According to the local Cycle Club, a massive 61% more people cycled around in Budapest in December than during the same month a year ago. The figures count towards an overall 15% increase in cycle numbers over the course of 2020. Although the extent of the pandemic effect isn’t yet known, what is certain is that the city has more cycle lanes – and more locals happy to ride along them.

Examining the figures registered by five counters installed around town by Budapest Transport (BKK), the local Cycle Club assessed that a total of 2,771,710 riders used specific main routes over 2020. As well as a 15% increase on 2019, the number is a record.

The most popular route was the bike path along the Buda embankment, where more than a million people cycled in 2020. The biggest increase was recorded along the Weiss Manfréd path leading to Csepel.

While more bike lanes were created during 2020 by green-friendly city mayor Gergely Karácsony, the fact that far fewer people were having to travel to work, restaurants and bars, and numbers still rose significantly, points towards a major trend in the city.

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