Redaccion
The Espazo Xuvenil do Remanso hosted a specific participatory meeting for young people on Thursday as part of the process of redefining the urban bus network in Coruña, promoted by the Government of Inés Rey. The meeting was attended by young people under 25, a key demographic for the public transportation system.
Mayor Inés Rey, accompanied by the technical team and members of the local government, emphasized the importance of this meeting: «We want to listen to young people because they represent not only the present but also the future of public transportation. Their experiences and ideas are essential for designing a useful, accessible, and sustainable network.» Along with the mayor, councilors Noemí Díaz, José Manuel Lage, Nereida Canosa, Yoya Neira, and Francisco Díaz Gallego were present.
This meeting marks the halfway point of the participatory process, which will continue in the coming weeks with sessions in the neighborhoods of Birloque, Os Rosales, Eirís, Elviña, and Circo de Artesáns.
According to the latest mobility data, this demographic makes over 3 million trips per year, with heavy use of the main lines connecting educational and residential areas. The most used lines by young people include the one connecting Praza de Pontevedra with Elviña and UDC (757,235 annual trips), followed by line 14 between Os Rosales and Castrillón (358,697) and line 11 connecting As Lagoas and A. C. Marineda (216,021). The most used stops by young people include Campus de Elviña, Praza de Pontevedra, San Pedro de Mezonzo, and Campus Zapateira, among others.
During the meeting, a participatory activity focused on the specific needs of young people was carried out, allowing them to propose improvements in frequencies, connectivity with educational centers, accessibility, and adaptation to cultural and sports activities. The importance of connections to the university campus and leisure and employment areas emerged as priorities, as well as the demand for more services during evenings and weekends.
Requests and Suggestions
A survey conducted during the meeting identified the most valued and criticized aspects of urban transportation in Coruña by users. Nearly 35% of attendees were from district 7, and 77% attended on a personal basis.
Additionally, 40% of people walked to the meeting, while another 40% arrived on foot. Most people stated that they primarily use the bus for work, study, and leisure. However, the most used time slot by young people was in the afternoon (from 14:00 to 20:00), and the majority said they do not usually use the night bus. 30% considered the frequencies to be inadequate, and 26% said the lines and stops do not follow a suitable route.
As in previous meetings, prices were the most highly rated aspect, with an average score of 6.8 points, and almost all aspects were rated above 5, except for frequencies (4.5) and intermodality (4.6).
In this regard, young people identified punctuality and frequencies (31%) as the priority areas for improvement, followed by adaptation to mass events (21%). Intermodality (11%) and sustainability (10%) were the next issues highlighted for improvement.
Upcoming Meetings
The meetings will continue at the end of the month at the Centro Cívico do Birloque.
The planned schedule is as follows:
– May 20: Centro Cívico do Birloque
– May 29: Centro Cívico dos Rosales
– June 5: Fórum Metropolitano
– June 10: Centro Cívico de Eirís
– June 12: Centro Cívico de Elviña
– June 14: Circo de Artesáns
Those interested in participating in any of the neighborhood meetings scheduled until mid-June can now register through this link. Furthermore, all information about the participatory process will be available on this specific website: Proceso participativo para o autobús da coruña.
FUENTE
