Reuters
source: reuters
Finland’s capital Helsinki has spent billions of euros on public transport and bicycle lanes — and plans more — despite mixed reactions from residents.
In April, about 50,000 people turned out for the opening of a scenic 1.2-km (0.75 mile) bridge — Finland’s longest — linking the inner city to nearby islands and reserved for pedestrians, cyclists and trams.
But others have been unimpressed by the lack of car lanes and the 326 million euros ($383 million) price tag, which also covered two adjacent bridges and tramway investments, on top of billions already spent over the past decade on transport and cycling infrastructure.
“Like with all urban development projects, you always have people opposing it and people in favour of it…The biggest argument for opposing this bridge was the big price tag on it,” Helsinki’s bicycle traffic team leader Oskari Kaupinmaki told Reuters.
Helsinki has around 1,300 km of cycle paths, including 100 km of “bicycle superhighway network”, which the city plans to expand by another 80 kilometres by 2029, Kaupinmaki said.
So far, however, the investments have not boosted cycling in the Nordic capital on the Baltic coast, where winters are harsh and winds often biting. Cycling’s share of transport has stayed flat at roughly 9%–11% since 2010, Kaupinmaki said.
