Mobility and access to beaches safely and sustainably
The Setúbal City Council approved on April 17, in a public meeting, the mobility and access model for Arrábida beaches, which, along with road restrictions for safety reasons, reinforces the environmental preservation and sustainability component.
The model of mobility and access to the municipality's beaches during the bathing season, from June 1st to September 15th, is now called “Car-Free and Safe Arrábida Program 2024 – Arrábida O2”, encompassing preservation concerns and actions and environmental sustainability developed in this territory, one of the two protected areas in the municipality.
The City Council emphasizes that “the very particular conditions of this territory require the establishment of a specific model of mobility and access to the beaches of the municipality of Setúbal, particularly for the period corresponding to the bathing season, when there is a greater influx of users”.
The municipal strategy for safe and sustainable mobility, materialized in this program which, in 2024, will gain the “Arrábida O2” component, assumes a central role in issues related to environmental sustainability and the safety and safeguarding of natural heritage and people and goods .
The prevention of risks, particularly those associated with relief and prevention of rural and forest fires, along with promoting the use of public public transport, movement in gentle modes and discouraging the use of private transport are part of the strategy.
The commitment to “effective and reliable” public transport, reinforced this summer, is understood as a measure promoting the “real safeguard of existing natural assets and biodiversity”, contributing decisively to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in the municipality, towards neutrality carbon emissions that the country is obliged to achieve by 2050.
CIRCULATION
In 2024, a set of measures in the sphere of road safety and accessibility will again be adopted, which are associated with the need to prevent and mitigate existing mixed natural and technological risks and to ensure adequate conditions for the circulation of emergency and rescue vehicles.
“The particular conditions of the Arrábida Natural Park, with the natural, morphological and environmental characteristics of the coastline, are not compatible with the high pressure exerted by the circulation and irregular parking of motor vehicles, particularly during the bathing season”, highlights the document. .
During the bathing season, Rua Círio da Arrábida, between the Figueirinha tunnel and Creiro, is closed to vehicles and pedestrians due to the risk of a fractured rock block falling into the mountainside.
Therefore, it will not be possible to guarantee access to the beaches of Galapos, Galapinhos and Creiro, from Setúbal, via Figueirinha, but only from Azeitão or from Setúbal, via Azeitão. I believe on foot or using soft modes of transport such as scooters and bicycles.
The accessibility management model defined for this year's bathing season maintains the conditioning of car traffic on the beaches of Albarquel, Creiro and Portinho da Arrábida, due to limited parking in those areas and because they are dead-end access points.
Car circulation is prohibited daily, between 07:30 am and 19:30 pm, on the access to Praia de Albarquel, and between 07:00 am and 19:00 pm, on the section between Creiro and Praia de Galapos, on the access to Praia do Creiro and on the section that leads to Portinho da Arrábida, from the access intersection.
Circulation on these sections where there are traffic restrictions is, however, authorized for two-wheeled vehicles, scooters, vehicles carrying a resident badge, regular public transport, taxis and similar, authorities and emergency and rescue vehicles.
There is also the case of residents, traders and concessionaires, who can request access cards by request to be made available on the municipality's website or via email. beaches@mun-setubal.pt.
BUSES
The promotion of public transport is another of the municipality's efforts, with the offer of careers that allow access to the beaches to the detriment of the use of individual transport, maintaining, in 2024, the integration of all careers in the Navegante pass, allowing the access to beaches under more advantageous economic conditions.
The model proposed for this year continues the commitment to move people to the beaches of Arrábida through the public passenger transport service, with connections from Setúbal and Azeitão to the beaches of Arrábida throughout the bathing season.
The Setúbal City Council considers that public transport is the “most effective, efficient and balanced means for moving people to the beaches of the municipality, with a very positive contribution to the management and sustainability of the ecosystem on the Arrábida coastline”.
Line 4470, connecting Setúbal (ITS) and Praia do Creiro (via Vila Nogueira de Azeitão), due to the impossibility of a direct connection between Figueirinha and Creiro, leaves Setúbal at 08:30, 10:00, 11:30, 13:00, 14:30 , 16:00 pm, 17:30 pm and 19:00 pm, and from Creiro at 09:30 am, 11:00 am, 12:30 pm, 14:00 pm, 15:30 pm, 17:00 pm, 18:30 pm and 20:00 pm.
In this case, the deliberation highlights that the model proposed for this year is accompanied by a “significant increase in timetables for the line serving Praia do Creiro, as a way of reinforcing travel to these beaches using public transport instead of individual transport ”.
In contrast, the variant of line 4470, starting in Brejos de Azeitão, which in 2023 existed with a timetable per day, will not be run, being replaced by the synchronization of the Azeitão circular line at the passage in Vila Nogueira de Azeitão with line 4470, starting in Setúbal.
Line 4471, Praia de Albarquel Circular, via Avenida Luísa Todi in a shuttle system, provides transport service between 09:00 am and 20:00 pm, with a frequency every 30 minutes during the week and a frequency every 20 minutes during the week. weekends.
Line 4474, connecting Setúbal (Alegro) to Praia da Figueirinha, is available between 08:00 and 20:30, with departures every 15 minutes between 08:00 and 12:00 and 16:15 and 18:15, every 10 minutes between 18:30 pm and 20:30 pm and every 20 minutes between 12:20 pm and 16:00 pm, on weekdays.
This same line that transports passengers to Praia da Figueirinha is reinforced on weekends, with departures every 10 minutes between 08:00 and 12:00 and 16:30 and 20:30 and every 15 minutes between 12:15 pm and 16:15 pm.
Another line, 4476, connecting Parque da Secil, with 180 parking spaces, and Praia da Figueirinha, using a shuttle system, is available between 08:30 am and 20:30 pm, every 30 minutes, at a cost of parking associated with the use of the career.
Highlight, in the document defined for the year 2024, for the “significant increase in timetables on the line serving Praia do Creiro, as a way of reinforcing travel to these beaches using public transport instead of individual transport”.
As last year, all careers are included in the different types of the Navegante Pass, with loading at the usual locations, and it is also possible to purchase tickets on board transport, for 2,60 euros, and use the Zapping service.
The Zapping top-up service consists of a pre-paid transport ticket that can be used for any trips on occasional public transport in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area, for individual use, by loading VIVA cards with amounts between 5 and 40 euros.
PARKING
The Setúbal City Council warns that the use of public transport is only possible with disciplined road circulation in individual transport and, in particular, parking on the verges, with supervision carried out by the territorially competent security forces and the municipality.
To reinforce the need to combat abusive parking, the municipality establishes the increase in road signs, namely the prohibition of parking, and formalizes and organizes parking spaces for two-wheeled vehicles and double wheels.
In terms of parking, the existing parking space at Praia da Figueirinha is available, with capacity for 240 spaces, priced from the 1st of June to the 30th of September with a variable cost, depending on the day of the week and the season – low from the 1st to the 30th of September. June and from September 1st to 30th and high from July 1st to August 31st.
In addition to the aforementioned Parque da Secil, there is an exchange at Praia do Creiro, with around 140 places, which is managed by the Baía de Setúbal Association, with fees between 07am and 00pm, worth 18 euros for entrances from from 00:5 and 07 euros for entries from 00:3.
A mobile application is made available that allows the user to have prior knowledge, in real time, of the existing available spaces, as well as centralized electronic information panels for parking management will be installed at the intersections of Avenida Luísa Todi, Gávea and the entrance to the Secil park.
In the parking lot of the Alegro Setúbal shopping center, free parking of vehicles is possible for users of collective public transport to access the beaches of Arrábida, specifically line 4474, for connection to Praia da Figueirinha.
In this model, more focus is also given to preserving the natural and tourist values of the Arrábida Natural Park, with the aim of making this territory, the use of which should be encouraged throughout the year and, specifically, during the bathing season, in a sustainable way and to safeguard heritage.
Bathing activities with approved standards
The operating rules for activities in the bathing areas of the municipality of Setúbal for 2024 were also decided by the Setúbal City Council at the public meeting on April 17th.
The standards aim to establish the rules and conditions for the operation of the various activities on the sea beaches integrated into the public water domain of the State, identified as bathing waters in the municipality, specifically Albarquel, Figueirinha, Galapos, Galapinhos and Creiro/Portinho da Arrábida.
The document includes activities that involve access to water from the beach, such as tourist and recreational entertainment, as well as activities on the beach and the area surrounding the bathing area, such as the operation of equipment with beach support functions, beach, bathing and recreational facilities, street vending and occasional events.
As for beaches not identified as bathing waters, namely Gávea, Coelhos and Alpertuche, the authority to authorize and license lies with the Portuguese Environment Agency – Administration of the Alentejo Hydrographic Region, Port Authority of Setúbal and the Institute for Nature and Forest Conservation – Arrábida Natural Park.
The granting of licenses, concessions, authorizations by the Setúbal City Council is done through the Arrábida Beach Planning and Management Office, via email address gapgpa@mun-setubal.pt, through which it is also possible to request clarification of doubts or additional information.
The zones and rules for activities in the municipality's bathing areas are those defined by the Setúbal Municipal Council, in conjunction with the Espichel-Odeceixe Planning Program and respective Management Regulations, with the Arrábida Natural Park Planning Plan and Rules of Access Navigation to the Beaches in the Arrábida Natural Park and the Portinho/Galapinhos Mooring Space.
Fee exemption for activities on three beaches
The Setúbal City Council also decided to exempt the payment of fees for the use of water resources for a set of economic activities carried out in the bathing areas of Galapos, Galapinhos and Creiro.
The measure is intended to support economic agents during the summer period who, due to the current restrictions on access to these bathing areas, for security reasons, have more limited activity.
Due to the lack of an alternative and the natural location, the beaches of Galapos, Galapinhos and Creiro are “the most affected in terms of access guarantees, due to the impediment of direct public transport lines from Setúbal”, indicates the approved proposal.
In this context, it was decided to exempt the payment of fees for the use of water resources for a total of seven activities licensed by the municipality in these bathing areas, worth approximately 3500 euros.
The Setúbal City Council, due to the instability of a large rocky block on the mountainside, ordered the closure of the section of Rua Círio da Arrábida between Praia da Figueirinha and Creiro.
On this matter, the municipality recalls that “it has entered into formal contacts with the Ministry of the Environment, with a view to carrying out technical studies to define the conditions for intervention to resolve this serious problem”.
It was also assumed by the State Secretariats for the Environment and Nature Conservation that “the global solution to this case would be financed by the Environmental Fund”.
Municipality again candidate for ecological flag
The presentation of the candidacy for the ECOXXI 2024 Award, awarded to municipalities for the good environmental and sustainable practices carried out, was also approved by the municipality at the public meeting on April 17th.
ECOXXI is an education program for sustainability, implemented in Portugal by the Portuguese section of the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) and the Associação Bandeira Azul de Ambiente e Educação (ABAAE) since 2005, with the objectives of identifying and recognizing good environmental practices, with the valorization, among other aspects, of education towards sustainability and environmental quality.
The implementation of the ECOXXI Program aims to recognize the effort made in implementing sustainability measures at municipal level based on sustainable development indicators.
The fundamental objective of the program is to create an organized platform for debate, which functions as a methodological tool to be used by the municipality to systematize the work and results of the different services.
The ECOXXI Program also contributes to promoting knowledge of the territory through the collection of information based on the principles of sustainability, stimulating dialogue and commitment from those involved in building a more resilient, sustainable and inclusive city, in addition to recognizing the best policies and practices in matters of sustainable development, through compliance with local sustainability criteria.
The program covers 12 sectors, namely Environmental Education, Institutions, Nature Conservation and Biodiversity, Spatial Planning, Air, Water, Waste, Energy, Transport, Noise, Agriculture and Tourism, which result in 21 indicators that, in turn, are divided into sub-indicators.
The municipality of Setúbal, distinguished with the ECOXXI award since 2017, aims to “maintain the distinction and increase the score achieved”, highlights the approved deliberation.
The Setúbal municipality's candidacy for the ECOXXI 2024 Award has a cost of 1200 euros, associated with the evaluation of the competitive procedure for municipalities included in level 4, with more than 100 thousand inhabitants.
As Setúbal had previously competed for this education and sustainability program, having been awarded the award consecutively over the last seven years, it benefits from a discount on the application, with the final value being 960 euros.
