The city will place six impact attenuators in tunnels such as Glòries and Lesseps starting in January 2027, a pilot test agreed upon at the Motorcycle Observatory.
The Barcelona City Council has announced the installation of six specific impact buffers for motorcycles at strategic points in the city, aimed at reducing the severity of collisions in tunnels and other road infrastructures. The measure, presented this Tuesday by the first deputy mayor Laia Bonet, is part of a package of actions agreed upon within the Motorcycle Observatory, a body that brings together the city council, the group Motoristes per Barcelona, the employers' association Anesdor, and the victims' association P(A)T.
Six critical points with buffers
The buffers, designed to absorb the energy of impacts at speeds of up to 50 km/h, will be placed at tunnel entrances where there are particularly dangerous concrete structures. The initial candidates are the entrance of the Glòries tunnel towards Besòs, the Lesseps tunnel towards Llobregat, and the General Mitre ring road tunnel, among other points yet to be defined. The pilot test will start in January 2027 and its effectiveness will be evaluated for at least a year.
Traffic delineators and more advanced areas for motorcycles
Additionally, Bonet announced a second pilot test with fluorescent yellow traffic delineators to improve signage in both construction zones and non-construction areas. They will be installed in the slow lane of the Ronda de Dalt between exits 5 and 6, where there are coverage works, and in Tetuan square, with three reflective elements on the curbs. These improvements aim to prevent motorcyclists from colliding with unmarked obstacles. Finally, the city council will update the 52 advanced motorcycle zones (ZAM) in Eixample and create 50 new ones during 2027 on Aragó street, at intersections that currently lack this space allowing motorcycles to position themselves ahead of cars at traffic lights.
A vulnerable group at the centre of policies
“Motorcycle safety is a priority for the city government, and it must be because motorcycles are one of the most used means of transport in Barcelona,” Bonet pointed out, reminding that motorcyclists are one of the most vulnerable groups in urban mobility. According to data from the Observatory, motorcycle accidents represent a significant portion of road incidents in the Catalan capital. With these measures, Barcelona is ahead of other Spanish cities in implementing urban buffers for motorcycles, a system already in operation in countries like France or the United Kingdom. Residents of the province of Barcelona who ride motorcycles in the city will particularly notice the difference in tunnels, where the new devices could reduce serious injuries. The tests will begin this summer with the delineators and will be completed with the buffers in early 2027.
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