> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://barna.news/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Barcelona Buses at Record Low Speed - URL: https://barna.news/barcelona-buses-at-record-low-speed/ - Published: 2026-09-27T09:00:51.000Z - Updated: 2026-09-27T09:00:51.000Z - Description: Average bus speed in Barcelona has dropped to 11.4 km/h, the lowest on record, despite more bus lanes and a modernising fleet. - Author: Barna.News - Tags: transport ## Slowest Average Speed on Record Barcelona's buses are now moving at their slowest average speed ever recorded: 11.4 kilometres per hour, according to the latest transport figures from Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona (TMB). For pedestrians, that equates to a 5.16-minute kilometre. This figure, based on data as of 1 January 2025 and published in TMB's Basic Data 2026 report, marks a continued decline from 12.2 km/h a decade ago and 11.7 km/h twenty years ago. The slowdown comes despite a growing network of dedicated lanes and increasing investment in electric buses. ## Bus Lanes Expand, But Speeds Fall The city now has 221.8 kilometres of bus lanes, up from 188 km in 2016 and just 110 km in 2006\. Yet this expansion has not translated into faster journeys. The bus network, which spans 820 km and serves 2,635 stops across 104 lines, carried 223.19 million journeys in the latest reporting year. Jacob Kalitovics, TMB's bus network director, attributes the slowdown to a combination of factors. These include increased traffic congestion, narrower lanes, shared space with taxis, and the growing presence of delivery vans, motorcycles, electric scooters, and bicycles. Passenger boarding times have also increased due to rising ridership. > Nobody likes people entering their home. Kalitovics used this metaphor to describe the impact of bicycles and other vehicles using bus lanes, even where permitted by the city, such as on Creu Coberta, Via Laietana, and Pi i Margall. He highlighted Carretera de Sants as a road with particularly high levels of indiscipline. --- ## Plans for Improvement TMB plans to begin a detailed, section-by-section analysis of bus speeds next year to identify specific bottlenecks. The company is also testing multi-door boarding with validators at all entrances on the V19 line to speed up passenger flow. Future measures may include stricter enforcement of bus lane rules, improved right-turn routing for private vehicles, and better management of delivery van activity. A further 12 kilometres of bus lanes are scheduled for painting this year, with another 12 planned for 2027\. The fleet is also being modernised. By the end of 2027, one-third of TMB's 1,151 buses will be zero-emission, following the addition of 136 new electric buses. Traffic light priority systems are already in place at many intersections to help buses move more efficiently. Kalitovics noted that Barcelona is not alone, with commercial bus speeds declining in many European cities. During the pandemic, with reduced traffic, speeds briefly reached 17–18 km/h. His target for the future: 15 km/h, which he described as ideal. --- *Primary sources:* [*tmb.cat*](https://www.tmb.cat/en/get-to-know-tmb/corporate-information/transport-figures?ref=barna.news)*,* [*transparencia.tmb.cat*](https://transparencia.tmb.cat/en/web/tmb/get-to-know-tmb/corporate-information/transport-figures?ref=barna.news)*,* [*fundacio.tmb.cat*](https://fundacio.tmb.cat/en/web/tmb/get-to-know-tmb/innovation-and-projects/projects?ref=barna.news)*,* [*UT16515*](https://transparencia.tmb.cat/documents/525003/874774/PAIF%5FTB%5F2025.pdf/570f3b13-03f8-4cf9-75e2-3d48d9ca7f81?t=1752746512725&ref=barna.news)*,* [*noticies.tmb.cat*](https://noticies.tmb.cat/sala-de-premsa/tmb-sumara-136-busos-abans-que-acabi-2027-terc-de-flota-ja-sera-de-zero-emissions?ref=barna.news)*,* [*TMB*](https://noticies.tmb.cat/file/20572/download?token=M0mDAI2O&ref=barna.news)*,* [*ajuntament.barcelona.cat*](https://ajuntament.barcelona.cat/premsa/2026/07/14/tmb-sumara-136-busos-abans-que-acabi-2027-i-un-terc-de-la-flota-ja-sera-de-zero-emissions/?ref=barna.news)*. Reported by lavanguardia.com, catalannews.com, La Vanguardia Barcelona.* --- ### Related on Barna.News - [Public Transport Museum Group Launched by TMB and City Council](https://barna.news/public-transport-museum-group-launched/) - [ATM reopens debate on scooters on public transport](https://barna.news/atm-reopens-debate-on-scooters-on/) - [TMB bus drivers will strike on Tuesday](https://barna.news/tmb-bus-drivers-will-strike-on-tuesday/) - [270,000 vehicles expected back to Barcelona on Sunday](https://barna.news/270-000-vehicles-expected-back-to/)