Mérida mayor Renán Barrera talked about his intention to turn downtown’s Calle 47 into a pedestrian crosswalk to go from Santa Ana all the way down to La Plancha.
Renán Barrera Concha made the following statements in an interview conducted by Diario de Yucatán on July 27th:
“47th Street, which connects the Paseo de Montejo and the heart of the Santa Ana neighborhood with the plot known as La Plancha, could become a pedestrian crosswalk. Because that street has a “natural tourist vocation”.
Those of us who have lived in this city for many years have seen how Calle 47 has evolved, and today you can find restaurants, bars, coffe shops, boutique hotels, and entertainment centers of high quality there, which come to position that route as a natural, organic pedestrian crosswalk with a huge potential in terms of tourism.
I think that the global trend in these type of spaces is to focus on pedestrian routes. In the case of “The White City” we are talking about turning Calle 47 into a communication channel between strategical points in town, where people can walk freely. We have noticed that when there are street closures due to cultural events, people come by the thousands, and overflow these streets, to enjoy the magnificent Historic Center architecture.
I think that Mérida is ready to take the next step, always with total knowledge and with a great sense of socialization of the commercial and tourist sector of the area to carry out this urbanization plan. And the idea is to transform Calle 47, from Santa Ana, to the Paseo de Montejo Remate, and then all the way to La Plancha, into a tourist pedestrian space.
It is a very viable project, and this administration is willing to support it. However, we would have to wait for the plan to be completed in La Plancha first, in order to conclude the project. This circuit offers very interesting and attractive possibilities, that in time, would position it as an important tourist attraction for the state capital.
The idea of promoting Calle 47 as a tourist-cultural corridor, needs to be discussed and agreed with the residents of the area, as well as with business owners of that sector, through the program of design of participatory public spaces. And depending on the results, determine what is most convenient for everyone. We want to turn Merida into a world-class tourist destination.
People want to walk the Paseo de Montejo, they want to enjoy the beauty of the Historic Center and Calle 47 is a natural via to make this happen,” mayor Renán Barrera Concha conluded.
The Yucatan Times Newsroom with information from Diario de Yucatán
