Madrid returns to normal. And the normality is also the
monumental traffic jams
and the total collapse of the traffic. The
return to the offices
after the long
pandemic
, the reluctance of thousands of people to still use
public transport
and, this week, the
commuter drivers' strike
are making traffic levels very similar to those before the Covid-19 pandemic. And in some peaks of the day, higher, especially between 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m.
The works in some strategic points of the circulation of Madrid, with a significant reduction of lanes, as is the case in the
Nudo Norte
, are putting the rest so that the capital is becoming a mousetrap for cars at certain times.
The
Madrid City Council
is aware and is trying to promote public transport to also recover the levels of use before the pandemic.
As sources from
the Environment and Mobility Area
assure
, the
M-30
already has almost the same traffic as in 2019. The average daily traffic this week reflects a reduction of 3% over what there was two years ago, but with peaks times in which it is being exceeded.
The
morning rush hour
, they explain from the Consistory, is being lower in intensity than before the
Covid
.
It starts later and also ends later.
The main problems are coming from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
The
afternoon rush hour
, from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., has been reduced by the concentration of working hours and teleworking, as explained to this newspaper from the City Council of the capital.
October, the worst month
As they add from Mobility, October "historically always registers the worst data on congestion and traffic intensity of the year."
A circumstance aggravated these days by the high incidence of the Renfe strike.
This October, in addition, it is necessary to add up to
seven long-term works
that keep numerous routes closed. Among them, the most important are those of the Nudo Norte, which joins the M-30,
A-1
and
M-607
with
Paseo de la Castellana
; that of the
Plaza de España
, which includes the cut
of the Bailén street tunnel
in both directions; the remodeling of the
Santiago Bernabéu
stadium
, with a lateral cut in the Paseo de la Castellana and the reduction of lanes in the
avenues of Concha Espina
,
Padre Damián
and
Rafael Salgado
. In the heart of the city,
Calle Alcalá
is being remodeled
from Cibeles to Cedaceros, with the cut of the left lanes.
Or the
Paseo del Prado
, which includes the bus lane cut from Atocha.
The works, together with an average of between five and 10 accidents and breakdowns every morning, are making rush hours in October very complicated.
This same Thursday, reports from the City Council's traffic control center explain that an accident at the exit of the
A-2
at 7:26 a.m. forced the cutting of three lanes of the Barcelona highway and the entire eastern area of the city collapsed. M-30 and the city, including
Avenida de América
,
Arturo Soria
,
Pío XII
and the urban axes located between the Castellana and the Madrid ring road on its eastern side, causing heavy traffic jams throughout rush hour and until 10 a.m. 37 hours.
This accident was the most important of those that affected traffic, but not the only one.
In total there were three and two damaged vehicles that generated retentions in the main axes of the capital.
As they add from the Consistory, the Madrilenians have not returned to public transport with the same intensity as to take the private car.
As of October 5, the
EMT
buses
registered an occupation that was 75% of what they had on the same dates in 2019. A part of that remaining 25% is still teleworking, but another is returning to work taking their private vehicles.
According to the criteria of The Trust Project
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