Following a year-long experiment in setting up the bicycle lanes on Čaka Street, the Transport and Traffic Affairs Committee of the Riga City Council decided that as of September 1 there would be only one bicycle lane heading towards the center.
The bicycle lanes have left Rīga residents divided, with most cyclists in favor of the infrastructure and most drivers against.
The organizer City for People spokeswoman, Gunita Piterāne, said: "We see that the streets are still being developed [so that] the priority is the car. Let's say, Čaka Street will remove the bike lanes again and all cyclists will have to go down the sidewalk, interfering with pedestrians. Then it appears that the pedestrian remains in the last place. From the City Council, we expect that the bike lanes might still be maintained. We also expect that in future, as other streets develop, pedestrians will be considered more."
