Vitoria-Gasteiz' Green Ring will make sustainable mobility stand out

Hundreds of trees and thousands of flowers have been planted along the route of the smart bus line to create a visual identity that leaves no one indifferent

BEI stands for Bus Eléctrico Inteligente (or Electric Intelligent Bus), a public transport line with state-of-the-art futuristic vehicles making a loop in the city of Vitoria-Gasteiz (capital of the Basque Country of Spain). Local authorities, however, have decided that simply putting sustainable mobility on the road is not enough if the surroundings remain the same, so the BEI Green Ring idea was born as a result.

Already underway, its essence consists of planting 900 trees and some 60,000 other plants along the entire route of the bus lines. The vision here is to create a striking green identity and make the concept of green mobility quite literal. After all, what good is it having clean buses if the streets remain the same as they’ve always been?

The project will take some time to grow and flourish

The local authorities reported that 883 of the trees have already been planted. This is practically double the number of trees initially planned, but it is not only the quantity that matters but also the type of specimens, as well as their location. Every detail has a purpose in this initiative.

For example, the plant complex is made up of a system of cypresses next to the bus stops, whereas along the entire route, carpets of flowers, bush plantations and other trees will line the road. These large and leafy specimens, which in the future will acquire a large size, will allow providing shade, in addition to offering important environmental benefits. Maples have been chosen, among other species, for their great adaptation to dry climates and for the size of their leaves, in addition to their attractiveness.

The Vitoria-Gasteiz Department of Mobility and Public Space has already completed the planting of flowers and shrubs, which exceed 16,000 square meters of 'green cover'. In total, that is some 60,000 drought and frost-resistant plants, which require little care.

The Green Ring will take time to grow into its full glory. But once it does, the officials promise that it will be captivating, and will make sense as one coherent whole ensemble.

City Hall has claimed that "all the planting carried out manages to provide the BEI route with a common thread that makes it have a recognizable green plot, a landscape set that will be identifiable to the citizens".