Barcelona City Council has repainted a traditional white-striped pedestrian crossing in the busy plaza of Antoni Maura on Via Laietana, responding to growing complaints about safety and confusion in the area.
The spot, located near the Cathedral and the Santa Caterina market, had been redesigned as a shared ‘single platform’ with modern block-style markings. However, the layout blurred the line between pedestrian and vehicle space, leading to frequent near misses.
The new zebra stripes are intended to make pedestrian priority clearer while still coexisting with the experimental design. The council has also installed planters at the Besòs-side car park exit to force drivers to turn left as planned, preventing them from cutting across the crossing.
Yet problems persist. On the Llobregat side, many vehicles continue to enter the car park by driving through pedestrian space, often passing within centimetres of passers-by. Earlier this week, a bus on route 47 was unable to proceed because a car had blocked the access lane, further underlining the chaos.
Despite the adjustments, the plaza remains one of the most complex points for pedestrians on Via Laietana, particularly for tourists unfamiliar with the area’s traffic dynamics. The council has pledged to continue monitoring and refining the layout.
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