The debate over traffic data in València continues to pit the municipal government against the opposition. While the Mobility department presents a positive assessment of traffic evolution, Compromís accuses its head of manipulating figures and attempting to mislead the public. Each side highlights the data most favorable to them, making it difficult to ascertain the true situation.
According to the head of Mobility, the Average Daily Intensities (IMD) of traffic at València's city accesses last April showed a decrease of 6,000 vehicles compared to 2025. Although April's IMD is higher than previous years, it remains 5.48% lower than in 2019, considered the peak of urban traffic. On internal roads, IMD s have decreased by 4% compared to 2025, 1% less than in 2023, and 7% lower than in 2019.
“"The IMD data indicate a stabilization in internal private vehicle mobility in the city, and even a decrease despite the fact that the City Council is currently undertaking the redevelopment of Giorgeta-Pérez Galdós avenues, the most important and complex urban work carried out in Valencia in recent decades."
The head of Mobility and Local Police explained that the Municipal Government maintains rigorous criteria for analyzing traffic evolution. He asserted that describing traffic in València using specific data from certain roads and extrapolating it to the entire city is neither fair nor reflective of reality. He added that historical series have always been compiled using the same data source and collection procedures, meaning any errors are consistent across past and present, with only the interpretation differing.
The City Council distinguishes two groups of data: city accesses and passages through main internal roads (with intensities equal to or greater than 30,000 vehicles). This differentiation reveals that while accesses are growing, internal traffic remains stable. This suggests that València residents are changing their habits and opting for alternative transport modes.
The head of Mobility highlighted that València's citizens are prioritizing sustainable transport modes, such as cycling, which has seen significant growth since 2023, and public transport, like the EMT, which has increased from 93 million passengers in 2023 to 120 million today. The use of the city's bike lane network (over 225 km) in April increased by 10% compared to 2025.
“"The announcement by the head of Mobility deserves nothing but media and citizen contempt. It is unacceptable that, for the second time in several months and after three uninterrupted years with official City Council figures registering a continuous increase in city traffic, the head of Mobility issues a statement to the media talking about a decrease in traffic jams before the Mobility service makes the real records public."
A Compromís councilor harshly criticized the statements by the head of Mobility, accusing him of lying and being an incompetent manager. He questioned the credibility of his claims, recalling previous instances of alleged falsehoods. The Compromís councilor concluded that the municipal government is trying to normalize opacity and corruption in municipal management among València residents, something he believes no dignified Valencian will tolerate.
