Oslo City Hall, Oslo | The Oslo City Council will spend 361 million on bike lanes:

On Wednesday, the Oslo City Council presented its budget proposal for 2021, and the red-green parties, the Green Party (ODM), the Labor Party and the Socialist People’s Party and SV continue their investment in bicycles on a large scale.

In total, they have set aside NOK 361 million to build 25 kilometers of new and improved bicycle infrastructure in 2021.

The sum is almost as large as what the city has spent on bicycle projects in the last three years. In 2019, NOK 343 million was budgeted for bicycle investments, while in 2020 the sum was NOK 373 million. In total, more than NOK 1 billion.

See where new bike lanes will be built below.

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FRP: – The City Council is completely blinded

However, the Progress Party reacts strongly to the fact that the city council can afford to spend so much money on bike lanes, when we are in the midst of the crown crisis.

– We expect the City Council to spend up to NOK 361 million in 2021 on bike lanes. We are in the middle of a serious pandemic, at a time marked by unrest and insecurity, with rising unemployment and low municipal income. So it is almost as if one does not believe that NOK 361 million is used for cycle lanes, says city council policy and leader of the social and health committee in Oslo City Council, Aina Stenersen (Frp), to Nettavisen.

Stenersen also does not believe that the city council has a majority in this initiative now.

– The City Council is completely blinded by its own red ideology, and we believe that this in the long run harms the environmental commitment, because in times of crisis, the primary tasks of the municipality such as schools, nurseries, health and care must be prioritized – this is what that a large majority of the neighbors agree, she says.

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– What do you think of the fact that over the course of three years more than one billion crowns have been spent on various bicycle projects?

– We voted against investing in bicycles and we do not believe that in the course of three years a billion will be spent on bicycle projects. Large sums are spent on a small number of cyclists, who often use car supplements. It is an ideological crusade, which costs the municipality large sums, which is not profitable, Stenersen believes.

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– Very poor leadership

The city council’s budget establishes that the municipality’s cycling strategy for 2015-2025 will be monitored, in order to achieve the goal of 16% bike sharing in Oslo by 2025.

Stenersen believes the city council leader is “getting run over” when it comes to the bicycle initiative, which is especially led by the Green Party (ODM).

– It’s lousy leadership from City Council Leader Raymond Johansen, who once again overcame the task of bringing the city to safety through the pandemic. While the level of activity is limited in much of the municipality, the city council cannot prioritize bicycles before jobs, business and health and care, Stenersen says.

It is also indicated in the budget that the corresponding sums will be used annually in the coming years to expand the network of bicycle paths in the capital. In 2022, NOK 419 million will be spent, and in 2023 and 2024 NOK 368 million.

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Here you have to build it

The 361 million are, among other things, planned for the start of a series of bicycle projects around Oslo. These are the projects that the city council will launch in 2021:

• Tvetenveien: Ole Devik’s path to Østensjøveien
• The long wave
• Tåsenveien
• Ekebergveien: Nordstrandveien – Tallbergveien
• Enebakkveien
• Sørkedalsveien: Alléen
• Stenersgata: Skippergata – Grønlandsleiret and Nygata
• Outer Ring Road: Ulsrud Institute. – Eterveien
• Grefsenveien: Provision of bicycles from the Disen stop to Midtoddveien
• Hellerud – Bryn

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Here it is planned

There will also be more bicycle projects receiving funding for planning and engineering in 2021. The following streets apply:

• Rasmus Winderens vei and Borgenveien
• Etterstadsletta cycle and pedestrian path
• Abildsøkrysset
• Helgesens Gate
• Oslo gate
• Maridalsveien between the vei of Carl Kjelsen and Brekke
• Ullevålsveien
• Sars Gate and Jens Bjelkes Gate
• Outer Ring Road: Stordamveien – Ulsrud Institute.
• Hausmanns Gate – Christian Krohgs Gate
• Nordrak’s place for Cuba park
• Sørkedalsveien: Trettebakken – Peder Anker’s Place
• Grefsenveien / Sandakerveien: Åsengata street upgrade to Storokrysset

50 million for a car-free city life

However, several of the city council’s election promises need to be postponed due to increased spending in relation to the pandemic, including the free activity school (AKS) for the second stage, which was to be introduced in various districts. School meals in upper secondary school are also postponed, as well as the reduction of public transport prices.

– The revised budget is tight. We do not have an oil fund, we have to prioritize more. All city councils have had to cut back in their areas, City Council leader Raymond Johansen said when the budget proposal was presented on Wednesday.

However, NOK 50.8 million is reserved for the car-free city life project, which aims to reduce car traffic in Oslo.

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«The City Council continues to develop the life in the city initiative to create pleasant areas with less car traffic. The goal is a more vibrant city where people are at the center and public areas are available for activities, games and culture. The city center, Tøyen and Greenland are the central areas »says in the budget.

The city council depends on the support of the Red Party for the majority of the budget.