Redaccion
The mayor, Inés Rey, today informed about the latest developments in the municipal service BiciCoruña, which currently has 49 active stations and has been in a new phase of expansion for weeks, which will allow adding new stations in neighborhoods such as Castrillón, Novo Mesoiro, Monelos, Monte Alto, Pedralonga, Palavea, Rosales, and Barrio das Flores. Also in Lonzas and in the parks of Bens and Vioño.
Rey, accompanied this morning by the Councilor for Infrastructure and Mobility, Noemí Díaz, pointed out the importance of this measure, essential to respond to the demands of the various districts of the city and, in this way, promote sustainable mobility and the use of non-polluting vehicles in the entire municipal area.
«In recent months, hard work has been done to define the locations of the new stations, a process that requires careful consideration of factors such as the mobility flows of the residents, the stations at higher risk of saturation, the need for civil works, whether there is electrical supply nearby or not. There are several aspects that we take into account when acting,» explained Rey.
As of today, there are 13 new bases that are already in the pre-launch phase. Each of them, pending administrative or technical processes, as is usual in these matters. There are several stations, for example, where the procedures for contracting electrical supply are being finalized. This is the case for the new bases in Rosales, Novo Mesoiro (2), Concordia square, Monelos, and Pedralonga.
In other bases that are already visible on the street but not yet active, as is the case in Palavea, Vioño, Monte Alto roundabout, and Birloque urbanization, there are pending tasks related to signage and integration testing in the system. «These are technical issues that often go unnoticed by the citizens but are essential for the stations to start operating at full capacity and with all guarantees,» reasoned the mayor.
First BiciCoruña bases with solar energy supply
A small part of these 13 new bases will operate with solar energy. They are 100% self-sustaining stations that, with this supply of renewable energy, ensure the operation of their communication and control system.
In addition, they will have some specific advantages. For example, they are easier to remove and place in their location, which would facilitate their movement to other points in the city if necessary.
Among the bases that will have solar energy supply are those in Vioño park and Monte Alto roundabout, among others.
Other stations in the assembly phase in the workshop
Beyond these 13 bases that are more advanced, the City Council is working in parallel to incorporate other new stations under the planned expansion plan for the city.
In this sense, there are some bases currently in the assembly phase in the workshop. For example, the first one that will be set up in Xuxán neighborhood, another one that will be set up in Agra do Orzán, and also three bases that will be installed in Gaiteira, Os Castros, and next to the Metropolitan Forum, among others.
The city’s cycling network now exceeds 56 kilometers
Inés Rey emphasized this morning that BiciCoruña continues to gain importance in the city’s mobility. This is endorsed by the data from last June when the service reached for the first time in its history more than 160,000 monthly trips and set a record for uses in a single day, with more than 7,000 in one day.
«This means that there is demand and, increasingly, more people are choosing BiciCoruña to get around the city. As of today, the service has more than 15,000 users, six times more than when we renewed the system three years ago,» noted Rey, who emphasized that «there wouldn’t be so many people moving by bike around the city if the infrastructure wasn’t expanded to do so.» In this sense, A Coruña currently has 56 kilometers of cycling network. It’s more than double what it was in 2019 when there were 23 kilometers.
Coruña Minuto Map
«Making these routes known and promoting their use is essential,» pointed out Rey, who highlighted that the City Council provides tools such as the Coruña Minuto map, which shows many of the routes and pedestrian streets of the city and contributes to encouraging pedestrian mobility between the various districts of the city by highlighting walking times.
«In addition to the visibility of routes like the Rolda Peonil, we also add the situation of the operational and future BiciCoruña bases. What do we seek with this? First, to reinforce the concept of Coruña as a city suitable for walking, cycling, or Personal Mobility Vehicles (PMVs). And, on the other hand, to continue promoting sustainable mobility within the city and its neighborhoods because we are showing that there are alternatives to using private vehicles to get around Coruña,» she explained.
In this regard, in the first semester, the use of BiciCoruña avoided the emission of 408 tons of CO2 into the atmosphere. In 2024, it was 705 tons. «If we manage, little by little, to increase this figure, we will be contributing to improving the city and, thinking collectively, also our planet,» concluded Rey.
