The commencement of the removal of bollards from Avenida da República, a central artery in the municipality of Vila Nova de Gaia in Porto district, which delineated a segregated bike lane, was announced by the current mayor this morning on social media, accompanied by criticism of the bike lane’s existence.
In a statement, a leader from the Associação pela Mobilidade Urbana em Bicicleta (MUBi) expressed regret over the decision by Luis Filipe Menezes, arguing that “there was no debate” on the issue and raising “questions about the legality” of the decision.
The segregation of the bike lane was announced in May 2024 by Eduardo Vítor Rodrigues as a “safety measure” since bicycle and scooter traffic already existed without protected boundaries and as a means to curb illegal parking on the avenue.
“Besides the fact that ceasing to be a segregated route compromises the safety of those using it, we have doubts and questions about this decision. Starting with the fact that this decision was not approved in the Municipal Assembly, nor was it subject to a technical opinion, as we argue that the Municipal Master Plan requires,” explained Ana Guerra.
Mubi also questions the legality of the measure due to the funding for the construction of the bike lane: “We know that the Gaia council submitted an application for Portugal 2030 funds, which included 98,000 euros for this bike lane,” she said.
She continued: “If the local authority received and used European funds to implement the segregated bike lane on Av. Da República, removing the bollards is illegal.”
Ana Rocha also noted “a contradiction with the inaugural speech [of Luis Filipe Menezes, on Tuesday] where he said he would proceed with 25 kilometers of bike lanes but now ends up destroying an already existing one.”
MUBi stated that it “will contest this decision and is already preparing forms of protest.”
The Left Bloc of Vila Nova de Gaia, though not represented in the current local government bodies, also contested the measure via social media, emphasizing that it was carried out “without a public consultation period or even bringing the matter to the Municipal Assembly.”
The bike lane connects Jardim do Morro and D. João II in both directions along the length of Avenida da República and is shared with bus traffic between D. João II and João de Deus.
