An underground garage in a Park, relaxed in the eco zone: As the mayor of Madrid turns back the transport policy of his predecessor.

soon To be of a huge Park house undermined: Madrid's Retiro Park photo: Reuters/Sergio Perez

MADRID taz | Madrid's mayor, José Luis Martínez-Almeida has a favorite subject. He wants to make the Spanish capital and, above all, the transport of "sustainable". But the deeds behind the words of the Conservatives, the talk of a coalition of his Partido Popular and the right-wing liberal Ciudadanos and thanks to the support of the extreme right-wing Vox ruled, a completely different language. Almeida makes bike paths close, take back parts of the environmental zone, which introduced its alternative predecessor.

His latest Plan: An underground car Park with 1,000 Parking spaces, directly next to the largest inner-city Park from the 17th century. Century, the Parque del Buen Retiro "Park of the good rest" – in short, Retiro. This would reduce the "traffic" and thus "reduce air pollution"; it is the downtown make "sustainable".

local residents, environmentalists and the Opposition, see it quite differently. "A Park home attracts additional traffic," is Felix Sánchez, spokesman for the residents ' Association, safe. "The air pollution is as high as anywhere else in the city. It is significantly higher than the European limit values,“ complains the 51-Year-old. The limit value is exceeded, called forth the displeasure of the EU-Commission in Brussels. However, threats million of heavy fines, are likely to interfere with Almeida little. Because these numbers are not the municipalities, but to the Spanish government.

In the affected area in Madrid, three hospitals, including the largest children's hospital in Spain. Sánchez makes the 118-acre Park. "A Parking garage is a huge underground dam wall. The groundwater inflow is interrupted, the centuries-old trees might take damage“, fear of the biologist. Five square length of the Park to the house.

Rita Maestre is the voice of Más Madrid, the party that won in the past year, although again the elections, but not enough councilors scored to the right of the Alliance to prevent it. She accuses Almeida, "the residents behind the light" lead. The mayor, speaking again and again of a high demand for residents Parking spaces. In fact, 156 Cars are just owners waiting on a list. "More than 800 Parking spaces remain for the passage of traffic," says Maestre.

increases The traffic, especially on weekends. Not only is the Park visitors come in your own car. In the area along the Retiros, more and more upscale Tapas to make Bars and Restaurants. Maestre fear is also one of the favourite projects of the former left-alternative city government, of which she was a right-Hand man to the mayor, Manuela Carmena face. The Retiro, and close to Museum Paseo del Prado should be a Unesco heritage site. The car Park could now "make this candidacy permanently destroyed," complained Maestre.

For Paco Segura, spokesman for the environmental organizations, ecologists in action en Acción, the Park house is a proof that Almeida everything possible does, in order to create "additional incentives for the use of the car". Barely in office, he wanted to expose the of the left alternative, adopted far-reaching ban on driving in the city centre. Ecologists in action en Acción, however, scored a preliminary injunction.

Now Almeida has a new Plan. "Madrid Central", as the previous environmental zone is to soft "Madrid 360". Vehicles without environmental badge may then return to the city centre, if you are to interact with two or more pass on the way. Environmental requirements for Trucks and delivery vans to be taken back. "Once the new standards are adopted by the city Council, we are again before the court," says Segura.

Almeida swims against the current of time. The Spanish Minister for the environment, Teresa Ribera, has yet to be announced for this spring, a new environmental law. All municipalities with more than 50,000 inhabitants should be required, an environmental zone. A model that "Madrid Central", wants to abolish Almeida is.

"The air pollution is at the Retiro extremely high -"

As a Protest against Park house stirred, has pushed Almeida meanwhile, new measures to ensure the "sustainability" of the project under proof. So above the earth, two bus lanes and a Bicycle path should be created. In the Park house, he wants to install charging stations for E-cars.

And to show that the residents need a Parking garage, he sends a survey team of door-to-door. You should be looking for possible customers to register with your name and address in a waiting list. What comes out of it is unclear. Only this much is certain: An online petition against the "Macro-storey car Park Retiro" has now been signed by over 45,000 residents under.