Granada with 245.000 inhabitants is one of the main cities of Andalucía region, at south of Spain. Due to its important historical legacy, Granada has become an important cultural, tourist and university centre resulting that about 80% of employment generated is at service sector.
During last 20 years, there was a continuous process of growth of it´s metropolitan area what means that many inhabitants tend to live in the surrounding areas and work or study at the city centre leading to an increase of daily car commuters (about 110.000) and traffic congestion.
Actually, the global population of Granada within it´s metropolitan area is 500.000 inhabitants. The City of Granada has a radial public transport system by bus provided by a private company through a municipality administrative concession which is operating in coordination with a metropolitan consortium by public transport, which depends from Regional Government, to connect the city centre with metropolitan area.
Currently, a light rail transport system is being built to connect the main metropolitan municipalities with the city centre, which will be operative by 2010.
The local policy to improve the accessibility and mobility in its urban space is focused on the selective and progressive restriction of private transport traffic in the historical town centre through roads hierarchization and the establishment of located automated barriers, promoting the establishment of new pedestrian areas and consolidating the already existent, which are provided of structural and inhabitant coherence articulating the different areas (rehabilitating public places).
In addition, parking areas are managed using a rotational strategy. Currently, extensive parking areas are in construction within the periphery of the town centre, making possible the absorption of vehicles from the metropolitan area.
Also the City Council is promoting less polluting ways of transport, more adapted to the characteristics of the historical town centre (minibuses) and its residents (easy boarding) making possible efficient transfer locations (metropolitan connections).
