Budapest

Budapest is the capital city of Hungary. With an estimated population of 1,752,286 over a land area of about 525 square kilometres, it is the 9th populous city in Europe; however, this size poses a series of challenges for mobility planning and delivery.

The city is the most important Hungarian road terminus, with a road system designed in a similar manner to that of Paris, with several ring roads, and avenues radiating out from the center. Its position along the Danube River also makes it an important hub for logistics.

Public transit in Budapest is provided by the Centre for Budapest Transport (BKK, Budapesti Közlekedési Központ), who operates 4 metro lines, 5 suburban railway lines, tram lines, trolleybus lines, and over 200 bus lines.

Boosting active travel has been core to the city's sustainable mobility agenda. Budapest public transport authority and operator BKK announced that August 2022 saw the highest number of bike trips registered- 7% increase compared to 2021 and a 15% increase from August 2019. This has been supported by Budapest's bicycle sharing service, called 'MOL BuBi'- as well as the city's expansion of its cycle infrastructure. However, there is still much work to be done, as - as of 2021- bike travel accounted for just 2% of people's main form of transport.

The Hungarian capital has also placed emphasis on accessibility across its transport planning and implementation. Indeed, through the involvement in the EU-funded SUNRISE project, the Budapest neighbourhood of Törökör confronted issues including congestion, air and noise pollution, public transport system coverage, parking and pedestrianisation- using comprehensive feedback with citizens.

The city is also placing emphasis on new and innovative approaches to public transport. They have added new trolley bus lines, as well as digital solutions including BudapestGO, an integrated mobile app for journey planning, mobile ticketing and traffic changes.

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