Now onto a subject that you have all been waiting to hear about – La Avenida de Salobreña! Where to start? It might look nice, but does it work? Is it dangerous for pedestrians? And above all, was as it worth it?
Let’s tackle those questions in reverse order: was it worth it? Well, when you take into consideration that the money used to carry out this project had the object of creating temporary employment to aid the local economy, the answer is definitely not… and for one simple reason: more permanent jobs have been lost as a consequence of the prolonged nature of the street work (shops and other businesses have gone bust) than the number of temporary jobs created. Well, that’s what the chief opposition party claims, anyway, and you would be hard put to find somebody directly affected who doesn’t agree with them. Besides, here is the Mayor complaining that there isn’t any money to carry out very necessary anti-flood work down on Playa Granada, yet God knows how much has been arguably ‘squandered’ on face-lifting a functioning main thoroughfare!
Is the present design safe for pedestrians, now that there is no curb to step down from or onto? Again, many would argue that it isn’t because the bus lane runs parallel to the rest of the wheeled traffic… and right alongside the sidewalk. Thanks to having it drummed into our subconscious, we usually look to see what might be approaching when we step down off a curb, but what if there is no curb – only a bloody great bus?
Finally, does it work? Time will tell.