Newsletters
Tsarigradsko Shose Boulevard in Sofia, Bulgaria's capital, fills with cyclists instead of cars during a Car Free Weekend event held as part of European Mobility Week.
Streets ordinarily used by motor traffic are reserved for pedal power, drawing families, commuters and cycling enthusiasts onto a road usually reserved for vehicles.
European Mobility Week, launched by the European Commission in 2002, encourages cities across Europe to expand sustainable transport options and promote active ways of getting around.
The annual campaign, observed with a different theme each year, aims to raise awareness of alternatives to car use and improve residents' quality of life in urban areas.
This year's edition carries the theme Mobility for All. In Sofia, the campaign takes the form of a Car Free Weekend, during which select roads are closed to vehicle traffic and opened exclusively to cyclists, giving residents a rare stretch of car-free pavement to ride across the city center.
The closed route follows Tsarigradsko Shose Boulevard, the same stretch of road that hosted the historic finish of Stage 3 of the Giro d'Italia on May 10, when professional riders completed the leg between Plovdiv and Sofia. The boulevard's cycling pedigree makes it a natural stage for the weekend's car free celebration.
Niki, a 25-year-old Sofia resident and avid cyclist, says he enjoys riding and believes the city could use better cycling infrastructure.
He describes events such as this one as valuable for introducing more people to cycling and for building interest in it as a mode of transport around the city.
Niki says events like this one raise cycling's profile and draw in people who might not otherwise consider it
He points to the turnout along the boulevard as evidence, saying the crowd appears to be genuinely enjoying the chance to ride streets normally packed with cars.
Niki recalls watching the Giro d'Italia when it passed through Bulgaria, describing the atmosphere along the boulevard as remarkable.
Before the professional riders came through, he says, the road was closed to car traffic and opened to the public, letting residents cycle the full length of the route themselves.
He says he would like to see more people choose cycling over driving in daily life.
He frames events like the Car Free Weekend as a step toward that shift, arguing that giving cyclists the run of the city, even briefly, can shift how residents think about getting around.
A father attending with his child describes the closure of the main boulevard as a welcome change, giving families room to cycle together.
He says it is the first time he has taken part in an event like this, adding that cycling is a healthy activity the whole family can share, one his child appears to be enjoying.
Set as preferred source
3 min read
