The danger of the Gesa 'ghost' pedestrian crossing: "Everyone crosses, and one day there will be disaster."

PalmBetween the Port Authority headquarters and the Palma Convention Center, there is a 1.5-kilometer stretch of road parallel to the seafront. During this stretch, there are only four pedestrian crossings to cross the road—with three lanes in each direction—between the city and the sea. Vehicles travel at high speeds—the maximum speed is 60 km/h. The distance between the pedestrian crossings forces residents to take advantage of a path created by Palma City Council in the green wedge next to the Gesa building to cross directly onto the road. The Local Police notified the Court of this reckless practice, and the City Council installed a barrier, which has had no deterrent effect on residents.

Beyond the recklessness of crossing through an undesignated area, the park's design suggests a past intention to create a pedestrian crossing. In the middle of the green wedge, there's a stone walkway that leads to some bushes framing a hole directly in the road, where the fence now stands, which people either knock down or walk around. Once there, you have two options: walk hundreds of meters until you find a pedestrian crossing, or go straight ahead, wait until cars are clear, and quickly cross the road. Or go the other way, from the Paseo Marítimo to the other side, as can be seen in the video at the top of the article. "We need more pedestrian crossings. We can't live in a city that prioritizes a 20th-century mobility model. Everything is designed for cars. I, like many people, see this walkway and the hole in the bushes, and I understand that should be a crossing. I walk to the traffic light, but everyone crosses, and if we continue like this," the influx of people increases in the summer, when people going to Can Pere Antoni beach join in.

Cities like Barcelona have combined a fast-moving route with pedestrian-friendly spaces, as is the case with the Ronda del Medio in the Catalan capital. It used to be a highway that crossed the city. In some sections, it was buried underground, and in others, it wasn't. However, in different phases, it was renovated to become a boulevard with a speed limit of 50 km/h, trees, and pedestrian crossings practically every 100 meters. Avinguda Adolfo Suárez, on the other hand, allows for fast traffic past the entire old town center, leaving pedestrians in second place.

Hunt down offending vehicles

For now, Palma City Council wants to control vehicle speeds and will install two fixed radars—one near Parc de la Mar and the other near Es Baluard—and a photo-red radar at the traffic light on the Avenida Gabriel Alomar rise (below the Príncipe Bastion), where hunting is prohibited.