A real alternative to the car? The new bike paths in Gush Dan

The 'Ofnidan' project is completing a metropolitan bike path network in Gush Dan, connecting cities to Tel Aviv. A new section of the coastal path has opened, completing a 6.9 km riding stretch from Herzliya to Rokach Street. The network is planned to include seven main paths totaling about 100 km. Experts stress that paths alone won't move drivers from cars to two wheels, requiring incentives and behavioral change.

The 'Ofnidan' project is completing a continuous metropolitan bike path network in Gush Dan, connecting the region's cities to Tel Aviv. The latest addition is the opening of a new section of the coastal path, about two kilometers long, which completed a 6.9 km riding stretch from Herzliya to Rokach Street in Tel Aviv, enabling continuous access from the Herzliya Pituach employment area to Yarkon Park. In total, about 9.5 km of the coastal path are currently open. At the metropolitan level, the project is planned to include seven main paths totaling about 100 km, passing through 14 local authorities. The goal is to create a network that channels riders from the peripheral ring to the center. However, experts note critical gaps in the network, such as a missing section of the coastal path from Glilot to KKL, and a budget shortfall: 'Ofnidan' is estimated at about NIS 620 million and is not yet complete, 11 years after initial planning, compared to NIS 8 billion for the fast lanes project. They stress that paths alone won't move drivers from cars to two wheels, requiring financial incentives, tax credits, and changing rooms. Local struggles include resident opposition, parking removal, and sidewalk narrowing. Despite challenges, the network is expected to expand through the 'Accelerator' project.