Group ride showcases the opportunities and challenges of Tartu’s cycling network

On 21 April at 18, all students and staff of higher education institutions in Tartu are invited to join a group cycle ride, “Rattaga saab!” (“Cycling works!”), starting from Town Hall Square. The event will highlight the cycling routes in Tartu that connect the city’s largest residential district, Annelinn, with the research and medical campus in Maarjamõisa. Weather permitting, a picnic will follow on the riverside terrace of the Delta building.

Travelling between the academic buildings of Tartu’s higher education institutions, main residential areas, and leisure destinations on foot or by public transport can often be time-consuming. For this reason, the Tartu Cyclists’ Union and the University of Tartu Centre for Sustainable Development invite all students and university employees to celebrate the start of the spring cycling season and to learn about possible everyday cycling routes by joining the group ride.

“We have planned a route that takes us from Annelinn, the home district of many Tartu residents, to Maarjamõisa, where numerous academic buildings and jobs are located. We also included the route from Maarjamõisa to the Delta academic building, which, according to the University of Tartu mobility study, is one of the most frequently used routes by students,” explained Madli-Johanna Maidla from the Tartu Cyclists’ Union. The group ride is an excellent opportunity to get acquainted with the newly renovated sections of Sõpruse bridge and Õnne street, as well as with potential bottlenecks on Kastani, Riia and Lai streets, all of which are important parts of Tartu’s core cycling network.

The tenkilometre route runs as follows: Town Hall Square – Anne canal – Sõpruse bridge – Kastani street – Maarjavälja – Näituse street – Delta academic building.

If the weather is good, the ride will end with a joint picnic on the riverside terrace of the Delta building. All cyclists are welcome, regardless of experience. The event aims to encourage everyday cycling and draw attention to the continued need to develop cycling infrastructure in Tartu.