Protesters in Puerto Rico have begun organizing against a measure to build a bike lane alongside the beach. The proposed plan would build a bicycle lane crossing a forest (Bosque La Armonia) which would lead to its deforestation and would also be built alongside the beach causing soil erosion. Protesters carried out a walk across the proposed path, to showcase how the current layout in the city is already conducive towards attracting more people to bike there and safe for the cyclists that currently do (El Nuevo Dia).
As an additional measure to the protests, a local non-profit, “Amigos de Tres Palmas” and private citizens sued the local government, arguing that the measure being taken to develop this cycling road is outdated (El Nuevo Dia). The road would be right next to the coast of Rincon; however, soil erosion and rising sea levels would also affect its location (El Nuevo Dia). Beyond the climate challenges that are present in the area, a section of the forest has already been deforested, which has also attracted protests (El Nuevo Dia). As of late March, the lawsuit has ended, and the plaintiffs have agreed to delegate with the government and private companies (El Nuevo Dia 2).
The local government holds that this project is environmentally conscious, but activists such as Cristina Canals Silander argue that on top of erosion and deforestation the project would lead to coral reefs being affected, because of soil erosion (El Vocero). A containment wall on the beach would also be built, limiting its access. Locals claim that this would hurt the tourism industry as well, since surfers from all over the world go to Rincon for its waves, something that would disappear as a result of the project (El Vocero).
The actions taken by the nonprofit and private citizens have become common Puerto Rico during the past few years. An increase of private companies limiting access to Puerto Rico’s beaches and building on them has attracted protesters, as by law beaches in Puerto Rico must be accessible to the public (The Guardian). Additionally, this type of construction near the beach affects its ecosystem, with a story of protesters wanting to stop a condominium from building on the beach side because of its effect on the nesting turtles (The Guardian). While the lawsuit has been dismissed, the proposed project in Rincon still stands.
References:
El Nuevo Dia 2: https://www.elnuevodia.com/noticias/tribunales/notas/archivan-demanda-que-buscaba-frenar-polemica-construccion-cerca-de-la-playa-en-rincon/
The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/jul/23/puerto-rico-beach-anti-gentrification-protests