Bucharest gives more pedestrian zones to citizens on weekends

7 zones of the capital will be closed for traffic until mid-October

On 29 May 2021, Bucharest starts a new project for pedestrian zones. Titled “Open streets”, this project was announced last week and it will cover 7 zones of the Romanian capital.

The mayor of Bucharest, Nicuşor Dan, explained that the project “Open Streets”, was proposed by the ARCEN Association. The initiative is also a test for a larger programme that will be organised next year, through which the city will extend such pedestrian zones in the neighbourhoods.

Streets closed for traffic on Saturdays and Sundays until mid-October

The zones will include 34 streets, or a length of 11.66 km that will be temporarily pedestrianised. With the “Open Streets” project, Bucharest will close the streets on Saturdays and Sundays from 11:00 to 23:00.

The mayor of Bucharest, Nicuşor Dan, launched the project with a press release saying: “Next weekend, on 29 May, we launch the project 'Open Streets', whereby we temporarily create seven pedestrian zones in the centre of the city. They will be intended exclusively for pedestrian traffic every weekend, Saturday and Sunday, until 17 October. It's an invitation for Bucharest to go outdoors, it's a model that the western cities have experienced.

We want to allow the local communities in these neighbourhoods to organise events in the public space. The project is also a test for a much larger program that we want to implement next year and that consists of opening several streets to pedestrians, not only from central areas but also from neighbourhoods”.

The mayor also announced the launch of the specifications for the new Integrated Air Quality Plan. City Hall is currently working on the 2018 plan, in the context of which there are already two environmental infringement proceedings initiated by the European Commission against Romania. Nicușor Dan added that a public auction will be launched in this regard and that its deadline is next summer.