Finding parking in Salt has become a daily problem for drivers, residents and business customers, while the City Council has launched new urban development projects that will also affect parking spaces in various parts of the municipality.
The lack of space is repeated both in free zones and in regulated spaces and parking lots. Regular users of the municipality explain that not even the green zone guarantees a spot, since it is often also full. The situation drags on in different neighborhoods and affects both residents and people who travel to Salt for work, visits, or shopping.
"It's an odyssey" - Juana Ramírez, driver
Juana Ramírez, 24 years old, assures that when she goes to see her partner in Salt she often needs at least half an hour to park. She also points out two specific areas where the lack of lighting aggravates the feeling of insecurity at night, the area of the Vallvera institute and the surroundings of the Pompeu Fabra school.
The impact reaches neighbors and businesses
The pressure on parking not only complicates daily mobility. It also has effects on commercial activity. Fernando Espinosa, owner of a bar on Països Catalans street for 36 years, maintains that he has lost customers because they cannot find parking in the area.
"We have lost customers because they cannot find parking" - Fernando Espinosa, bar owner
Espinosa adds that he cannot benefit from the green zone as he is not registered in Salt, but in Sant Gregori, despite paying the vehicle tax in the municipality. In the neighborhood, some families have already opted for payment solutions. Isabel Garcia explains that at her house they decided to rent a space in a private parking lot near the home as they could not find a spot on the street. The cost is around 70 euros per month.
Les Guixeres, new parking lot underway
In parallel to these complaints, the City Council has started the first phase of the future les Guixeres car park. This action includes the partial demolition of two warehouses and the removal of asbestos from the roof. It is the preliminary step to prepare a plot of more than 6,700 square meters.
The municipal forecast is to enable in that space a parking lot with 214 spaces for cars and 8 for motorcycles. The first phase has a maximum period of three months. Afterwards, it is planned to build a new bridge over the Monar irrigation ditch and complete the adaptation of the plot. The global project is budgeted at 1.5 million euros.
The cycling network will also reduce spaces on several streets
At the same time, the municipality has put out to tender the first phase of the expansion of the cycling network, a project valued at 1.4 million euros between its two phases and linked to a state subsidy. The first stage has a budget of 900,165.88 euros and an estimated period of five months.
The first actions will focus on the Marquès de Camps promenade, Francesc Macià street, and Doctor Castany street. On the Marquès de Camps promenade, between Països Catalans avenue and Major street, the parking area in the direction of Major street will be eliminated to build a bidirectional bike lane. On Francesc Macià, the new route will occupy spaces currently designated for blue zone, loading and unloading, and motorcycle parking.
The second phase, still without a date, foresees interventions on Miquel Martí i Pol street, La Moreneta street, and Pau Masó street. In that stage, free parking spaces in front of the sports area will disappear. On La Moreneta street, a row of on-street parking spaces will be eliminated, and on Pau Masó street, free angled parking spaces will be transformed into on-street parking spaces. All of this keeps the debate open in Salt on how to balance sustainable mobility with a demand for parking that residents and users already consider insufficient.