Pedestrian Walkways Are For Pedestrians, Constitutional Court Rules
The Sala Constitucional (Constitutional Court) did not find merit the recurso amparo (appeal) action by a group of neighbours against the municipality for closing off to vehicular traffic the "alameda"-  a common pedestrian walkway between homes - located in the Urbanización Miraflores en San Pablo de Heredia.

The decision means prohibits vehicular traffic in all alamedas that is common in many residential neighbourhoods not only in Heredia, but in San José, Alajuela and other provinces.

The presence of vehicles in the alamedas has caused serious problems in many neighbourhoods like that in Miraflores, forcing residents and municipalities to take action. However, this is the first action before the Constitutional Court that has gone in favour of pedestrians.

Rodrigo García Canales and Sergio Varela said they decided to bring the appeal action because they were being stopped from parking their vehicles in front of their homes, for better protection.

The president of the Consejo de San Pablo, Gerardo Elizondo, was pleased at the court decision, as it supports the municipal action requested by residents of his community.

Elizondo added that the metal posts placed at the entrances of the alamedas were based on a petition by the Asociación de Desarrollo Integral de Miraflores, who feared an accident and to also protect the walkway from the dangers of flooding.

"The important is that the decision supports the rights of the municipality to give back the walkways to the pedestrians", said Elizondo.

García and Varela argued that they have been using the alameda for ten year to get their cars in the garages that they had built and now are being blocked from using them, having to leave their cars on the street, where they can be vandalized.