Madrid reduces traffic inside the M-30 by 32% before receiving the Pope

The reduction in traffic comes in a particularly sensitive week for the city. The central lanes of Paseo de la Castellana are closed in several sections, between Plaza de Cuzco and Plaza de San Juan de la Cruz, and from Puente de Raimundo Fernández Villaverde to Plaza de Lima.

These closures have forced many drivers to reorganise routes, leave earlier or leave the car at home. In a city used to measuring its pace by the M-30 and the Castellana, any restriction on these arteries is quickly felt in offices, neighbourhoods, public transport and access to the centre.

Bicimad has been one of the major beneficiaries. On Wednesday, 65,338 journeys were recorded, 13% more than the previous week and 38% above a usual day last year. The free service, active from 3 to 9 June, has encouraged more users to try the public bicycle.

EMT is also free during those dates, although the increase in passengers has been much more modest, below 1%. Remote working and reorganised schedules may have eased pressure on buses, especially at peak times.

For those who live or work within the M-30, the week requires more planning than usual. Some journeys are faster because of the drop in traffic, but others depend on occasional closures, diversions and a greater presence of people in areas linked to the papal visit.

The situation presents a curious image of Madrid: fewer cars inside the city, more public bicycles in circulation and free transport as an alternative. It is not a structural change, but it is a visible test of how the capital responds when different mobility is imposed for several days.

For Madrid residents, the key will be practical: check closures before leaving, make use of EMT or Bicimad if they fit the journey and avoid improvising around the Castellana. The Pope’s visit will pass, but these days show the extent to which the city can change when cars carry less weight, even temporarily.