Transport

 What is the transport in the city like

Transportation is a key infrastructure element that ensures the existence of a city, forms its spatial environment and creates opportunities for communication (see  Table 18 ). The development of transportation in the course of history in Riga has been varied, but recently with the sudden increase in automobile use the problems of transportation have become critical for the city's economy and preservation of its historical core (see Development tendencies).

Bicycles today are used for recreation and sport rather than as a mode of transportation. It has not been safe to use bicycles in the streets of the city. As bicycling is rapidly gaining popularity, creation of bicycle path infrastructure has already started. In 2000 Riga City Council adopted "Bicycle Transport Development Programme" (see Bicycle route network ) as an integral part of the Riga Traffic Policy for 1999-2003.

 PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION

Public transportation is essential for maintaining the functions of the city and providing convenient and fast transportation for the residents. The network of existing streetcars, trolley-buses and buses is well distributed and covers almost the complete city (see Public transport routes network ).

Because of the decrease in employment, decrease in transportation routes; increase in the number of private cars, the number of passengers using public transportation in the last ten years has dropped considerably.

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 TRUCK TRANSPORTATION

Freight carried by truck rapidly increases. Heavy vehicles going to the harbour through the city centre and residential areas situated on the way to the harbour are important pollutants of ambient air.

Over the past ten years number of registered private cars has grown sharply (see Figure 1) - by an average of 7-9 % per year reaching 280 cars per 1000 inhabitants in 2001. Most of them are 15-20 years old (see Figure 54 ) and not equipped with exhaust catalysts.

 PARKING

Along with the increasing traffic flow (see Table 17 ), there is the demand for the new parking spaces.

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 THE STREET AND ARTERIAL ROAD NETWORK

The street and arterial road network in the central zone that was developed at least 150 years ago will never be able to accommodate today's increasing traffic. The biggest problem in Riga at present is the fragmented character of arterial roads. During the Soviet period several arterial road sections were built most of which are not connected in one network and occasionally they are in accidental and unnecessary places. Opinions on vehicle transport in the Old Town have been changing over time.

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Riga is the largest transportation junction not only in Latvia, but also in the Baltic States. It has the function of collecting, distributing and transiting transportation. Riga is served almost by all international modes of transportation. 

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