Improving traffic conditions in Budapest, a key node of three TEN-T networks
Budapest is the capital city of Hungary and its economic and political centre, being the largest metropolitan area in Central Eastern Europe. Budapest is the tenth largest city in the European Union. Budapest is one of the leading cities in Central Eastern Europe in the implementation of transport management organisational schemes. Budapest has an extensive public transport system. BKK Centre for Budapest Transport is the public transport authority of Budapest, which is 100% owned by the Municipality of Budapest and appointed as the responsible, integrated mobility manager of the city.
The importance of Budapest as a node in three TEN-T networks causes many challenges, especially the Mediterranean Corridor, which is an important east-west TEN-T network axis. Motorway bypass exists around Budapest, but huge amount of national and international traffic (travelling on the corridors) appear in the city centre. The agglomeration area around Budapest includes 81 settlements, it has 800,000 inhabitants and generates 400,000 car trips/weekday which is 2/3 of all trips towards Budapest. Almost 90,000 cars pass through the city boarders daily through M1-M7 motorway at the western part of the city.