Barcelona Urban Mobility Plan and €3.3 Billion Transport Investment Target Private Vehicle Reduction

Barcelona’s Full Council approved the Urban Mobility Plan 2024, which sets a target of 81.52 percent of journeys by walking, public transport or cycling. A follow-up proposal for 2025-2030 raises the sustainable transport share to 85 percent and aims to cut private vehicle use from 19.9 percent to 15 percent across the metropolitan area. These targets are supported by a €3.3 billion Catalan government program that includes completion of Metro Line 9’s central section and modernisation of 366 km of highways to 2+1 lanes.

The city is also carrying out 49 summer infrastructure projects, among them covering a section of Ronda de Dalt, remodelling La Rambla and Via Laietana, and extending FGC railway line 8. A separate €200 million renewal program spans 29 districts and includes an €18.4 million sewer overhaul along more than 10 km of networks plus replacement of 11 escalator groups and 13 elevators. European Union funding of €128 million supports 73 metropolitan projects, while Next Generation funds add €33 million for zero-emission buses, metro renewals and work on Via Laietana and Avinguda Meridiana.

Planned modal shift and resident travel patterns

The Urban Mobility Plan 2024 contains 62 lines of action and more than 300 measures. It projects a 7.5 percent rise in walking journeys, a 15.7 percent increase in public transport use and a 129.4 percent growth in cycling compared with 2018 levels. The 2025-2030 proposal seeks to move 250,000 work-related private vehicle trips onto public transport, particularly for metropolitan connections. Authorities are also preparing a second public-private partnership phase valued at €1.5 billion to extend metro and tram networks, including new tram segments north and south of the city.

These changes are linked to a broader commitment to halve emissions by 2030 relative to 1992 levels and to reduce motorised private mobility by 20 percent. The NEONA bus network, implemented between 2012 and 2018, already contributed to improved air quality in earlier years.

Household budget considerations

Residents who currently rely on private vehicles for work or daily errands may face decisions about shifting some trips to public options as new infrastructure opens and service frequencies rise. The planned reduction in car use is expected to alter the share of household spending directed toward fuel, parking and vehicle maintenance. At the same time, increased investment in pedestrian areas, cycle routes and rail extensions is intended to expand the range of lower-cost travel choices available within the 29 districts covered by the renewal program.

Further project delivery will depend on the sequencing of the €3.3 billion program, the €1.5 billion public-private partnership phase and the ongoing 49 summer works. No additional timeline beyond the existing 2025-2030 planning horizon is stated in the approved documents.