Editing Las Palmas (section)

== Transportation ==

=== Roads and highways ===
[[File:Las Palmas North East.jpg|thumb|right|{{center|Road in the city}}]]
Urban road infrastructure is overburdened on workdays and in certain areas; the city street plan is not at all rectilinear, and may be confusing even to experienced drivers. However, there are no toll roads; entrances, exits, main streets and important zones are all well-signposted.

Las Palmas, being the centre of the Las Palmas metropolitan area, is the hub for the island's motorway network. The city is linked with three highways: the [[Autovía GC-1|GC-1]] to the south, the [[Autovía GC-2|GC-2]] to the west and [[Autovía GC-3|GC-3]] acting as a city bypass connecting the other two.

The [[Autovía GC-1|GC-1]] links the capital with [[Puerto de Mogán]] in the south. It is the fastest route from the top of the island to the bottom and vice versa with a speed limit of {{convert|120|km/h|mph|abbr=on}}. It is approximately {{convert|75|km|mi|abbr=on}} in length and runs along the eastern and the southern coasts, and is also the second longest superhighway in the Canary Islands. The road provides easy access from the [[Gran Canaria Airport|Airport]] to the major cities and resorts, which include [[Maspalomas]] and [[Playa del Inglés]]. The increase in tourism over the years has necessitated the route's upgrading and widening to cope with traffic growth. The GC-1 begins south of the downtown area of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, the highway runs within the beach of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and {{convert|2|km|0|abbr=on}} south intersects with the GC-2 and later runs with a few clover leaf interchanges and later forms a junction with GC-5 and south, the GC-31.

{{Confusing section|date=May 2021}}<!-- the paragraph on the GC-2 needs the attention of a 'local' -->

The [[Autovía GC-2|GC-2]] North Highway connects Las Palmas with the small northern port and village of [[Agaete]]. The highway begins by the beach area of the island, and runs through the downtown area, linking with the GC31 at a roundabout interchange. The freeway runs within the beaches and the coastline of the Atlantic Ocean for the half part but at around the 20th km, it becomes a highway after the unidirectional parclo interchanges and runs within the coastline, it later has several interchanges and several towns as it passes to the northwest and finally, it ends in Agaete.

=== Airport ===
[[File:Gran canaria airport.JPG|thumb|right|{{center|[[Gran Canaria Airport]]}}]]
Las Palmas is served by [[Gran Canaria Airport]], also called ''Las Palmas Airport'' {{airport codes|LPA|GCLP}}.

The airport is located in the eastern part of the island, about {{convert|18|km|mi|abbr=on}} from Las Palmas city centre. In 2008, it handled 10,212,106 passengers and {{convert|33695248|kg|0|abbr=on}} of cargo, and is the fourth busiest in Spain.<ref name="aena2009">{{cite web
 |url=http://www.enaire.es/csee/ccurl/469/990/AENA%20TOMO%201_EN.pdf
 |title=AENA passenger and aircraft movements for 2008 – Annual report 2009
 |publisher=AENA
 |date=2009
 |access-date=21 July 2016
 }}{{Dead link|date=October 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> It is also the only airport on the islands with two runways, thus can accommodate up to 53 landings and take-offs per hour. The lengthy runways made the airport an alternative landing site for the NASA [[Space Shuttle]].<ref>{{cite report |last1=United States General Accounting Office |title=Space Shuttle: Readiness of the Transoceanic Abort Landing Sites. NSIAD-89-22 |date=16 December 1988 |publisher=[[Government Accountability Office]] |location=Washington, DC |page=12 |url=https://www.gao.gov/assets/nsiad-89-22.pdf |author1-link=United States General Accounting Office |access-date=1 October 2023 |archive-date=18 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231018073215/https://www.gao.gov/assets/nsiad-89-22.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> This airport is also a base for [[Binter Canarias]] and [[Canaryfly]], airlines which operate regional inter-island flights within the Canary Islands.

An airbase of the [[Spanish Air Force]] is located to the east of the runways. Beyond several hangars opposite the passenger terminal, the Gando Air Base (''Base Aérea de Gando'') contains ten shelters situated on the southern end of the eastern runway.

=== Seaport ===
[[File:Panoramic view over Las Palmas (port).jpg|right|thumb|{{center|The [[Puerto de Las Palmas|port of Las Palmas]]}}]]
[[Puerto de Las Palmas]] (Las Palmas Port), also known as ''Puerto de la Luz'', is a main port for fishing, commercial, passenger and sports in the northwest of the city. It has been the traditional base for scale and supplying ships on their way through the Middle Atlantic for five centuries. The Port of Las Palmas is not only the first port of the Canary Islands, it is one of the main ports of Spain and the first of the geographical area of West Africa. As the leading port in the mid-Atlantic, it serves as the crossroads between Europe, Africa and America. In 2007, the port received some 11,262 ships; it welcomed a total of 907,782 cruise passengers, a 16.26% increase on 2006. In terms of annual [[Twenty-foot equivalent unit|TEU]], the port of Las Palmas ranks as the 5th in Spain, and is among the first 15 ports of Europe.{{Citation needed|date=March 2011}}

The Port of Las Palmas is the first Mid-Atlantic fishing base, with an annual traffic of more than 4,500 stopovers and with some 400,000 tons of frozen fish processed.{{Citation needed|date=March 2011}} Despite experiencing some decline in recent years,{{when|date=March 2011}} it retains its dominance in the fishing industry over other ports in the Canary Islands. At the foot of pier, special refrigerated containers and preparation rooms for frozen products can carry out the entire chain of post-processing and storage of fish, from refrigeration and distribution, to manufacture and supply of industrial ice. The port's EU-approved border inspection post is responsible for inspecting all types of imports and exports between the European Economic Union and its trading partners.

[http://www.marina.palmasport.es/ Muelle Deportivo] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210911141246/http://www.marina.palmasport.es/ |date=11 September 2021 }} is the main yachting marina on the island opposite the commercial port with a capacity of 1250 boats. Close to the centre of the city it is popular with yachtsmen largely as a base for preparing their trans Atlantic passage.  It is the start point for the [https://www.worldcruising.com/index.aspx ARC and ARC+] ([https://www.worldcruising.com/index.aspx Atlantic Rally for Cruisers]) in which up to 300 yachts of different sizes leave in November for the Caribbean.<gallery caption="In the port of Las Palmas">
File:+ Blick von Deck 14 eines Kreuzfahrtschiffs auf Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. 03.jpg
File:+ Blick von Deck 14 eines Kreuzfahrtschiffs auf Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. 11.jpg
File:+ Blick von Deck 14 eines Kreuzfahrtschiffs auf Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. 13.jpg
File:+ Blick von Deck 14 eines Kreuzfahrtschiffs auf Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. 18.jpg
File:+ Blick von Deck 14 eines Kreuzfahrtschiffs auf Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. 19.jpg
</gallery>

=== Bus ===
[[File:Guagua.JPG|thumb|right|{{center|Guaguas Municipales}}]]
Las Palmas boasts a bus system, provided by the company ''Guaguas Municipales''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.guaguas.com/ |title=Inicio |publisher=Guaguas.com |access-date=11 March 2011 |archive-date=11 March 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110311192626/http://www.guaguas.com/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Municipal Bus Lines offers 40 urban transport routes. The main lines are the 1 (Teatro – Puerto), 2 (Alameda de Colón – Puerto), 17 (Teatro – El Rincón), 25 (Campus Universitario – El Rincón), 12 (Puerto – Hoya de la Plata) and 30 (Alameda de Colón – Santa Catalina, via Rehoyas). In addition, two circular lines (A: Santa Catalina – Santa Catalina, via Alcaraveneras) and B (Santa Catalina – Santa Catalina, via Ciudad Alta).

The most important bus lines have frequencies of between 3{{Citation needed|date=May 2021}} and 15 minutes during the day and between 10 and 40 minutes at night; some lines have service throughout the night. The bright yellow buses are known simply as 'guaguas'.

The 10-ride ticket ('bono de diez') was once a disposable paper card ticket with magnetic stripe at one time widely available in city shops. This is now replaced by a reusable plastic card issued by the company which may be re-charged in multiples of 10 at bus stations and at machines situated at various sites such as public libraries. The Tarjeta Insular (Island Card) which offered a 20% discount on both municipal buses and Global buses was discontinued on 1 January 2011.

A separate bus company ''Global'' with distinctive blue color, inter-hire company, has 119 lines, many to or from the capital. This company was formed 17 March 2000, resulting from the merger of the previous Salcai and interurban lines Utinsa.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Company: Global|url=https://www.guaguasglobal.com/en/empresa/|access-date=2021-05-16|website=Global SU|language=en-US|archive-date=16 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210516222502/https://www.guaguasglobal.com/en/empresa/|url-status=live}}</ref>

There is also the ''Guagua Turística'', which covers the most interesting sites of the city with a guide in several languages.

=== Rail ===
There is currently no rail transport system on Gran Canaria. Between 1893 and 1944 steam tram ran between Las Palmas and [[Port of Las Palmas|Puerto de La Luz]]. The line was electrified in 1910, although the line reverted to steam traction in 1944, when trams were hauled by a steam locomotive known as ''La Pepa''. A reproduction of this locomotive is now on display in the [[Elder Museum of Science and Technology]] in Las Palmas.<ref>{{cite web |title=Tranvía a Vapor de Las Palmas al Puerto de La Luz |url=http://www.spanishrailway.com/2012/05/11/5881/ |website=www.spanishrailway.com |access-date=16 November 2018 |language=es-ES |date=11 May 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181116173507/http://www.spanishrailway.com/2012/05/11/5881/ |archive-date=16 November 2018 |url-status=dead  }}</ref> In the early 1970s an experimental [[elevated railway line]] operated through Las Palmas. Called the ''Tren Vertebrado'' ("vertebrate train"), it was designed by Basque engineer [[Alejandro Goicoechea]] and consisted of an unusual low-profile train running on elevated concrete tracks through the city. The project was unsuccessful and was dismantled in 1974.<ref>{{cite web |title=El tren vertebrado de Goicoechea para Canarias |url=https://treneando.com/2017/01/07/el-tren-vertebrado-de-giocoechea-para-canarias/ |website=Treneando |access-date=16 November 2018 |language=es-ES |date=6 January 2017 |archive-date=16 November 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181116173848/https://treneando.com/2017/01/07/el-tren-vertebrado-de-giocoechea-para-canarias/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

In the early 21st century, plans were put forward by the [[Cabildo insular|Gran Canaria Cabildo]] to develop a [[rapid transit]] railway line on Gran Canaria. If built, the ''[[Tren de Gran Canaria]]'' (TGC) line would run along the eastern coast and connect Las Palmas with the airport and [[Maspalomas]] in the south.<ref name="canarias7-0408">{{cite web |last1=Quesada |first1=Jesús |title=El tren de la capital al Sur iría de Santa Catalina a Meloneras |url=https://www.canarias7.es/hemeroteca/el_tren_de_la_capital_al_sur_iria_de_santa_catalina_a_meloneras_-DDCSN92414 |website=www.canarias7.es |publisher=[[Canarias7]] |access-date=16 November 2018 |language=es-ES |date=16 April 2008 |archive-date=21 August 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180821121824/https://www.canarias7.es/hemeroteca/el_tren_de_la_capital_al_sur_iria_de_santa_catalina_a_meloneras_-DDCSN92414 |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2004 the Spanish Ministry of Development put a contract out to competitive tender for a feasibility study on a 50&nbsp;km railway line from Las Palmas to Maspalomas.<ref name="railwaygazette">{{cite news |title=High speed Canaries |url=https://www.railwaygazette.com/news/single-view/view/high-speed-canaries.html |work=Railway Gazette |publisher=DVV Media International Ltd |date=1 April 2004 |language=en |access-date=12 December 2018 |archive-date=16 November 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181116220132/https://www.railwaygazette.com/news/single-view/view/high-speed-canaries.html |url-status=live }}</ref> This railway project is currently suspended due to funding difficulties.