Bucharest among Europe's worst cities for child-friendly transport, study finds

Bucharest ranks 34th out of 36 in aEuropean ranking of cities with regard to the urban mobility and safety of children, according to a study conducted by the organization Clean Cities, cited by the 2Celsius Association.

During the study, three indicators were examined that closely reflect the recommendations of the UN and other experts for child-friendly cities and mobility, namely school streets near primary schools, protected bicycle lanes, and urban speed limits of 30 km/h, which reduce pollution and accidents. Romania’s capital has a score of 2.2/30 (grade F).

“Bucharest has zero ‘school streets’ (areas with limited speed for dropping off and picking up children) arranged near the 169 primary schools in the city. Only 25% of the road network is under the 30 km/h limit, compared to nearly 90% in Paris. Protected bicycle lanes have a length of 25 km (1% of the street network), 30 times less than in Helsinki,” states apress release from the 2Celsius Association.

The ranking, which includes cities such as Amsterdam, Antwerp, Brussels, Lyon, and Helsinki, is based on official data collected by Clean Cities in collaboration with NGOs and local authorities from the analyzed countries.

According to the research, Paris is the best city in Europe for cycling and independent mobility for children, despite past problems. The French capital shows that changes are possible.

“Children today are less free to move and less active than before, especially girls. However, our ranking shows that parents, teachers, and local administrations can make quick and significant progress. A walk through Paris today is a breath of fresh air compared to the situation ten years ago,” said Barbara Stoll, senior director at the Clean Cities Campaign, in the press release.

Bucharest is not the only city facing issues.

“Ten cities have no school street at all, and in most places where they exist, the restrictions apply only during entry/exit hours, not as permanent pedestrian zones. In five cities, less than 10% of streets have a 30 km/h limit, and protected bicycle lanes remain rare: on average, they cover only 17% of the road network of the 36 cities,” the authors of the specialized analysis claim.

Despite Bucharest’s current standing, 2Celsius experts argue that the city has all the ingredients for a spectacular leap in the next three years in the European race for child-friendly mobility.