Bucharest City Hall plans to build 15 underground parking lots that should be able to take in more than 9,100 cars, according to the Bucharest-Ilfov Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan 2016-2030. The project, which is estimated at more than EUR 311 million, may be approved in the Bucharest General Council's meeting on January 30, reports local B365.ro.

Some of the areas where new parking lots could be built are Alba Iulia Square (1,420 parking places), Obor Square (1,530), Free Press Square (1,633), downtown Bucharest (nearly 1,000 parking places), Sudului Square (964), Hurmuzachi Square (843), Herastrau Park, near Beraria H (468), and Stefan cel Mare Blvd., at Perla (417 parking places for cars and 25 for motorcycles). Smaller parking lots should be built on Barbu Vacarescu Boulevard, near Globus Circus, on Aleea Circului, on Edgar Quinet Street, on Walter Maracineanu Street, and at Dorobanti Square, Domenii Square, and Baneasa Train Station.

Moreover, the authorities also plan to develop a new app that would tell drivers where to find parking places.

Some more important streets in Bucharest may also be turned into one-way streets, according to the same plan. These may include the Barbu Vacarescu Boulevard and Calea Floreasca, two important streets in one of Bucharest's top business districts.

In November last year, Bucharest mayor Gabriela Firea announced that the local authorities are also planning to build six park & ride parking lots at the city’s busiest entry points. That way, those who transit the city can leave their personal cars in these parks and take a bus or subway from there to the city.

Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com