Prague is slowing down support for cycling. Yet the funds are there

Last year, Prague city councillors decided that two billion CZK would be allocated to cycling infrastructure development by 2030. But they are already admitting that the actual amount will be far lower. At the same time, the city is investing hundreds of millions annually into other projects — such as the planned Radlická radial road. Strategies for active mobility and climate commitments are thus being sidelined.

Když v červnu 2024 schválili pražští radní aktualizaci Plánu udržitelné mobility (P+), brali jsme to jako pozitivní zprávu. Podle ní mělo být do konce roku 2026 proinvestováno na projekty spojené s cyklodopravou v součtu 600 milionů, zbývající miliarda a 400 milionů pak v dalším volebním období do roku 2030. Příslib prostředků jsme oceňovali, přestože se ani tato částka dle našich odhadů nepohybuje v polovině celkové sumy, která by byla potřeba k realizaci základní sítě cyklotras.

Jenže v letošním schváleném rozpočtu je vyčleněno na cyklodopravu pouze 146,8 milionů, tj. necelá čtvrtina částky do roku 2026.

When Prague City Council approved the updated Sustainable Mobility Plan (P+) in June 2024, it was seen as a step in the right direction. According to the plan, 600 million CZK was to be invested in cycling-related projects by the end of 2026, with an additional 1.4 billion CZK earmarked for the following electoral term, through to 2030. While this financial commitment was welcomed, experts and advocacy groups noted that even this amount would not cover half the estimated cost of building a basic, city-wide cycling network.

Now, doubts about the city’s commitment are growing. The 2025 approved budget allocates only 146.8 million CZK to cycling infrastructure — less than a quarter of the amount promised by 2026.

Who Is Responsible?

In spring 2025, we reached out with questions about cycling infrastructure funding to both Deputy Mayor Zdeněk Hřib (Pirates) and Finance Councillor Zdeněk Kovářík (ODS).

Councillor Kovářík responded to the discrepancy between public promises and actual allocations with the following explanation:“The actions included in this plan exceed the city’s financial capacity for the given period by at least threefold.”He added that the only path to increasing the cycling budget would be through raising fares for public transport — a step on which the coalition currently lacks agreement.

Deputy Mayor Hřib also commented: “We are currently facing limited budgetary resources and must consider a broad range of urban development needs. This means that while cycling remains one of our priorities, under the current financial conditions, full funding simply isn’t possible.”
It’s worth noting that in the previous electoral term, the city was able to gradually increase the cycling budget in line with project readiness. Additionally, funds earmarked for delayed projects were reallocated to others that were shovel-ready — a flexible approach that is no longer being applied today.

The Funds Exist

We question why the Prague City Council, formed by the SPOLU, STAN, and Pirate parties, approved a document (the Sustainable Mobility Plan) without having secured funding for even the first two years of its implementation.

We also ask why revenue from the city’s parking system is not being considered as a potential source of funding for active mobility — a common practice in several Western European cities.

At the same time, we have doubts about the above-mentioned claims. A look into this year’s budget reveals that CZK 9.3 billion has been allocated for transport investments, with an additional CZK 6 billion carried over from last year. Of this, the city plans to spend CZK 293 million solely on the preparation of the controversial Radlická radial road, and another CZK 396 million is allocated for planning the inner city ring road (Balabenka–Rybníčky section). It is important to note that the city does not currently have the funds to construct either of these major projects — meaning that the investments in their planning may ultimately be wasted. It’s also worth mentioning that, according to the updated Sustainable Mobility Plan (P+), investments in the construction of Metro Line D were expected to be financed from the city’s budget reserves, rather than from regular operational funds.

Moreover, as the City of Prague recently published on its official website, the city recorded a budget surplus of CZK 23 billion last year.
The funds currently lacking for cycling infrastructure represent only a small fraction of that amount.

This raises a fundamental question:
Why isn’t the city investing more in cycling infrastructure, as outlined in the approved update of the Sustainable Mobility Plan (P+), when the resources clearly exist?
And why is the current coalition failing to implement valid strategies — such as the commitment to increase the share of cycling in Prague to 3.5%?

If this continues, it will be impossible to achieve the goal set by the Active Mobility Strategy (approved by the Prague City Council in 2022), which calls for a complete backbone cycling network built to a high standard, capacity, and continuity by 2030.

And according to numerous studies, without this network, the number of people cycling in Prague simply won’t increase.

Grant Program for City Districts Still Uncertain Before Elections

Another element of the approved update to Prague’s Sustainable Mobility Plan (P+) is a grant program for city districts to support active mobility. We consider this a sensible tool — it could streamline the implementation of infrastructure at the local level in line with citywide strategies, while also reducing the administrative burden on City Hall.

A total of CZK 100 million was planned for the years 2025 and 2026. However, the program has yet to be approved by the Prague City Council.

“Unfortunately, we have not yet managed to secure majority support in the Council to launch this program. That’s why it’s not active at the moment. My goal is still to get it approved before the end of the current term,” said Deputy Mayor Zdeněk Hřib.
We are concerned that the promises made in the updated Sustainable Mobility Plan, as well as the measures outlined in response to our open letter from September 2023, may remain unfulfilled. And that no significant progress will be made in the field of sustainable active mobility in Prague before the end of this electoral term.

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