• Two out of the three maps of the ‘Metrominuto’ initiative.
The Area of Security and Mobility of the City Council and the Network of Walking Cities encourage citizens to walk on their daily and habitual routes as a comparable alternative to other public transportation methods.
The Mobility Councilor, Jesús Carbonell, emphasizes that «València is a Mediterranean city, compact, where walking mobility is the core.»
Three maps display, with symbols and color codes, the distances on foot and the time taken between relevant points in the city of València.
The City Council of València has launched the ‘Metrominuto’ campaign to encourage citizens to walk daily on the routes they usually take in the city. «València is a Mediterranean city, compact, where walking mobility is the core and should continue to be so and be improved,» said the councilor responsible for the Area of Security and Mobility, Jesús Carbonell, during the presentation of the initiative alongside Ana Montalbán and Antón Prieto, representatives of the Walking Cities Network.
‘Metrominuto’ is a synoptic map that measures distances and walking times, displayed through visual codes resembling those used by metro systems in major cities. «The idea is to demystify the culture of walking, showing that most of the trips we make in our daily lives can be covered in ten to fifteen minutes on foot,» Montalbán and Prieto pointed out.
In this initial phase, Metrominuto València consists of three maps: a general one of the city with reference points of urban relevance and railway and metro stations; another one of the center of València that includes tourist information such as the City of Arts and Sciences and the Joaquín Sorolla station; and a third specific linear map of the Turia riverbed park, referencing the bridges and some of the main infrastructures or facilities located in the garden and its surroundings. This third map provides information on 53 distances and times. «The idea is to create maps by districts,» both the Mobility councilor and the representatives of the Walking Cities Network pointed out.
Jesús Carbonell highlighted that «the goal is to promote walking mobility, which is the most used by citizens. In fact, over 50% of people walk, and it is essential to promote it, protect it through infrastructure measures, and make the city friendly and welcoming for more walking.» «Metrominuto is a simple communication tool that tells people that walking is not so bad, it’s okay to spend a little more time on your journey and enjoy the city,» Antón Prieto emphasized.
The first Metrominuto was born in 2011 as a result of a pedestrian mobility laboratory in the city of Pontevedra. The Walking Cities Network, composed of over 90 municipalities and provinces, including València, representing around 10 million people, has embraced the initiative as an interesting means to promote the culture of natural mobility in cities. València is the largest city in this Network and one of the most active, but it did not have Metrominuto until now.
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