Politics
Les Corts District Council Approves 2026 Mobility Budget Shift, Cutting Car Lane Space for Expanded Bus Routes
Les Corts residents face higher parking costs from September while gaining more frequent bus service on Avinguda Diagonal and Carrer de Numància under the district's revised transport allocation.
How we reported this
The Les Corts district council passed its 2026 mobility budget revision on 7 July, reallocating 1.8 million euros from road maintenance to public transport upgrades. The change reduces on-street parking spaces along two main corridors and adds dedicated bus lanes. Car-dependent households will pay increased residential parking permit fees, while daily bus users gain shorter wait times on routes serving the district's 46,000 residents.
The revision follows the Barcelona City Council's requirement that each district submit updated transport spending plans by mid-July to align with the metropolitan mobility contract signed in 2024. Les Corts officials cited rising commuter numbers at Maria Cristina and Les Corts metro stations as the immediate trigger for the shift.
Daily effects for residents and local businesses
Families living near Avinguda Diagonal will see bus frequency increase from every 12 minutes to every 8 minutes during peak hours, cutting average travel time to the city centre by an estimated 7 minutes according to the district's transport assessment. Parents dropping children at schools on Carrer de Ganduxer may face longer walks from the remaining parking zones after 45 spaces are removed.
Small retailers on Carrer de Numància report concerns over delivery access once loading zones shrink by 20 percent. Delivery drivers will need to use side streets or time slots between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., changes listed in the council's operational guidelines released alongside the budget vote.
The same document shows that the district will raise annual resident parking permits from 85 euros to 120 euros for vehicles registered inside the affected perimeter. Revenue from the increase is projected to cover 340,000 euros of the new bus lane maintenance costs.
Implementation begins with lane markings in late August and full enforcement of the new permit rates on 1 September. The district office will hold two open sessions in August for residents to review maps of removed parking bays and revised bus stop locations.