site.btaSofia Municipality Reports 6.6% Drop in Air Pollution During New Summer Initiative

The first weekend of Sofia Municipality's new summer initiative passed without significant difficulties in the organization of traffic, and data from the Sofia Municipality's mobile measuring station show a 6.6% drop in air pollution levels related to car traffic, the Municipality said on Wednesday.

The initiative will continue every weekend in August. Tsar Osvoboditel Blvd. will be pedestrianized from 6:00 a.m. on Saturday until 10:00 p.m. on Sunday, while the intersection with G. S. Rakovski St. at Narodno Sabranie Square will remain open to traffic. This will allow Sofia residents and visitors to stroll freely along one of the capital's iconic boulevards, the municipality said.

Alongside the air quality monitoring, Sofia Municipality also monitored traffic on the alternative routes. The data showed no significant changes in traffic over the weekend, with no additional congestion recorded on neighbouring streets and boulevards. Traffic in the city centre is monitored in real time, allowing teams to respond promptly and adjust traffic management if necessary, the municipality added.

The initiative aims to provide more space for pedestrians - for walks, meetings and events in central Sofia. At the same time, Sofia Municipality collects and analyzes specific data on the effect of limiting car traffic on air quality, noise and traffic organization, the press release also said.