The "Green Safety Corridor" project has been launched in Chișinău with the involvement of activist groups and NGOs in the field of road safety. It is being implemented by "Project Line SRL" in collaboration with the Automobile Club of Moldova, Urban Platform, with support from the City Hall of Chișinău and the General Directorate of Public Transport and Road Communications. The initiative is co-financed by the Eastern Alliance for Safe and Sustainable Transport (EASST) and other international partners.

The contribution of the Chișinău City Hall consisted of the installation of 150 additional bollards for demarcation in order to set up the alternative transport lane and the marking and installation of 52 road signs by the municipal company Exdrupo.

The "Green and Safe Corridor" project is part of a synergy of projects and actions. According to the Strategy for the Development of Alternative Transport Infrastructure in Chișinău, the city plans to design and set up a network of over 200 km of bike lanes ("green corridors") for safe and rapid travel, connecting all sectors of the city. One of these "corridors" in the central sector will be the street "31 August 1989," which will continue on the Viaduct, with the "Green and Safe Corridor" on Dacia Boulevard being a part of this plan in the Botanica sector.

The main objectives of the project are:

• To create a green corridor on the perimeter of Dacia Boulevard, from Hristo Botev Street to Traian Boulevard, which includes the creation of bike lanes in both directions of the section.
• To improve and secure pedestrian crossings at the intersection of M. Millo/Fulgulești Streets with Dacia Boulevard (funded by ACM, EASST).
• To reorganize the street using simple and modern methods, according to the principles of tactical urbanism, which would facilitate the movement of pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers simultaneously along the street.

Statistics

According to statistics, Dacia Boulevard is one of the most dangerous streets in the capital for pedestrians, annually recording the highest number of accidents resulting in serious injuries or even fatalities.

In 2019 alone, 59 road accidents were recorded on Dacia Boulevard, resulting in 83 people injured and 2 fatalities. 23 of these accidents (38.9%) involved pedestrians, 2 of whom lost their lives, while another 23 sustained various bodily injuries.

Also, in 2019, 13 road accidents involving cyclists were registered in the municipality of Chișinău, with around 16 road accidents involving cyclists reported in 2020 alone in the Botanica sector.

These alarming statistics, as well as the increasing number of alternative transport users in the Botanica sector, led to the selection of this section for the implementation of the pilot project “Green and Safe Corridor.”

The "Green and Safe Corridor" project is a continuation of the pilot action to transform the street into a safer one (carried out in 2019-2020 by "Universal Acces SRL", the Center for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CDPD), the Automobile Club of Moldova, EASST, and other partners), and is also part of the "Equal Road Rights" project aimed at increasing safety and accessibility for vulnerable traffic participants at the intersection of Dacia Boulevard and Hristo Botev Street. In the mentioned projects, curbs were lowered at pedestrian crossings, additional street lighting was installed, access for cars was restricted in the area between Dacia Boulevard and Zelinski Street, and 10 traffic lights with sound signals were installed at the 3 busiest intersections in Chișinău.

Technical Details

The alternative transport lane is arranged using the roadway space in the shoulder areas. The total length is 2.6 km (in both directions), and its width ranges from 1.5 to 2 meters, with a protective zone of 1 meter where bollards and boundary markings are installed. During snowfall, the lane will be cleared by small equipment used for cleaning sidewalks.