Irún (Spain)
Irún is in the province of Gipuzkoa in the autonomous community of the Basque Country. Situated at the mouth of the Bidasoa River on Txingudi Bay, it borders France and the autonomous community of Navarre. With 61,365 inhabitants and an area of 42.4 sq km, Irún is the second largest city in Gipuzkoa after the provincial capital San Sebastián.
Irún is a main axis for rail and road transport, being a departure point and destination of many national and international routes and being near the airports of San Sebastián and Biarritz. The city actively promotes sustainable urban mobility, particularly clean alternatives such as cycling and walking.
Irún has a modal split of 63 percent for non-motorised transport (walking and cycling), 10 percent for public transport, 24 percent for private motor vehicles and 3 percent for other modes.
At the end of 2010, City Hall completed a sustainable urban mobility plan (Plan de Movilidad Urbana Sostenible, PMUS). Its general objectives are:
- to promote non-motorised or car-independent transport;
- to encourage the use of collective transport instead of private motor vehicles;
- to make a more socially and environmentally appropriate use of the urban public space;
- to influence the mobility patterns of the residents of Irún; and
- to contribute to the planning of sustainable urban development.
In 2013, City Hall was carrying out programmes for each intervention area of the PMUS (Pedestrian Mobility, Cycling Mobility, Collective Mobility) in collaboration with the Mobility Committee. This committee, which meets on a regular basis, allows public participation in the debate on urban transport problems and the different mobility programmes.
The committee gets input from most of those interested in the mobility issues of the city and its surroundings. Involved stakeholders include associations for people with reduced mobility, cyclists, consumer organisations, NGOs, and transport companies.
Among the mobility programmes launched in 2010, there were:
- Pedestrian Mobility: Pedestrian-friendly initiatives that have been carried out include a project in the area of City Hall-San Juan Square, the Eskolara Oinez programme for the promotion of pedestrian mobility at schools, and the Igande Sasoi programme to reclaim the city centre for pedestrians through vehicle restrictions and the designation of roads for walking and sports. It is planned to better structure the pedestrian network and soon the connection between one of the city's main residential districts and the city centre will be improved by means of the Gain gainean park.
- Collective Passenger Transport: a successful reorganisation of public transport has boosted ridership on some lines, and an integrated multimodal ticketing project has been launched by the transport authority of the province of Gipuzkoa with the MUGI Card.
- Cycling Mobility: In the interest of promoting the bicycle as a means of transport, a new speed limit of 30 km/hr was introduced in the summer of 2013.
Summary updated August 2013