Rio councilors approve of Barra and Recreation from West Zone “Root”

The City Council of Rio approved on Wednesday afternoon (13), in final vote, the creation of the new southwest zone. The new geographical division separates the so -called West Zone “Raiz” – formed by neighborhoods such as Campo Grande, Santa Cruz and Bangu – from the “other side of the Grota Funda tunnel”, which connects the Bandeirantes Recreio to Guaratiba.

The following neighborhoods are part of the following neighborhoods: Recreio dos Bandeirantes, Barra da Tijuca, Anil, Camorim, Cidade de Deus, Curicica, Parish, Blue Garden, Grumari, Itanhangá, Jacarepaguá, Joá, Praça Dry, Rio das Pedras, Taquara, Vargem Large and Vila Valqueire.

The proposal was approved with 31 favorable votes, two contrary and four abstentions. The initiative came from Councilman Dr. Gilberto (Solidarity), whose electoral base is Campo Grande. The text now follows for the analysis of Mayor Eduardo Paes, who said it will sanction the project:

– I like. I think I will sanction yes, I liked it a lot. This thing about calling Barra and Jacarepaguá west never has never coloted. It’s good to give a new name, ”Paes said during a visit to Rio Innovation Week.

With the changes, the west zone itself is only formed by the following neighborhoods: Bangu, Vila Kennedy, Deodoro, Campo dos Afonsos, Gericino, Garden Sulacap, Magalhães Bastos, Father Miguel, Realengo, Senator, Military Village, Barra de Guaratiba, Campo Grande, Cosmos, Santa Margarida, Inhoaíba, Patience, Patience Guaratiba, Santa Cruz, Senator Vasconcelos and Sepetiba.

One of the immediate consequences is that the West Zone, which until then was the most populous in the city, with almost 3 million inhabitants, has just over 1.8 million. This status now belongs to the North Zone, with about 2.1 million. In all, the city has about 6.2 million residents.

Regarding the electorate, by the new classification, more than 1.4 million residents of an electoral college of 4.8 million able to vote are part of the new West Zone. Already the new southwest zone has about 485 thousand voters.

Dr. Gilberto argued that the project aimed to take the neighborhoods out of the new southwest region of a kind of legal limbo, facilitating the obtaining of public resources and the supervision by the legislature:

-In fact, these neighborhoods of the new southwest region had been without any zoning demarcation since the councilors approved in 2022 a law that failed to consider them as West Zone and did not integrate them with any other region. The purpose of this project is to allow a better performance of public agencies and destination of funds for infrastructure. The measure only brings benefits to the population. It is not because these neighborhoods have failed to formally integrate the West Zone that there will be IPTU adjustment, for example – argued the author of the project.

Only two councilors voted against: Pedro Duarte (Novo) and Talita Galhardo (PSDB).

– In the first discussion, I abstained. Now I voted against. Separating neighborhoods like Barra da Tijuca can convey the false impression that residents of the richest regions no longer want to be in the West Zone. It has no foundation. We want to unite instead of leaving the city more, ”said Duarte.

Councilman Paulo Messina (PL) voted favorable, but said that in practice nothing will change to the West Zone and the new southwest zone.

President of the Association of Residents and Friends of Barrinha, Cátia Regina Pereira is favorable to the initiative:

“Actually, I never felt part of the West Zone.” I think neighborhoods such as Jacarepaguá, Barra, Barra Olympic and Curicica have their own and different interests from the rest of the West Zone itself, such as Bangu, Campo Grande and Blessed. I think this will improve the distribution of investments, ”he says.

For retired Helaide Teixeira, president of the Banda da Barra Block, the measure will make no difference in the lives of residents:

– For me, the fact that Barra, Recreio, Vargens and Jacarepaguá are part of the West Zone alongside neighborhoods such as Campo Grande and Bangu changes nothing, unless they want to do any benefits in this region that cannot be implanted there. I live in Barra 40 years ago and I know there is a class that I would like the South Zone to reach the bar as a way to segregate the West Zone. As it is not possible, they created the southwest zone, but people will continue to come to the beaches and malls – he says.