Context and objective
The "By bike in the West – cycle tourism route" (Cu bicicleta prin vest – traseu cicloturistic) project is funded by Romania's National Recovery and Resilience Plan as part of Investment I.4, which aims to boost the infrastructure for cycling tourism by 3,000 km. The project aims to develop an extensive network of routes, with an estimated length of 1,856 km in western Romania, across four adjacent counties.
The main objective of the project is to ensure a continuous, coherent, and safe network that complies with the European Cycling Federation's (ECF) European Cycle Route Standard (ECS), particularly on sections that overlap with EuroVelo routes.
Priorities
1. Development of infrastructure to European standards
The project focuses on significantly improving the existing road infrastructure, which currently has high exposure to motorised traffic and includes large proportions of non-compliant surfaces.
- Transition to segregated routes: It is proposed to transform dangerous sections of roads with heavy and very heavy traffic, including approximately 115 km of main roads, to be served by segregated infrastructure dedicated to cycling.
- Surface improvements: The strategy includes paving or stabilising extensive sections of unpaved roads to ensure a suitable surface for any type of trekking or touring bicycle. Overall, the aim is to have a consistent sealed surface useable throughout the cycling tourism period.
- Continuity: Physical barriers (such as kerbs or stairs) and legal restrictions must be removed to ensure continuity of travel, especially in fragmented urban areas such as Timișoara.
2. Certification of routes to be incorporated into the EuroVelo network
A critical part of the project is getting the 379.23 km of trails that overlap with the international EuroVelo 6 (Atlantic-Black Sea) and EuroVelo 13 (Iron Curtain Trail) routes ready for future ECS certification. The implementation of the proposed improvements aims to meet the essential and important ECS criteria, particularly regarding exposure to traffic.
3. Services and facilities for cycle tourists
To enhance the attractiveness of the routes and maximise cost-benefit, the project includes the planning of essential ancillary services:
- Rest areas: A detailed rest area planning guide has been developed based on international best practices, recommending the placement of rest stops ideally every 5–10 km. These areas are classified from small stopping points to large areas offering covered shelters, self-service repair stations, water sources, and charging points for electric bikes and mobile devices.
- Traffic monitoring system: A concept for an automated bicycle traffic counting and monitoring system (using technologies such as inductive loops and AI cameras) is proposed. The goal is to collect vital data to measure the impact of development, plan maintenance, and estimate the network's contribution to the local economy and public health.
The works were carried out as part of the feasibility study. This stage has been successfully completed and we expect the project to go into the design and construction phase in due course, as part of a future public tender process.
Client:
The counties of: Arad, Caraș-Severin, Hunedoara, Timiș (ROMANIA)
Contractor:
Subcontractors:
Mobilissimus , Mobilissimus.ro SRL & Értékterv Kft.
Year of fulfillment:
2024-2025
