The period of submissions for the Palma tram project (Trambadia) ended on Tuesday. The town hall, via different departments, has made a number of proposed changes, one of which would involve the tramline going down the centre of the Avenidas and not off to one side; the route will start at Plaça Espanya.
This coincides with a recommendation from the commission for Palma's historic centre, which has submitted a not altogether favourable report. The commission says that it isn't against the project as such but does raise objections, one of them concerning the tramline along the Avenidas.
The project as it stands could entail trees being removed from the side of the road, while overhead cables would have a negative visual impact if they are located too close to historic buildings. The Arca heritage association agrees with the commission and suggests that the route along the Avenidas shouldn't have any cables. The tram needs a hybrid form of power - batteries for the Avenidas and cables for the remainder of the route to the airport.
Other submissions from the town hall include having a bike lane running alongside the entire route, vegetation in order to reduce the potential for the tram to create a "heat island", and not interfering with any existing infrastructure for the Emaya municipal services agency.
Julio Martínez, a councillor from the opposition Partido Popular, believes that the submissions made by various departments demonstrate a lack of coordination between the town hall and other bodies, e.g. the Balearic government. He argues that the project is being rushed for electoral purposes and without getting full agreement. This said, he's of the view that "nothing will happen with the project" before the elections.