Organizers and police estimated that more than 10,000 people took part in the “I bike Budapest” bicycle parade on Saturday. Following a tradition started in 2004, participants advocated for the improvement of cycling. Mayor Gergely Karácsony said cycling opportunities will be further expanded, for example, by establishing additional bike lanes.
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“This year we want to achieve for the bus lane on Üllői út to be transformed into a bike lane after the metro revamp, for the bike lane on Kiskörút (Small Boulevard) to be made safer, and for the Lánchíd (Chain Bridge) to be passable by bike after the renovation,” the organizers wrote.
The event concluded on Margaret Island, where participants lifted their bikes up in the air similarly to the previous occasions.
In a Facebook post, Mayor Gergely Karácsony argued that a real bicycle revolution was underway in the capital. In the first few months, so many people used updated bike-sharing MOL Bubi that the number of available bikes had to be increased. MOL Bubi’s network is constantly expanding, with new stops set up in Józsefváros (8th district) and soon on the Buda side.
He also pointed out that the renovation of Október 23rd Street would be completed this year, creating a direct connection between the southern section of Nagykörút (Grand Boulevard) and the main roads in Újbuda (11th district). European Union funds will also be used to create the first cycle paths in Budapest and to improve the quality of the Eurovelo routes, which are of European standard.
featured image via I bike Budapest- Facebook