The mayors of Riga, Tallinn and Vilnius have sent a joint letter to Google's management this week calling for the current cycling infrastructure in the Baltic capitals to be reflected in Google Maps app.
The letter underlines that cities have invested heavily in cycling networks over the last decade: 165 km of cycle lanes have been built in Riga, around 113 km in Tallinn and 170 km in Vilnius. In all three capitals, more cycle lanes are planned in the coming years.
“Riga and other Baltic capitals are part of Europe, where the possibility to see cycling routes on digital maps is already a matter of course for citizens. At our first meeting with the Mayor of Tallinn, we agreed that this possibility – to see on Google Maps the route from A to B and how to get there by bicycle – is something that we can address together with the Mayor of Vilnius now. We still have a lot of work to do in Riga to achieve full cycle lane connectivity, but this is an important first step. This will help not only the citizens of Riga, but also tourists to move around our city more safely and comfortably,” says Riga Mayor Viesturs Kleinbergs.
"We approached Google with a request to add the Baltic capitals' cycle lanes to the Google Maps map layers. Tallinn, Riga and Vilnius have consistently invested in cycling infrastructure in recent years to ensure that people can get around safely, comfortably and in an environmentally friendly way. However, this infrastructure is not reflected in the digital environment, so it goes unnoticed by many users and prevents them from planning their routes properly," says Tallinn Mayor Jevgeni Ossinovski.
The letter was signed by Riga Mayor Viesturs Kleinbergs, Tallinn Mayor Jevgeni Ossinovkski and Vilnius Mayor Valdas Benkunskas.
Information was prepared by Ieva Grīsle, Project Coordinator of the Department of External Communication of the Communication Department of the Riga City Council, e-mail: ieva.grisle@riga.lv