Before the change, drivers could enter Praza de España by car and leave via Rúa Comercio. In 1995, Monforte pedestrianised Rúa Cardenal, ending that route through the town centre.
Cars coming from Rúa Doutor Teijeiro could also travel down Rúa Comercio. The pedestrianised area extended to Hermida Balado and Rúa Doutor Teijeiro, and also covered Rúa Comercio and Praza de España. Shopkeepers and hospitality businesses initially criticised the removal of traffic, fearing it would hurt trade.
The debate over access and parking in Monforte’s historic centre continues. A 2026 report by La Voz de Galicia described a proposed underground car park beneath the Compañía esplanade, beside the Colegio del Cardenal. Two earlier parking initiatives, one in the Compañía area and another beside the courts, had failed after companies showed no interest. The proposed Compañía project received the required approval from the Dirección Xeral de Patrimonio, while the urban-planning process continued to consider the parking proposal.
Comparative figures offer a wider context for pedestrianisation: a 2026 MyTraffic synthesis reports that pedestrian flows rose by between 18% and 92% across selected projects in the United Kingdom and Germany. The same synthesis says footfall was stable or increasing in around 30 French urban centres that invested in walking and cycling, with public transport also part of the mix. These figures describe projects elsewhere; Monforte’s reported retail effects remain a local question.
The change concerned access to the town centre; a separate C-17 speeding case involved a motorcycle recorded at 200 km/h on a stretch with a 100 km/h limit.
The account also cites studies finding that pedestrians tend to spend longer in town centres and make more purchases than people who only drive through.
