Greek Prime Minister unveils the new Athenian Riviera's plan with a 70km cycle path

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17 Jun, 2021

Greece is ready to rejuvenate the coast of the Attica Region with an ambitious project that will improve the quality of life in the Athenian Riviera whilst working towards a greener future.

To mark the occasion of World Bicycle Day on June 3, newest ECF member Hellenic Urban Cycling Federation (HUCF) was invited to participate at the event for the regeneration of the beach front of Attica Region in the framework of the Recovery Fund and the Greek Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP), Greece 2.0. The launch of the project, held in the Municipality of Glyfada - a suburb in South Athens located in the Athens Riviera, took place with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in attendance.

The project which, according to Greek Prime Minister, will be completed in several phases aims “To assure that the quality of life of citizens in a country that has this amazing weather is of enormous importance for the overall well-being of society”. It is planned to consolidate the public areas of the coastal front from SEF to Sounio with the construction of a single bicycle-pedestrian lane with a total length of 70 km. The first phase of the project will be the 22 km section that will connect the SEF with Vouliagmeni. The main funding of the project will be with resources from the Recovery Fund, but also from "Antonis Tritsis" funds – a development and solidarity programme for local administration, while the coordination of the municipalities of the region will be conducted by the Region of Attica.

During the event, Panagiotis Pitsilos, President of HUCF, conveyed the importance and benefits of cycling for the city and its citizens and presented the newly formed Federation. Pitsilos elaborated on the objectives of urban cyclists in Greece; including the 30 km/h limit in residential areas, speeding up of Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (SUMP) implementation, the revision of the Traffic Code, fiscal incentives for cycling, as well as the ability to contribute to the national cycling strategy. He also urged the Prime Minister to personally oversee the progress of the Greek National Bicycle Strategy.

President of HUCF Panagiotis Pitsilos speaking at the event. Source: HUCF

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis remarked that “When the first 22 kilometers are completed, one will be able to go by bike from Piraeus to Vouliagmeni or even run, walk or take their child in a stroller, then the only thing we will ask ourselves will be why had we not done something so obvious before."