Development of bicycle paths in resorts - safety and easier communication with neighboring cities

According to Rūta Kapačinskaitė, director of the Birštonas Tourism Information Center, recent trends show that residents increasingly choose an ecological way of traveling - bicycles - to explore the city's attractions.

"Active recreation in Biršton is very popular and popular - not only tourists, but also local residents seek to explore the city by bicycle. After the appearance of the Birštonas observation tower, we notice that many people want to reach it by bicycle. This route is not very easy, it requires more physical effort, but at the same time it is the most scenic, as it leads through hilly areas, and the views from the tower to the bends of the Nemunas overshadow all inconveniences," says R. Kapačinskaitė.
According to the director of the Birštonas Tourism Information Center, tourists and residents of the city have been actively using the Žvērinčius forest path for many years - its popularity especially increased during the coronavirus pandemic, when residents needed to keep safe distances, and people wanted to enjoy the benefits of nature.
Interest in the Žvērinčius forest path has remained unchanged - according to the interviewer, the path is still the most popular in Biršton and is used by cyclists every day.

Focuses on safety

In August 2022, a viaduct built over the A16 Vilnius–Prienai–Marijampolė highway for cyclists and pedestrians began operating in Biršton. According to R. Kapačinskaitė, this viaduct connects two divided parts of the city, so it became safe for residents and tourists to travel from one side of the city to the other and visit the highest observation tower in Lithuania.
"At the moment, access to the viaduct is being managed - the garden community street leading to the viaduct is reconstructed, the Bokšto avenue path is connected with existing and new pedestrian and bicycle paths. They aim to be adapted for people with disabilities, tactile surfaces and lighting are being installed," says the interviewer.
The director of the Birštonas Tourism Information Center says that special attention is paid to safety - in order to avoid collisions or accidents with cyclists, cycle paths are designed to ensure the necessary width for passing.
"We notice that bicycles are popular not only during the day, but also after dark, so we are happy that in order to ensure safe pedestrian and cyclist traffic, B. Sruogos and Prienų str. sections and Beržų St., in the village of Geležūnai, solar panel lights have been installed to illuminate the paths," she shares.

It will improve communication with surrounding cities

In the future, the municipality of Birštonas plans to connect the parts of the resort separated by the Nemunas with a bicycle and pedestrian bridge. According to R. Kapačinskaitė, this would help the residents of the other side of the Nemunas to shorten the route to the institutions in the city by as much as 22 kilometers and accelerate the development of resort businesses and the installation of new attractions on the other side of the Nemunas.
"It is necessary to connect not only tourist facilities with bicycle paths, but also to ensure connections between the nearest settlements or municipalities. This would encourage Birštonians to choose more ecological transport when planning their trips for leisure, work, shopping or everyday purposes. Of course, this also means that city guests will have an even more convenient opportunity to visit our tourist attractions by bicycle," she assures.
According to the interlocutor, all the projects for the installation of bicycle paths were financed with the investment funds of the European Union (EU), and the investment intensity reached from 80 to 85 percent.
"In 2017, a joint cooperation agreement between four municipalities and business was signed on the development of bicycle paths, and with targeted use of EU funds, within 5 years, it was possible to connect the municipalities of Birštonas and Prienai districts with two bicycle and pedestrian paths, one of which runs through the recreational forest of Žvērinčius.
In order to further develop this general idea of the installation of pedestrian and bicycle paths between municipalities, the Directorate of Motorways of Lithuania was approached about a 3.4 kilometer long pedestrian and bicycle path section between the city of Birštonas and the road to the village of Nemajūnai. Currently, the Directorate of Motorways of Lithuania is conducting the procurement of contract works, and construction works are planned to start in 2024", explains the director of the Birštonas Tourism Information Center.