In the urban part of the Kolašin municipality, there is still only one organized bicycle path, even though three years have passed since the local Cycling Development Strategy was adopted. This document, which was developed on its own initiative by the NGO Biciklo.me, is valid until next year and stems from the Urban Mobility Plan.
According to the Secretariat for Environmental Protection, the guidelines from the Strategy were taken into account when developing planning documents, as well as documents related to traffic.
"The existing cycling infrastructure is insufficient for using bicycles as a means of transport to a significant extent. Apart from the city promenade, there is no organized and marked bicycle path or lane. The exception is cycling outside the city, which is more of a cycle tourism. The 2022–2026 Cycling Development Strategy, which emerged from the Urban Mobility Plan of the Municipality of Kolašin, was partially implemented during the first half of its implementation. When drafting amendments to the Urban Development Plan, the measures from the Strategy were also taken into account. Also, during the recent drafting of regulations in the field of traffic at the local level (Decision on local and uncategorized roads, Decision on traffic regulation, Decision on parking lots)," the Secretary for Environmental Protection told Vijesti. Milovan Vlahović.
He reminds that there are several entrepreneurs and tourism workers who offer electric and mountain bike rental services. Traffic speed bumps have been installed in several places, and in the school zone, vehicle movement is limited to 30 kilometers per hour. He says that during this year, the construction of the second phase of the city promenade is planned, from the bridge at Pažanj to the end of the area covered by the Detailed Urban Plan (DUP) of Breza.
"A bicycle path will also be built along the promenade. It is also planned to mark bicycle paths in the mountainous area, for the needs of mountain tourism... Cooperation in the field of urban mobility and cycling takes place mostly with the German organization for international cooperation (GIZ). Within the framework of this organization's projects, municipal officials participate in seminars and study visits. In cooperation with GIZ, the procurement of more public bicycle parking spaces is planned this year," Vlahović announced.
He also reminds that the municipality has continuous and high-quality cooperation with the NGO Biciklo.me. The local administration's plans, claims Vlahović, are to develop cycling infrastructure in the city and mountain areas in the coming period.
"Also, educating citizens about the benefits of using bicycles as a means of transportation is very important. In cooperation with the local Tourist Organization (TO), we will focus on creating bicycle maps and information boards, and improving bicycle parking infrastructure," promises the Secretary for Environmental Protection.
The Strategy planned numerous measures that will lead to better conditions for cyclists. It envisaged adjusting planning documents, subsidizing the purchase of bicycles, improving infrastructure, creating a map of cycling tours... Special attention was paid to the possibilities of Kolašin becoming a recognizable destination for cyclotourism. In addition to other benefits related to this form of tourism, the Strategy also states that it would have enormous potential for the development of rural areas.
The Strategy states that the only Kolašin bicycle path, along the Tara promenade, is not connected to the city center. However, although the paths are missing, there have been significant investments in bicycle parking lots and marking of tourist trails in rural and mountainous areas. As part of the project “To the North on Two Wheels”, implemented by the NGO Biciklo.me with financial support from the EU, four parking lots have been set up.
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