Works The "pedestrian rearrangement" of Olavide Square: pedestrians and vehicles will coexist in Trafalgar
Urbanismo Almeida outlines his "great legacy": clearing the Puerta de Alcalá of traffic, reforming Atocha and pedestrianizing the Paseo del Prado
Fernando Ramos cannot leave the watches that he fixes on the work table.
He runs the watch shop at 4 Calle Ponzano.
The works generate a cloud of dust in front of the premises.
"Imagine what they harm us. The rest of the establishments are forgotten. Here everything is done looking at the hospitality industry
. Customers do not pass through the door. How are you going to get through if you stumble? A few days ago a customer came in a wheelchair and there was no way for him to access our business. I can't do enough to clean the window. I can't leave a disassembled watch on the table. The next day I have to clean it completely."
The works that have raised the street from number 1 to 60 "generate losses: time, work, clients and everything."
Fernando Ramos belongs to the third generation of a family dedicated to watchmaking.
The business opened in 1930. It admits the possibility of selling the premises to anyone who offers
"one of the disproportionate figures"
that circulate in the neighborhood when talking about purchases and sales of premises that allow the possibility of installing another bar.
"It won't happen. If they haven't already made us an offer, they won't."
The watchmaker has had to help two fallen ladies since work began in September.
"Older people are scared. I didn't have to call the Samur or anything, but I did have to lift them off the ground
. Baby carriages can't pass either. And they've been standing still for a week. They're very slow," he observes.
The councilor for the Chamberí district, Javier Ramírez, promoted the remodeling of the popular street, ground zero for the youth enrolled in the large offices.
It is not attached to the Works delegation.
The objective is to reduce "the traffic lane, enlarge the sidewalks, improve lighting and sewerage.
Give more space to pedestrians. It will prevent double-parking and reduces pollution and noise
. They are part of Almeida's project to improve the state of the streets and squares", report City Council sources, who rule out the delay.
"There is none. They are carried out according to the established deadlines. They will end in February. They are not comfortable for anyone.
We understand that now the neighbors feel bad. It is not a reform focused on the hospitality industry. It is comprehensive
".
The project had a budget of 363,636.08 euros.
However, another number appears on the poster informing about the works: 873,677.95.
"We sent a letter to the mayor to explain the increase in the budget
," says Pilar Rodríguez, spokesperson for the
El Organillo
neighborhood association , which brings together a thousand chambereleros.
Initially, the expansion of sidewalks in the area was requested by a citizen in the 2018 Participatory Budgets. A technical report rejected the work.
"
It is not considered viable, in view of the reports received, due to the significant shortage of parking spaces
", appears on the
Decide_Madrid
website .
"Later, the district councilor decided to do it on his own account.
It is not a neighborhood demand. We are against it."
Two months after the start, the associates held a meeting with Javier Ramírez.
"We exposed our complaints.
The trees were not taken into account and they were removing the planters from some corners"
.
Neither do these neighbors explain why the works only reach number 60. "Well, 60 bars are concentrated there.
We intuit that it is to give more space to the terraces
. Chamberí's sidewalks do not allow their expansion.
90% of the The neighbors are against it and the majority vote for Almeida
. It is clear that it is not done so that we can walk around. The intentions are different. It's crazy. We're going to keep fighting. In this neighborhood we don't have garden areas. Olavide is, literally another bar."
The hoteliers have another opinion.
"It is not a whim of the councilor. The works benefit us all
. For now we have to endure. They annoy us too. The influx of public has dropped considerably," adds Aaron Guerrero, owner of La tía Feli (Ponzano, 18). .
Is there a favorable deal?
"There is no favorable treatment.
If the works have advanced the removal of the terraces!
In addition, Ponzano street falls within the ZPAE [Special Noise Protection Zone]. From now on we are going to coexist better. They have reduced the schedules for the benefit of rest.
We reach out to the neighbors. And we are committed to reducing noise".
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