The capital's cycling developments are picking up speed, we show which districts are starting work

According to a BKK statement, cycling will soon be safer and more comfortable in districts II, III, X, XI, XIII, XIX and XX, and work has been completed in district XV. Projects are also underway in several districts of Budapest, with a significant number of them entering the construction phase in August.

Cycle traffic will also move forward on Váci út and Vörösvári út, among others

The summary shows that contracts have entered into force in districts II, III and XIII, which will allow work to start as early as August. This will make the main roads (Árpád fejedelem útja, Vörösvári út) safe for cyclists, reduce road traffic hazards with new intersection crossings (on Váci út, at the Viza utca-Népfürdő utca junction and at the Vörösvári utca intersections) and open up several one-way streets to two-way cyclists.

In the XI district, the contracting contracts have also entered into force and work is expected to start in August. The aim of the development in Újbuda is to encourage more people to use bicycles for their daily commuting to work, kindergarten or school.

Missing sections of the Kőbánya cycle path network to be completed

The summary also referred to the projects already underway, and work is progressing in the Xth district, where the missing sections of Kőbánya's cycle path network will be completed, while at the same time the conditions for safe cycling and pedestrian traffic will be improved and the area of speed-attenuated zones will be expanded. Construction works started in spring 2023 and are expected to be completed in October this year.

Construction has also started in the XIXth district. The project will provide access to the busiest destinations from the inner parts of Kispest in up to 10-15 minutes, with new cycle stands and enclosed cycle storage facilities. The works will be completed in September 2023. Work is also underway in District XX, with major transport improvements to be completed in the district by October 2023.

VEKOP funds have funded the projects

Traffic calming zones have recently been expanded in the XV district. In addition to speed bumps, cycle lanes have been added from Beller Imre Street to Strawberry Row, and cyclist access to the overpasses over the M3 motorway that bisects the district has been improved. Other parts of the II, IV and XVI districts are also involved in the development, with the district municipality being the investor in these projects.

The Competitive Central Hungary Operational Programme (CECOP), co-financed by the European Union, has created the opportunity to make certain parts of the capital's road network cycle-friendly. For more information about the VEKOP-funded cycling improvements in Budapest, please visit the BKK subpage.

New tender will be needed along the Rákos stream

BKK's announcement also made specific reference to the planned developments along the Rákos stream, for which calls for proposals were published in March. According to the phasing, 5 tenders were launched, but 4 of them were unsuccessful. In the phase where the procurement procedure was successfully completed, no contract was concluded.

"A new procurement procedure cannot be carried out by the end of 2023, the deadline for the implementation of the VEKOP, so BKK and the capital city, preparing for a possible new tender, have created the possibility for the project to be financed within the framework of the EU budget cycle 2021-2027," the statement reads.