site.btaSofia Launches Procedure for New Urban Mobility Master Plan

Sofia City Hall announced Monday that launch of a competitive procedure for development of a new urban mobility master plan. An official statement says that the procedure opens "after years of inaction by previous administrations".

The most recent master plan was developed in 2011 and adopted by the Sofia Municipal Council in 2012. According to city regulations, such plans are valid for a maximum of five years, meaning the current plan expired in 2017. No action had been taken to update it until now.

Urban mobility master plans are strategic documents that define the organization and regulation of traffic across the city. They cover optimal routes for public transport, transit and freight traffic, pedestrian and bicycle zones, parking and speed restrictions, and the placement of road signage, markings, and traffic lights. Their main purpose is to improve safety, mobility, and efficiency in the urban environment.

The key priorities for the new plan are (in this order):

• Pedestrian traffic;
• Public transportation;
• Bicycle and personal electric vehicle movement;
• Private car traffic;
• Freight vehicles;
• transit traffic.

A significant component of the plan will be the development of a transport model, incorporating data collection tools, traffic simulation, and advanced modeling techniques. These tools are commonly used in modern cities aiming for smarter integration of transport systems and more efficient urban mobility management, says the Sofia City Hall.

The plan will seek to optimize street traffic, analyze transportation patterns, identify conflict zones, and provide solutions for improved regulation. The modeling process will account for a wide range of parameters including physical, economic, social, behavioral, environmental, and even climatic factors. Transport models are considered powerful tools for assessing the impacts and effectiveness of urban planning decisions and future infrastructure investments.

The public contract will have an execution timeline of between 250 and 365 days and a budget of BGN 1.2 million. Once completed, the new urban mobility master plan will be submitted for approval by the Sofia Municipal Council.