New pedestrian zones
We can admire the lovely historic buildings and do window-shopping while walking along the recently built walking streets in the Downtown of Budapest nowadays. We can enjoy the panorama of the Danube bank while sitting on a bench on the Duna-Corso promenade that is part of the World Heritage Sites. The so called New Main Road of the Heart of Budapest Downtown connected with the Baross utca, where the road space was reallocated for the pedestrians.
In the 2nd district a brand new pedestrian street will be welcomed in September 2010. They reallocate a part of Lovohaz street for the pedestrians. The new pedestrian zone connect the Mammut shopping centre with Marczibanyi leisure centre and Millenaris Park.
The construction of a new car-free suburb city sub-center is in finishing status in the 17th District Rakosmente, with the reallocation of the road, a new promenade will invite pedestrians, bikers.
Traffic calmed streets
New chain of traffic calmed street:
Kecskemeti street - Egyetem square - Karolyi Mihaly street - Petofi Sandor street - Becsi street - Erzsebet square-Oktober 6 street – Szabadsag square centreline called New Main Road of Downtown of Budapest
New traffic calmed streets in Erzsebetvaros District: Muranyi street, Hernad street.
Building of new traffic calmed streets start in 11th District too.
New P+R, B+R facilities in two districts
Municipality of Rakosmente (District 17th) and Mun. of Budafok-Teteny (District 22th) co-operate with MAV Railway Co. and Parking Co. and they build 570 P+R parking and 120 B+R (Bike ‘nd Rid’) parking place together. As a result the commuters can reach the city centre in half an hour than drive car into the downtown of the city.
This investment is the first and the biggest parking facility in Budapest which will be financed by EU tenders.
New PT bus line
A new shuttle bus line signed 197 will be set up in a suburban district called Rakosmente. The 197 is a round line with a connected railway stop to Szolnok-Budapest railway line, operate under a synchronised timetable. The terminal will have a new P+R and B+R parking lot as well.
One of the initiators is a NGO, named VEKE.
Broadening of a Danube river bridge with two bicycle paths
The Municipality of Budapest closed Margaret Bridge last year to renovate the whole bridge structure. There is a temporary path on the bridge for bikers earlier however the construction of a new, permanent cycling path has started on left and right side too.
New highway noise barrier on M3 motorway
The barrier is 4 700 metres long and it is about to protect the inhabitants and buildings of two neighbouring districts from the noise of M3 highway.
The commencement day will be on the Sept. 16th as one of the opening ceremonies of European Mobility Week in Budapest.
Public city bicycle rental system
The Assembly of Budapest decided on the set up of a new public city bicycle rental system with 1 000 bikes. The system will start next year. During the EMW a name competition was finished, the jury choosed the BuBi name for the system from 3200 suggestions.
Bicycle traffic counter
The Hungarian Cyclists Club iniciated set up of the counter to measure and display the growing number of bikers. The actual number is displayed on the spot, and on the web-pages of the Cycling Budapest
www.kerekparos-budapest.hu (Municipality) and
www.kerekparosklub.hu (Hungarian Cyclists Club).
New bicycle paths
The cycling network has been growing with new bicycle paths, constructed in some districts of the city.
Two separated bus-lanes has been opened for bikers.
Counter-current cycling traffic is allowed in one-way streets in some districts (District 2nd, District 5th ).
Budapest Cycle City Communication
Municipality of Budapest starts a new webpage to communicate information on cycling options in the city and news of cycling.
The newsletter is sent every month with the actual need-to-know information for district municipalities, institutions, university people, planners, experts, NGOs.