Highway C-245, the same highway that must be freed from a large part of through traffic with the construction of the new B-25 highway, has undergone a radical transformation in recent months. What was once an unpleasant district designed solely and exclusively for traveling by car from one municipality to another in the Llobregat delta has become a true metropolitan avenue.
Now cars are just one more in the mobility equation. There is space for pedestrians, a segregated bike lane along much of the route and a bus lane that has acted as a driving force for the urban transformation that has given a similar aesthetic to the road that runs from Cornellà to Castelldefels passing through Sant Boi, Gavà and Viladecans. If until now each city council had managed road traffic in its own way, now they have all followed the same premise, marked by the Barcelona Metropolitan Area (AMB).
In this way, the creation of the first bus line in Catalonia that is considered Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) has been created. That is, a transportation system that has a lane reserved exclusively for it and traffic light priority at intersections. It is the only solution proven internationally to be truly effective in solving the great burden of the bus in urban environments: the low commercial speed that lengthens journeys more than desired.
The entry into service of the M5 line is the first approach to this type of service on these lands in a project that has had the involvement of the Generalitat, the AMB and the town halls through which the line passes. Its frequency is not the most notable aspect since it happens every ten minutes throughout the day. Its potential lies in reducing travel time.
For this, the essential and basic thing is the bus lane, which is available in almost the majority of its layout, although in the narrowest parts of Viladecans and Castelldefels it is forced to share space with the private vehicle. Aside from that, the priority for public transport is fundamental. The traffic lights turn green when the bus approaches and at roundabouts the buses start earlier than the rest of the vehicles.
However, the most surprising thing is the action that has been carried out on two of the many roundabouts on the route, one in Viladecans and another in Castelldefels. There, a lane has been enabled in the central area that allows the bus to travel straight through the roundabout. When it approaches, the traffic lights that are flashing amber the rest of the time turn red and traffic is interrupted so that the bus crosses the roundabout without stopping, making it clear who is in charge.
The system is similar to that of the tram, an idea that is reinforced by the type of vehicles used: high-capacity articulated hybrid buses purchased expressly for this line. Initially, it had been proposed that they would be electric ones with charging points at both ends of the line, like the H16 of Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona (TMB) that runs along Gran Via from end to end, but since their installation would have delayed its commissioning , those responsible for the project have opted to start with ten vehicles of these characteristics and update them later.
The reception from users has been very positive. There are already more than 5,000 daily travelers despite having launched it in the summer and without major announcements as it coincides with the moment of constitution of the new town councils after the elections, which has also delayed some works and has caused the large Castelldefels roundabout to continue pending entry into service.
