Valencia’s iconic convention centre will become a focal point to fighting traffic congestion

The plan is to transform its car park into a deterrent car park

This past weekend, the municipal portal of Valencia informed about a proposal by the local tourism and sustainable mobility authorities that envisioned transforming the 600-space underground car park of the Palau de Congressos convention centre into a so-called ‘deterrent car park’ and connecting it by means of regular electric bus shuttles to the Porta de la Mar interchange in the heart of the city.

Local transport operator EMT is also one of the partners to the proposal, which has been submitted to the Ministry of Transport for approval and funding. The proponents argue that if approved this would result in a drastic step towards decarbonizing the traffic flow and emissions in Valencia by reducing congestions and incidents.

What is a deterrent car park?

Designed by famed British architect Norman Foster and unveiled in 1998, the Palau de Congressos building has become a focal point of events tourism to the city and has been twice voted as the World’s Best Convention Centre by the relevant international association AIPC. The Valencian authorities, however, reported the profile of attendees has changed and the large car park is less occupied, which gave impetus to the idea for a deterrent car park.

Deterrent car parks are parking spaces that are placed and designed in a way that dissuades drivers into the city core and encourages them to use convenient public transit instead. That is why the proposal includes plans for the establishment of an electric bus shuttle line which would take passengers further on to the downtown area. Such adjustments would likely include a combined ticket that covers the parking fee and the shuttle rides.

“This commitment to reducing urban pollution, through the prioritization and transformation of public transport, is part of a global and cross-cutting initiative in all areas of municipal management, which is aligned with the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. In this way, also from the area of ​​tourism we join the commitment of the city of Valencia in the fight against climate change, minimizing the carbon footprint and, therefore, to the environmental impact," said Emiliano García, Councillor of Tourism.

The plan also proposes the installation of electric charging stations in the car park in order to motivate the use of alternative vehicles. The estimated budget for the project would amount to 2.81 million euros.