According to data provided by the municipality upon HotNews.ro’s request, in 2023, the capital’s city hall made only 1.6 km of new bike lanes and redid the track on Kiseleff Road in Bucharest – about 2 km. This is one of the big arrears in the mandate of the mayor Nikusor Dan, in 2021 and 2022 not a single kilometer of cycle track was built, although in each of them there were promises to do so and 10 million euros were available from the ministry. of ecology for track construction, since 2014.

According to the capital city hall, in 2023, 1.6 km of bike paths were installed:

• Calea Floreasca – 1.05 km.
• St. Radu Beller – 0.56 km.

Bike lane on Calea Floreasca

There is also a bicycle path on the bldg. Kiselyova, between the Arc de Triomphe and the House of Press, 2 km long. The rest, up to Piața Victoriei, is in a deplorable state. This was arranged on the sidewalk since the first term of mayor Sorin Oprescu.

The bike path has been restored on the road. Kiselov

Unreconstructed bike path on Sos. Kiselov

Why wasn’t more done? First of all, we can say that it is not about money. Since 2014, the capital city hall has provided 10 million euros to the capital city hall for the creation of bike lanes, but the mayors have not spent it, so far only 4 million lei have been paid out of this amount – less than 1 million euros. .

• “The City Hall of the capital can still use these funds, from which it paid during 2023 the amount of 553,398.91 lei, and to date, the total amount of works is estimated to be 1,888,671.69 lei. This is a contract between the Municipality of Bucharest and Trustul de Clădiri Metropolitane București SA regarding the implementation of the project “Implementation of a bicycle transport system in the central part of the Municipality of Bucharest – route 1 – Tronson 2 – Piața Presei Libere – Sos Kiseleff – Bd Constantin Prezan.
• At the same time, taking into account the provisions of GEO 51/2023, GEO 115/2011 and the Convention on the financing of the project “Implementation of a bicycle transport system in the central part of the city of Bucharest”, the amount Remaining from the total amount of the Convention signed with the Ministry of Environment, respectively 40,489,000 lei, was transferred The administration of the environmental fund, which will pay for the work that the capital city hall must perform for this project. “, – says the answer sent by the capital’s mayor’s office.

Bicycle paths on the bldg. pilots

The City Hall of the capital allocated more than 43 million lei in the budget for 2022 for the development of bicycle paths in the north of the capital and for the building Elisabeta and Splaiul Independentei, but also some new ones on bd. Iancu de Hunedoara, Ștefan cel Mare Road, Mihai Bravo Road, bd. Unirii, bldg. Decebal and Bessarabska Blvd. But the track was not made. In a response sent to HotNews.ro’s request, representatives of the capital’s mayor’s office report that the construction permits have expired.

Where will the bike lanes be in 2024?

It is not clear yet. The Metropolitan City Hall is working on the Velo General Plan, which should determine which tracks will be built, how, where and in what order.

“Currently, the PMUD BI 2016-2030 is a strategic document that is the basis of investments in the field of urban mobility. For the development of an extensive bicycle network in the capital, the Velo Master Plan was initiated, which is currently being implemented. The routes will be built in accordance with the provisions of this strategic document,” says the municipality’s response.

The only paved roads are those on the Ghencea widening, done at the same time as the arterial widening works. Section II is ready, Section I is in operation and should be ready this summer, and Sections II and III have already been put out to tender, and if all goes well, work should begin in 2025. That’s a total of 11.34 km of cycling. way.

The routes in the center of Bucharest are also prescribed, but they were established during the mandate of Sorin Oprescu, but nothing concrete has happened so far.

“Priority Pedestrian and Bicycle Route”, the General Directorate of Investments has in the list of its own investment objectives foreseen to achieve the investment objective, Project No. 8, consisting of 42 sub-projects, which is part of the “Integrated Urban Development Plan – Central Zone of the Municipality of Bucharest (PIDU) “, approved by HCGMB No. 103/2012. Currently, construction permits have been obtained for 36 sub-projects,” says the response sent by the capital’s mayor’s office to HotNews.ro’s request.

As for the amounts that will be allocated for new bicycle lanes, they will become known after the approval of the budget for 2024.

Regarding the tracks already made on the Splaiul Independentei, bd. Regina Elisabeta, made by the Firea administration, but which have since fallen into disrepair, we will see if the municipality will allocate money in the budget for repairs.

“According to the Investment Department, after the approval of the budget for 2024, after completion of the examination of the condition of the relevant runways and evaluation, all necessary measures will be taken to restore them to their original form. “, – also stated in the response of the capital’s mayor’s office.

The City Hall of Sector 2 wants to build 47 km of bicycle paths with the funds of the PNRR

According to a feasibility study recently approved by the Sector 2 Local Council, the Sector 2 City Hall wants to build 47km of bike lanes with PNRR funds. The cost of the works is 53 million lei, and 13 bicycle lanes will be laid out:

• Route 1 – Rosetti square – Karol I boulevard – Pace Protopopescu boulevard – Yankului square;
• Route 2 – Piaţa Rosetti – st. Vasile Laskar – st. Ion Luca Caragiale – Str. Jean Louis Calderon -Str. Chervona Dumbrava – Spain Square – str. Margareta Steryan – str. Leonida – str. Miss Ruksandra – st. Ghiocei – circus park;
• Route 3 – Vl – Lake Tay; V2 – Hika Tay;
• Route 4 – Circus Park – str. The entrance to the Wagon is str. Saint Nicet – str. Párgarilor – st. Grigore Ionescu – Maşina de Paine Street – Oteşani Street – Str. Doreen Pavlo;
• Route 5 – Piaţa Obor – Câmpul Moşilor Alley – Bird Park – Sous. Electronics – Str. Baicului – Sos. Pantelimon – str. Deputy Lieutenant Gheorghe Stenescu – Sos. Iancului – Str. Majora Aventius Claudiana – st. Vatra Luminoasa – str. Dumitru Theodor Neculuţă – National Park;
• Route 6 – Path. Pantelimon – str. Ritmului – Bulevardul Ferdinand – Str. Mătăsari – st. Farmers – Piaţa Muncii – 2.86 km (both ways);
• Route 7 – metro Ştefan Cel Mare – st. Aurela Vlayku – Dachia Boulevard – str. Traian – Foişorul de Foc – Ferdinand Boulevard – Izvorul Rece Park – Str. Sfântul Ştefan – Sfântul Ştefan square – st. Ştefan Mihăileanu – Foişorul de Foc with an option on st. Maria Rosetti;
• Route 8 – metro Ştefan Cel Mare – Boulevard Barbu Văcărescu – Garibaldi – metro Pipera;
• Route 9 – Ca lea Moşilor – Sos. Kolentina – Dorozhna. Andronakh – str. Maluk – st. Capitan Juverdianu – Ion Creangă Park – Str. Mykola Banu;
• Route 10 – Bessarabsky Boulevard – Şos. Vergus;
• Route 11 – Bul evardul Chişinău;
• Route 12 – Path. Pantelimon;
• Route 13 – Path. Stefan the Great – Mihai Bravo.

Radu Mayor Mihayu stated during the meeting of the local council, at which the feasibility study was approved, that the route of these tracks was established with the capital’s mayor’s office by agreement between the two institutions.

However, there is still time before the work begins. The municipality must hold a tender for the selection of the developer.

Sector 6 Town Hall makes tracks on Valea Largă

In sector 6, the extension of Valea Largă street and section 2 of Drumul Osiei road is underway, the completion date is 2024. Bicycle lanes are laid on both roads. In total, about 2.5 km one way.

Currently, there are only 33 km of tracks in Bucharest. Out of 33 km, 8.7 km is in sector 2 – by road. Pantelimon and Glucose Plant. The rest are located on Calea Victoriei, bd. Elizavety, Maidan Nezalezhnosti, around IOR Park. By comparison, Paris has 1,200 km of bike lanes (city plus metropolitan area).