Skip to main content

Moscow wins international transport award for tackling traffic gridlock

The city of Moscow has been awarded the International Transport Forum (ITF) 2016 Transport Achievement Award for its exemplary approach to improving traffic conditions in the Russian capital. Following twenty years of almost uncontrolled development of urban traffic, Moscow introduced a rigorous and comprehensive set of policies to address the gridlock on its streets. These included paid car parking, development of public transport, ticketing, car sharing and taxi reform, development of cycling and envi
May 19, 2016 Read time: 2 mins
The city of Moscow has been awarded the 998 International Transport Forum (ITF) 2016 Transport Achievement Award for its exemplary approach to improving traffic conditions in the Russian capital.

Following twenty years of almost uncontrolled development of urban traffic, Moscow introduced a rigorous and comprehensive set of policies to address the gridlock on its streets. These included paid car parking, development of public transport, ticketing, car sharing and taxi reform, development of cycling and environmental requirements for trucks.

Over the past five years, these measures have reduced the number of cars in central Moscow by 25 per cent and increased the average speed of traffic by 12 per cent, despite 600 new cars being registered in the city each day.

In 2013, Moscow traffic was ranked as worst in the world by the 1692 TomTom Traffic Index; the 2016 edition has moved it to fifth place.

The ITF jury recognised the “impressive achievement in improving overall traffic in Moscow.” In particular, the jurors highlighted “the effectiveness of coherent, coordinated initiatives and policy actions that facilitated this remarkable change.”
UTC

Related Content

  • January 31, 2017
    CO₂ mitigation measures for transport ‘will not achieve climate ambitions’
    Current and foreseeable policies to mitigate carbon-dioxide (CO₂) emissions from global transport activity will not suffice to achieve the international community’s climate ambitions, according to a new study published by the International Transport Forum (ITF). Continued strong growth in demand for mobility means that even in the most optimistic scenario, transport CO₂ emissions in 2050 will still be at 2015 levels of around 7.5 giga-tonnes, according to projections published in the ITF Transport Outlook 2
  • March 23, 2016
    Congestion up globally says TomTom
    According to TomTom’s latest Traffic Index, traffic congestion has increased 13 per cent globally since 2008. But there are big differences between continents; while North America’s traffic congestion has jumped by 17 per cent, Europe has risen just two per cent. TomTom believe the contrasts probably are driven by economic growth in North America and financial troubles in the many parts of Europe. In particular, some countries have recorded a marked drop in traffic over the past eight years, including It
  • February 1, 2012
    South Africa's traffic management and enforcement gears up
    Paul Vorster, CEO of ITS South Africa, takes a look at the national enforcement situation in the year when the country gears up to host the FIFA Soccer World Cup. There are four main drivers pushing the growth of ITS-related law enforcement within South Africa. These are: transport operations associated with hosting the FIFA Soccer World Cup 2010; traffic management linked to increasing congestion; the development of new public transport systems such as BRT; and vehicle and driver-related crime.
  • April 5, 2013
    Belfast and Bristol ‘most congested cities in UK’
    According to the 2012 Congestion Index from satellite navigation specialists TomTom, motorists in Bristol and Belfast now face the slowest moving traffic in Britain. Even London’s infamous rush hour is less congested than peak-time jams in cities like Manchester and Nottingham, the annual global traffic figures found. The index shows that the average journey for drivers in Belfast takes 32.1 per cent longer than it would do if traffic moved freely, while in Bristol, journeys take 31 per cent longer. Londo