Barcelona is embarking on an ambitious urban mobility overhaul, with a key focus on drastically reducing the presence of intercity buses in its bustling city center. Laia Bonet, Barcelona’s First Deputy Mayor and the driving force behind the city’s ecology, urban planning, and mobility policies, outlined these plans in a recent interview.
Underground Stations and Metro Extensions to Transform Commutes
The core of Bonet’s strategy involves the creation of new underground intercity bus stations at strategic locations like Sagrera, Plaça d’Espanya, and along Diagonal Avenue. These new hubs are designed to facilitate seamless connections with Barcelona’s extensive metro and tram networks, encouraging commuters to switch from intercity buses to more sustainable and efficient modes of transport for their final leg into the city.
Bonet emphasized the need for a robust public transport infrastructure, stating, “The number of intercity buses arriving in the center of Barcelona must be drastically reduced. We need to generate the infrastructure for that to happen and facilitate intermodality at those points.”
Key Infrastructure Projects Underway:
- Sagrera: A new underground intercity bus station is planned to integrate with the high-speed rail station.
- Plaça d’Espanya: A project for an underground station has already been awarded.
- Diagonal Avenue: Options are being explored for an underground station, potentially connecting with metro lines L8 or L3 and the tram network at Francesc Macià or Maria Cristina.
- Meridiana: Plans include updating the Fabra i Puig station and considering additional stops along Gran Via Nord and Sud.
These developments aim to decentralize intercity bus arrivals, moving them away from current impromptu stops in central areas like Ronda Universitat and Gran Via, which Bonet described as “covert stations.”
Addressing Barcelona’s Housing Crisis and Expanding Public Transport
Beyond mobility, Bonet also highlighted progress in other critical areas. She noted the unblocking of significant projects such as the new Clínic hospital and the relocation of firefighters in Eixample. In response to the housing crisis, the city has doubled its annual housing construction from 500 to 1,000 units and plans to convert 10,000 tourist apartments back into residential housing by November 2028, effectively ending new tourist licenses.
In terms of public transport, the city is experiencing record metro demand. Plans are in motion to update the Line 2 project to extend to Marina del Prat Vermell. While acknowledging the long-term nature of such projects, Bonet stressed the urgency of other metro extensions:
- Line 3: Extension to the new Hospital Clínic and further to Esplugues and Sant Feliu de Llobregat.
- Line 4: Extension from La Pau to Sagrera, deemed “urgent and a priority” to connect with the new high-speed rail station.
- Connecting the two Trinitats: An urgent project to bridge areas separated by Meridiana Avenue.
The tram connection along Diagonal Avenue is also a priority, with a financing agreement between the Generalitat and the City Council expected before summer, and construction slated to begin by summer 2027.
Tackling Interurban Mobility and Decarbonization
Bonet underscored the significant challenge posed by interurban mobility, with 270,000 people entering and leaving Barcelona by bus daily. This figure has increased since the Rodalies rail crisis, with 7,000 daily bus expeditions compared to 6,000 previously. While buses offer greater reliability than trains, the existing infrastructure of approximately 50 bus bays is insufficient and impacts public space.
The city aims to reduce private vehicle commutes by 250,000 daily trips, shifting them to public transport. This will be supported by dedicated bus lanes on major access corridors like B-23, C-58, and C-32, which have already shown significant improvements in speed and a 10-25% increase in demand where implemented.
Looking ahead, Bonet also touched upon the decarbonization of the intercity bus fleet, stating that “fleets are changing and soon we will be able to opt for a decarbonized intercity bus service.”
Bonet expressed her desire to continue her work in the next municipal term, citing the medium and long-term nature of these transformative projects.
Source: https://elpais.com/espana/catalunya/2026-04-20/laia-bonet-el-numero-de-autobuses-interurbanos-que-llegan-al-centro-de-barcelona-debe-reducirse-drasticamente.html
