San José Planning More
Boulevards
Downtown San José
currently has 3.2
kilometres of "boulevares"
(boulevards) or
pedestrian walkways,
however, the
municipality wants more,
like five or six.
Currently the major part
of Avenida Central,
Calle 4, Avenida 4, the
area around the
Legislative Assembly,
Museo Nacional and the
Tribunals de Justicia,
all exclude vehicular
traffic, used
exclusively by
pedestrians.
Marco Vinicio Corrales,
manager for municipal
services says the
municipality is
currently working on
expanding the Avenida
Central boulevard, which
will bring the total to
4.5 kilometres.
Corrales says that there
is defined maximum
number of boulevards in
the downtown area, as
municipal official seek
out more Avenidas and
Calles that could be
converted to boulevards,
all in an attempt to
make the city more
people friendly.
The municipal official
indicated that plans
could include converting
the street that would go
from the Avenida 4
boulevard to the
estación al Pacífico
(train station), Calle
11 from Plaza Viquez to
north and Calle 8, as
well as Calle 12.
The cost of the
construction and the
timetable will depend on
an impact study that
will be conducted by the
municipality and the
Ministerio de Obras
Públicas y Transportes
(MOPT).
Corrales recognizes that
the boulevards have been
a problem for many
drivers, especially the
bus operators who have
had to change their
routes and stops to
accomodate the recently
completed Avenida 4
boulevard, for example,
but are a great benefit
to the capital.
For instance, the value
of the properties along
Avenida 4 have recently
doubled, according to
Corrales, as the
municipality is
currently studying
proposals to build
outdoor cafés and the
demolition of some of
the older buildings.
The cost of building the
Avenida 4 boulevard that
runs from Calle 8 to
Calle 14 was ¢130
million colones.
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