Riga's path to promote active transport for the first and last mile
![Riga, Latvia.](/sites/default/files/ana.vanishvili%40eiturbanmobility.eu/2024-07/challenge_picture_2.jpeg)
The Challenge
In Riga’s current context, most residents continue to rely on private cars for daily commutes. Private cars remain the most used mode of transport for several reasons, including the insufficient public transport network to meet the demands of Riga's growing population and the needs of commuters traveling from distant areas to the city centre. In fact, from the 86,000 people that commute into Riga’s city centre every day, 42% use public transport and only 3.45% use a bicycle (Riga Commuting Master Plan, 2019).
As a result, Riga continues to experience considerable congestion and substantial noise and air pollution, which hinders the goal set out by Riga City Council in its Development Strategy 2021-27 to reduce carbon emission by 22%, and overall moves away from the wider EU objective to promote more liveable cities.
In addition, there are specific active mobility issues that detract residents from using such types of transport. For example, there is little work done in road infrastructure to guarantee safe journeys for cyclists, resulting in cyclists often using the sidewalk due to a lack of cycling lanes. Moreover, residents often complain about theft and vandalism, which results in users being reluctant to use a bike for fear of it being stolen.