Budapest launches temporary bike lanes to get city moving
The Municipality of Budapest has decided to establish temporary bicycle lanes for several key routes around the city. The capital’s aim with this decision is to provide its residents with an alternative and safer way to travel during the coronavirus pandemic. Experts at the Budapest Transport Centre and Budapest Public Roads have already finalized the plans, which will be implemented in coming days.
In recent weeks, the Municipality of Budapest, the Budapest Transport Centre (BKK) and the Budapest Public Roads (Budapest Közút Zrt.) have continuously monitored the traffic in the city. The drastic decrease in movement fundamentally changed traffic patterns in Budapest. The number of passengers on some of BKK’s buses decreased by almost 90%, while vehicle traffic fell by approximately half. Due to the pandemic emergency, many are temporarily looking for modes of transportation where they can minimize contact with others. Due to this and the drastic reduction of the price of MOL Bubi, the bicycle traffic in Budapest has increased in the recent period.
The decrease in automobile traffic provides an opportunity to improve Budapest’s bicycle transport network with rapid intervention. Cycling is a suitable form of transport even during the pandemic. Mayor Gergely Karácsony, with the involvement of the decision-makers and transport experts of the capital, decided to rapidly improve the conditions for cycling, thus providing a sustainable alternative for road users and catering to a growing trend. The Municipality will help people get to work and improve access to strategically important health care institutions by immediately increasing the number of bicycle paths.
You can read more about the measures taken in Budapest here.
