About 83 percent of Podgorica citizens support the idea of making Slobode Street in the city center a pedestrian zone throughout the day.
The non-governmental organization (NGO) Biciklo.me announced that this is shown by the results of the annual survey "Attitudes of Podgorica Citizens on the Conditions for Walking and Cycling", which was conducted by the NGO at the end of last year.
"The survey conducted during October and November on a representative sample of 701 respondents from all parts of Podgorica once again confirms the strong support of citizens for the transformation of Slobode Street into a zone intended primarily for pedestrian traffic. This finding is almost identical to the result from 2024, when about 84 percent of respondents agreed with this proposal. Slobode Street is currently open to motorized traffic from 5 a.m. to 17 p.m., while it is a pedestrian zone after that. However, despite the ban, unscrupulous drivers often violate regulations and use the street for passage even after 17 p.m., which is why many citizens do not feel safe when moving along the main city street, so they use it to a much lesser extent than in some past times," the statement states.
Biciklo.me added that for the participants in the survey, two key traffic problems in Podgorica are excessive car use (39 percent) and illegal parking (33 percent).
"At the same time, for bicycle users, the problem of excessive car use is much more pronounced, for 46 percent of them. As a key prerequisite for improving walking conditions in Podgorica, half of the respondents (50 percent) point out solving the problem of illegal parking on sidewalks and other pedestrian areas. A significant part of the respondents who move on foot believe that improving public transport is a key solution (18,5%), while 11 percent see the priority in the construction of new sidewalks and pedestrian paths in suburban settlements. Also, almost 82 percent of citizens believe that the existing sidewalks and pedestrian areas are not adapted to people with disabilities and parents with strollers," said Biciklo.me.
The NGO stated that as many as nine out of ten surveyed bicycle users believe that car drivers do not perceive them as equal participants in traffic.
"Similarly, 80 percent of citizens who prefer walking believe that motor vehicle drivers do not perceive them as equal street users. When it comes to the perception of safety, 74 percent of surveyed pedestrians state that they do not feel safe when crossing the street, which is an almost identical result compared to 2024. At the same time, about 70 percent of bicycle users do not feel safe on Podgorica's streets to a greater or lesser extent. 77 percent of respondents believe that the green light at traffic lights lasts too short for safe crossing of the street, which is also in line with the findings from the previous year," the statement reads.
Biciklo.me added that as many as 88 percent of bicycle users believe that car drivers do not drive at a speed that is appropriate for cyclists.
"As priority measures to improve safety, the largest number of bicycle users cite improving conditions for safe movement on the streets of Podgorica (31 percent) and the construction of bicycle paths in settlements outside the city center (25 percent). Additionally, 80 percent of surveyed cyclists believe that existing bicycle paths are not adequately maintained, while 84 percent assess that there are not enough of them in Podgorica, and 65 percent that their quality is not satisfactory. The research also shows that almost 90 percent of respondents believe that bicycle transportation in Podgorica is to a greater or lesser extent more practical than car transportation, which represents an increase compared to 2024, when 83 percent of citizens shared this opinion," said Biciklo.me.
The NGO's statement also states that more than 80 percent of citizens who walk and 85 percent of those who cycle believe that decision-makers and planners give priority to cars in their actions, making this form of transport simpler and more convenient than walking and cycling.
"This perception persists year after year, indicating a continuing trend. Around 82 percent of citizens would support the introduction of a 30 kilometer per hour speed limit on the streets where they live. This measure is already standard in numerous European cities, such as Valencia, Helsinki, Graz and Bologna, where '30 zones' contribute to increasing traffic safety and quality of life," said Biciklo.me.
See more:
Download the app and follow the news
FOLLOW US ON
