The mayor of Vila Nova de Gaia, Luís Filipe Menezes, announced this Saturday the beginning of the dismantling of the Avenida da República cycle path, created in 2024 by his predecessor, Eduardo Vítor Rodrigues. The removal of the bollards that delimited the cycle path — one of the municipality’s central arteries — was communicated by the mayor on social media, accompanied by criticism of the existence of that infrastructure.
The decision generated an immediate response from the Association for Urban Bicycle Mobility (MUBi). Speaking to Lusa, a leader of the association lamented the lack of public debate, questioned the legality of the measure and warned of road safety risks.
“The decision was not discussed or taken to the Municipal Assembly. And there is no technical opinion, as we argue that the Municipal Master Plan requires”, stated Ana Guerra, director of MUBi.
The association adds that financing could be a critical point: the cycle path was included in an application for the program Portugal 2030com 98 thousand euros intended for the implementation of the segregated route.
“If the municipality received and used European funds to build the cycle path as a segregated path, the removal of the bollards is illegal”, argued the same person in charge.
The Avenida da República cycle path had been announced in May 2024 by Eduardo Vítor Rodrigues as a safety measure, due to the existing circulation of bicycles and scooters without physical separation. Segregation also intended to limit abusive parking in the area.
MUBi considers that Luís Filipe Menezes’ decision contradicts the mayor’s inauguration speech, who promised to advance with 25 kilometers of cycle paths.
“It will destroy an existing cycle path”, emphasizes the association, which confirms that it is preparing public protest actions.
The Bloco de Esquerda de Gaia — which has no representation in the current municipal bodies — also criticized the decision, stating that it was taken “without a period of public listening” and without discussion in the Municipal Assembly.
The cycle path connects Jardim do Morro to D. João II station, extending along Avenida da República in both directions. Between D. João II and João de Deus, the road is shared with buses.