Motorists and pedestrians adjusting to Grand Walk, study finds

Four weeks after the introduction of the initial set of restrictions as part of Athens City Hall’s Grand Walk – an extensive network of pedestrianized streets and bicycle lanes – motorists and pedestrians appear to be adjusting to the initiative, according to an assessment carried out by transport experts of the National Technical University of Athens on behalf of the municipal authority.

Although the first few days resulted in heavy congestion, the situation has slowly but steadily improved, with traffic on the streets of the city center gradually returning to manageable levels and a growing pedestrian presence.

Traffic during rush hour is reportedly down by about 10% as motorists opt for alternative routes. Overall, the use of cars is down by 2%, even though there was a shift to car use from public transport during the lockdown.

The experts also recorded a 28% increase in foot traffic on the Grand Walk.