Maybe you've recently landed in Barcelona with a bike bag full of goodies. Or perhaps you're staying here a while and finally you got your hands on a new shiny bicycle. Either way, you've got your foot on the pedal and you're looking around rather excited. You notice...a bike path painted...red?, a small traffic light flashing...a green bike shape?, a cyclists whistling away riding on...the pavement?! Are there any rules around here?
Barcelona City Council is pushing ahead with its ambitious 2013/ 2018 Urban Mobility Plan. It is a large 5 year framework which focuses on smart, healthy and fair transportation in Barcelona. It is also, according to the City Council, very important for the quality of life of Barcelona's residents. So what does the Urban Mobility Plan (UMP) mean exactly? That Barcelona is forgetting cars and focusing on cyclists.
Ever wake up in spring when it's still grey outside and walk quietly through the house trying to adjust a thousand belts and straps so they would not get in the way? And yet you're not annoyed in the slightest, you're very happy in fact, because you love your daily bicycle commute to school. You wonder though...
The region of Catalonia enjoys a Mediterranean climate with long hot summers and mild winters. The warm months offer plenty of sunshine - more than 10 hours a day – and rainclouds only make an appearance on the blue horizon about 15 days per year. Here, clear blue skies reign overhead almost everyday. So before you set off exploring on your bike, put those shades on!