On May 28, Marta Farrés (PSC) revalidated the mayoralty with 14 councilors, which gave her her first absolute majority. At the plenary session of the constitution, she reached out to opposition groups, entities and companies to "add up and find more and better ideas for Sabadell". She encouraged achieving "what unites us and not what separates us." She talks fast, like lightning. Smile a lot. On the agenda, strategic challenges: 500 public flats, the forceful commitment to the Ronda Nord, attracting more industry, parks against the climate emergency and improving mobility.
How do you approach the challenge of mobility in the center of Sabadell? The Passeig car park has been inoperative for a long time.
The next step is to rescue the concession of the operator, Saba. This will allow us to reduce the access ramp in half and organize the accesses to Plaça del Àngel. We are studying how we transform Vía Massagué, to give it more life. We want to widen sidewalks, plant trees... but also ensure that drivers can reach the center and park. It is compatible to promote the walk and the commerce. If not, we'll kill the center.
How will the low emission zone be applied?
We have the Next Generation. We will start it in 2024 in the center, with a small pilot test, with trial and error. We don't want to chase the driver or cause the adjacent streets to clog up, as we have seen in other cities. The best way to get vehicles from Gran Via, Strasburg or Ponent is with the Nord roundabout. It is vital for the internal mobility of Sabadell and the connection of the Vallès.
With the departure of the Minister of Territory, Juli Fernández and the entry of Ester Capella, is his construction going to get unstuck?
I wish it, I hope it and I almost beg for it to be so. The agreement in the territory, with Sabadell, Terrassa and Castellar del Vallès, is unanimous and increasingly reinforced. I hope that the Generalitat fulfills its commitments.
But it is an environmental threat.
It will be done with minimal environmental impact. We have done studies on where this round has to pass and it can go underground along Avenida de las Palmeres, with a 2 2, without impact on the forest... It is possible and we know how to do it. The political decision must be made to unravel it.
On the part of the central government, there is that will.
Of course. I always say that if it was not done well, we would be the first to stop it. We want the Nord round, but well done, a viable project.
We are in the midst of a climate emergency. Has the surfing wave pool project, the Surf City, been definitively closed?
It is a project in which I believe a lot, but I understand the doubts that exist and they are reasonable. The City Council reports state that there is no environmental impact. In order to have the maximum guarantees, we have gone to the Generalitat to make another report, which is not binding, and thus have the gaze of an external observer. If it has an impact on the Ripoll river, the Surf City will be paralyzed.
Increasing public housing is another challenge.
TRUE. This will not be a mandate for large works, but to improve public services and housing is key. Among different options (Vimusa, cooperatives, purchase of occupied flats...), we will obtain 500 publicly-promoted homes.
There is a big project...
Yes! We are about to buy the Gas Museum (closed since 2018) to transform it into the Sabadell Textile History Museum, with relevant collections such as that of the Fundación Antoni de Montpalau, the most important in the country, with 17,000 prom dresses sewing and ready-to-wear and 30,000 designs.
