The Ministry of Transport, which prioritizes the development of bicycle infrastructure and the promotion of cycling as a mode of transport, has reviewed the measures under the Economic Recovery and Resilience Plan “Next Generation Lithuania” and proposed to the Ministry of Finance to reallocate existing decarbonization funds. An additional €33.7 million would be specifically directed toward the development of bicycle infrastructure.
“These additional investments would enable significant progress in the development of bicycle infrastructure in Lithuania. We see that bicycles, as an affordable, convenient, environmentally friendly, and fast mode of transport, are becoming increasingly popular, especially in cities. Therefore, we must create all the necessary conditions to make cycling further, more frequent, and more convenient,” said Deputy Minister of Transport, Agnė Vaiciukevičiūtė.
The Importance of Additional Investments
The proposed €33.7 million investment could benefit 42 Lithuanian municipalities that have not prepared Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans. By mid-2026, at least 76 kilometers of new bicycle paths could be constructed and existing paths reconstructed under the Economic Recovery and Resilience Plan “Next Generation Lithuania,” funded by the EU’s Next Generation EU initiative. The European Commission (EC) will decide by the end of 2024 whether these significant investments will be available to municipalities.
If the EC approves the Ministry of Transport’s proposal, funding for non-motorized transport infrastructure in municipalities would increase approximately 13 times – from €9.6 million in the 2014–2020 period to nearly €134 million for 2021–2027.
Earlier, the Ministry of Transport announced that €100 million from the 2021–2027 EU Funds Investment Program had been secured for the development of pedestrian and bicycle path infrastructure in 18 municipalities that have prepared Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans.
In recent years, a significant breakthrough has occurred in promoting bicycle transport in Lithuania. Between 2021 and 2024, for the first time in Lithuania’s history, the existing bicycle-friendly infrastructure was inventoried, strategic guidelines for the development of bicycle transport until 2035 were prepared, a Memorandum of Understanding for the implementation of these guidelines was signed, a list of priority bicycle paths to be built was established, and record investments in infrastructure development were secured.
Currently, Lithuania has about 3,000 kilometers of bicycle-friendly infrastructure. By 2035, this network is expected to expand to 5,000 kilometers.
The information was obtained from the Ministry of Transport of the Republic of Lithuania.