, and another one for the industrial area El Martinón in La Carolina.

These plans are not also for solving a problem which is present in the bigger villages but also for influencing on saving and integration.

This saving has two aspects: on one hand, citizens are going to save money using public transport or sharing the car with workmates, and, on the other hand, there will be an energy saving. It should think that the CO2 emission will be reduce in an 11% after the set in motion of the Mobility Plan. Related to integration, Parra said that studies will show neighborhoods which are marginalized because of transport links, so they will be able to reintegrate thanks to this plan.