Murcia 21st century is the seventh city in Spain as far as demographic growth with a GDP above the national average. It’s sustainable growth, based on the strategic development of infrastructures, has concentrated the residential areas, large business areas and commercial areas in the city suburbs and districts. Thus, what is referred to as the four large strategic axes (NORTH, SOUTH, EAST AND WEST) were formed.
Now, the challenge was devised to link these large strategic axes through public transport that would be fast, ecological, safe and economical. THE SOLUTION: THE TRAMWAY.
The project is being planned in phases: the first to be built would be the Avenida Juan Carlos I, which is called Section 0 of Line 1 and which has been authorized to the UTE (temporary business union) Acciona Infraestructuras, a civic group. The conditions for said authorization were:
– The construction of an experimental section measuring 2,2000 kilometres in a period of 6 months and a half.
– The operation of said section for the 30 months following its inauguration.
A service that is free of charge for the 30 months of operation is authorized to the UTE.

Urban bus line number 4, which is one of the most used and has one of the longest routes, has reduced CO2 emissions by 13.4 tons per year. The public transport bio diesel (B-10) use pilot project, which is part of the European Bio-Nett project, has thus been implemented.

In the first period, three vehicles will use liquid bio fuel in one of the most used urban lines (320,000 passengers a year) which has one of the longest routes (135,000 kilometres a year), as it travels through El Carmen, Infante Don Juan Manuel, Primero de Mayo, Vistabella, La Paz, La Flota, Santa María de Gracia and Gran Vía. Current fuel consumption is at 60,750 litres of diesel oil a year.

The mayor of Murcia, Miguel Ángel Cámara presented the BICYCLE USE STRATEGIC PLAN in Murcia on 6-11-2007. The plan is aimed for completion by the year 2001, when Murcia will have integrated the bicycle as another means of transport.

The objectives include promoting the use of the bicycle for sports and free time, and what is more, raising public awareness about the benefits of the use of this means of transport. Another objective is to promote bicycles as an element of mobility, leisure and health.
The use of the bicycle in Murcia could be an enormous step towards the city’s main objective: To link the historic city centre to the two university campuses, the UMU in Espinardo and the Catholic University (UCAM) in Guadalupe.

The paths:
- Palacio Almudí-UCAM 6.3 km.
- Plaza Circular-Campus de Espinardo 4.8 km.
- UMU-UCAM 3 km.