Walk around Bombarda, Almada, Passos Manuel or Av. de Rodrigues de Freitas in which cars are banned or limited for the weekend

The weekend is here and, in line with the pedestrian precincts that Mayor Rui Moreira and his Executive are implementing, people are able to enjoy the fourth weekend straight of car free zones in major streets in town. This means that shoppers can leisurely enter shops or cafés and practice social distancing in a safe way, either on foot or bike or even enjoy what the city has to offer, namely tables from cafés and restaurants spilling out into the streets, between 8am Saturday and 8pm Sunday. 

There are now thirteen car free zones in Porto Downtown area and Porto Historic centre that are transformed into temporary pedestrian areas, between 8am on Saturdays and 8pm on Sundays.

This municipal measure is part of a plan both to restore public space and boost a new leisure and shopping experience in town, as a result of the resuming of the economic activity in the city.

In addition, under the framework to rebuild a sustainable economy, this measure is aimed at encouraging citizens to practising a more conscious mobility in the city, more car free and turned to the choice of more soft mode of transports to move around in the city.

The Municipality has been preparing alternatives to the use of individual means of transport in the urban milieu, namely encouraging the choice of soft modes of transport, the enhancement and improvement of bicycle paths.

These temporary pedestrian areas are also be denominated Coexistence zones, which means that despite car traffic is prohibited, residents are allowed to access their homes and car parks, up to a maximum speed of 20 Km per hour.

Loading and unloading are allowed, but only between 6.30am and 11am, every Saturday and Sunday.

These areas will display new street furniture, which is temporary and detachable, for a better use of the public space. There are coloured marking on the streets' pavements to signal theses new areas.

Temporary pedestrian areas

Between 8am Saturday and 8pm Sunday, these are the following temporary pedestrian areas:

Zone 1

Cedofeita

- Rua de Miguel Bombarda, between Rua do Rosário and Rua de Diogo Brandão.

Movida

- Rua de Conde de Vizela, Rua da Fábrica and Rua de Santa Teresa;

- Rua de Avis, between Rua de Santa Teresa and Praça de D. Filipa de Lencastre (south end of the street).

Almada

- Rua do Almada, between Rua do Dr. Ricardo Jorge and Rua de Ramalho Ortigão;

- Rua da Picaria.

Passos Manuel

- Rua de Passos Manuel, Rua do Ateneu Comercial do Porto, and Rua do Dr. António Emílio de Magalhães.

Zone 2

- Passeio das Virtudes and Rua do Dr. Barbosa de Castro.

Zone 3

Caldeireiros

- Rua dos Caldeireiros, between Rua de S. Bento da Vitória and Rua da Vitória.

Avenida Rodrigues de Freitas

- Avenida Rodrigues de Freitas, between Rua de D. João IV and Rua do Duque de Saldanha.

But there are two exceptions: Rua do Almada and Avenida Rodrigues de Freitas are totally conditioned streets regarding car traffic while the pedestrian areas are in place, between 8am Saturday to 8pm Sunday. Thus, public transport, loading and unloading, access of residents by car to the area and parking are not allowed.