Politics
Eixample Voters Approve Street Changes Starting 2027 in Mobility Referendum
The 15 September ballot measure sets a schedule under which Eixample households could encounter new vehicle restrictions and service adjustments starting in the first quarter of 2027.
How we reported this
The Barcelona City Council has scheduled a district-wide referendum on 15 September 2026 for the Eixample Sustainable Mobility Plan, a ballot measure that would authorise new traffic-calming rules across 150 city blocks. The plan directly covers the 108,000 residents recorded in the 2025 municipal census for the Eixample district.
The referendum follows the publication of the district's 2026 Mobility Ordinance, which updated earlier studies showing that 42 percent of Eixample streets exceed the city's target traffic volume. City records indicate the measure responds to repeated resident petitions filed through the district's participatory platform between 2023 and 2025.
Under the proposal, approved streets would limit private-vehicle access during peak hours and expand dedicated bus and bicycle lanes. Residents living inside the affected grid would receive annual permits for one vehicle per household, while delivery and service vehicles would face new time windows. Local shops on streets such as Carrer de Balmes and Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes would operate under revised loading schedules.
Implementation Schedule and Budget Figures
City budget documents for 2026 allocate 11.4 million euros to the first phase of works, with construction contracts expected to be tendered in November 2026 if the measure passes. Certification of results is due by 10 October 2026, after which the district council must publish detailed street maps by December. The first physical changes, including lane markings and signage, are listed for completion between January and March 2027.
The 2025 Eixample District Report recorded 28,500 daily vehicle entries on the six core corridors targeted by the plan. If the referendum succeeds, the government projects a 15 percent reduction in those entries by the end of 2027, based on modelling contained in the ordinance appendix.
Residents will receive notification letters in January 2027 confirming permit eligibility and any new fees. Appeals against individual street designations must be filed within 30 days of map publication. The next formal review of the plan is set for 2029 under the same ordinance.