Mobility secretary Rafael González has today offered his review of the pilot test regulating the access of motor vehicles, cars and motorcycles, to the Cap de Barbaria lighthouse that was carried out for the first time this summer. Rafael González beamed about the implementation of a test that has achieved the two main objectives, "first, avoid traffic jams, and then, preserve this natural place and the tranquility that surrounds us".

Assistance
On average, as they have been counted from the Office of Mobility, more than 500 people have visited daily. In the moments of maximum influx, there has been an average visit of 280 people simultaneously, although there have been peaks in which up to 400 people have taken a walk at the same time for this place. The preferred time for tourists has been the days of sunshine during sunset, and the cloudy days during the morning.

In this regard, the director pointed out that the influx of visitors has been similar to that of recent years. Hence, González explained, in addition to achieving the initial objectives, “we have moved the feeling that the measure has had a good acceptance among residents and tourists who have understood perfectly that this regulation became necessary in this emblematic place of Formentera".

Upcoming performances
Looking ahead, the secretary has said that given the positive results, the measure will be applied again next season. Once the period of regulation has been finalized, some of the requests that have been made will be studied, such as the possibility of extending the application period or offering some services such as a supply area or a bicycle dispenser.

We recall readers that the pilot test for access regulation to Es Cap de Barbaria was made between July 1 and September 15, when a barrier located at km 6.5 of the road from Cap de Barbaria. In its contours, a car park with capacity for 60 cars and 100 motorcycles was enabled to allow visitors to leave vehicles, and from there on foot or by bicycle to the lighthouse.

Secretary González has taken the opportunity to present this stock-taking on 22 September, as World No Car Day is being held, included in the European Week of Sustainable Mobility.

The Formentera Council's Office of Mobility has rolled out a plan to educate motorists about respecting cyclists' right to the road. In the words of department head Rafael González, the goal is to reach all motorists, although the campaign specifically calls out professional drivers—lorry, coach and taxicab drivers—for their role in heeding “rules that are there to save lives” as well as the minimum metre-and-a-half space to maintain when overtaking riders.

The mobility office has plans to distribute 100 newly-printed posters and 2,000 informational leaflets to career drivers and automobile renters, as well as Eivissa and Formentera's small and medium-sized business association, the local chamber of commerce and information kiosks for tourists. From 12 noon, large-sized posters will be displayed at bus stops and other key points on the island. The rollout has been set to coincide with European Sustainable Mobility Week, 16-22 September. Secretary González pointed out how common it is for tourists and locals alike to opt for two-wheel travel with the mild temperatures of September and October. Furthermore, he said, as Formentera's youngsters head back to school this month, many of them will get there by bike.

The posters and pamphlets both feature a cyclist atop her bicycle and a nearby passing vehicle with, occupying the space of a metre and a half between them, the bike rider's family. One and a half metres is the distance required to safely overtake a cyclist. The image hammers the importance of two things: the metre-and-a-half birth to give when passing cyclists and all the other lives at stake with vehicle-bicycle accidents.

Also included in the leaflets are reminders of traffic rules as they relate to cyclist safety. Council members voted to implement the campaign at the administration's May plenary session.

The Formentera Council's Office of Mobility has announced that from tomorrow to August 15 crews will conduct fieldwork across Formentera's network of roads. According to department head Rafael González, a team of five workers and one coordinator will be enlisted to tally pedestrians, cyclists, motorists, scooter and bus riders, giving the administration a clearer picture of how (and how many) individuals are moving round the island.

Trends observed in the data will be used to help draft Formentera's Pla de Mobilitat Sostenible, a “sustainable mobility plan” the administration hopes will be ready in six months. González explained that the document would be geared towards promoting sustainable mobility and serve as the groundwork for the future of mobility on the island.

Work on the ground
The first fortnight in August was chosen to complete the work, as that is when traffic on local roads is heaviest. Surveyors, who will additionally note the particular form of transport used by individuals, will rely on physical counts as well as on roadside sensors.

Tallies will include pedestrians and cyclists on the island's network of nature trails, riders of public transport and taxis and vehicle passage through intersections, routes of heavy transit and car parks.

Day trippers
Over three days, two workers will be stationed in the port to count the number of day visitors to Formentera. For that task, they will also administer a questionnaire to get a sense of respondents' intended transport and expenses.

Another census, this time during the first two weeks of October and designed for bus riders, will aim to provide an idea of the number of people using public transport during the low season.

The work is expected to cost a total of €17,182, VAT included.

Tourist and resident surveys
Tourists and islanders are being asked to complete surveys to provide a look at some of the typical journeys taken on the island and the transport that is customarily used. Four hundred phone interviews were conducted among Formentera residents in June. From 29 July to 3 August another 400 in-person interviews will take place at the port.

The results of the second part of the undertaking, which has an estimated cost of €19,904, will also be used in drafting the Sustainable Mobility Plan.

The Formentera Council's mobility office has announced that this Saturday July 1, 2017, will see the start of a pilot programme to regulate access by cars, scooters and other motor vehicles to es Cap de Barbaria's lighthouse. Department head Rafael González says the move is aimed at “stemming bottlenecks along the road and protecting this natural space located on the swath of public land known as Sa Tanca d'allà dins”.

From July 1 to September 15 a barrier will be positioned at Km 6.5 of the road to es Cap de Barbaria. A parking area has been created near the roadside with capacity for 60 cars and 100 motor scooters so that visitors can leave their vehicles and proceed on foot or by bicycle to the lighthouse.

Access for people with reduced mobility
During peak visiting hours, 11.00am to 1.00pm and 6.00pm to 10.00pm, an attendant beside the barrier will allow access to people with reduced mobility and provide visitors with information about the new measures.

The current trial period will lay the groundwork for the path forward in the coming year. The new system, said González, seeks to preserve the landscape and promote sustainable mobility. The goal, González finished by saying, is for people to see excursions to the es Cap lighthouse or the es Garroveret defence tower as “not to be missed, while remaining mindful of our targets in terms of landscape preservation and tranquil tourism”.