Riga, March 18 (LETA) - Riga has won the European Mobility Week award, the press department of the European Commission Representation in Latvia informed LETA.

Apostolos Tzitzikostas, European Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism, announced the European Mobility Week award to Riga at the European Mobility Week awards ceremony on Monday.

Riga has proven itself as a city that promotes active mobility through initiatives such as the Tweed Ride and Riga Rolls. Schools, families and citizens have joined in with walking, cycling and skating challenges, while the city has also ensured continuous development, for example by extending cycling infrastructure and introducing 30 kilometer per hour speed zones.

As LETA was informed by the Riga City Council's external communications department, when receiving the award, Marta Kotello (Progressives), Chair of the Riga City Council's Traffic and Transport Committee, stressed that the purposeful creation of a modern urban environment in Riga has started relatively recently and still requires courage, a clear vision and public involvement.

"A modern, green and safe city, where street space is accessible to everyone, is not a given - it comes about through good examples and incremental change," said Kotello.

Riga City Council's slogan for European Mobility Week is "Sustainable Mobility - Accessible for Everyone", reflecting the city's commitment to greener and more inclusive mobility.

For the last two years, Riga City Council has been implementing the European Mobility Week activities on a wider scale as an information campaign, involving other municipal institutions and cooperation partners. Last year, one of the biggest events was the "pop-up" or temporary pedestrian streets, when sections of Antonijas and Dzirnavu Streets were closed to traffic during the Mobility Week weekend, turning them into a place to walk and meet people.

For the first time, European Mobility Week also saw the launch of the international Walk For Your City challenge, in which around 500 European cities competed for the title of the most active walking city, with Riga coming second. In addition, a step challenge for Riga schools was organized.

In cooperation with the Latvian Vintage Bicycle Club, a retro Tweed Ride took place, while families could take part in the Imulrings cycling competition. Mobility and other experts gathered at the Smart Cities Conference and the Riga Bicycle Conference, while a workshop Mobile Riga was organized for young people. To promote environmentally friendly mobility, social media users could follow the Mobility Influencers competition of four digital content creators and take part in radio competitions.

In cooperation with Riga Satiksme and Pasazieru vilciens (VIVI), passengers experienced "positive emotions" routes with various surprises on 12 different journeys. At the public transport stop National Library, people could take part in a flash action and learn Zumba dance moves. Green ambassadors were also present in the urban environment, welcoming and encouraging people who choose to move sustainably and car-free in their daily lives.

This year, Riga City Council plans to continue on the same path and organize various activities and events during European Mobility Week to promote environmentally friendly mobility.

European Mobility Week takes place annually on September 16-22. In 2025, more than 2,700 cities in 46 countries took part and more than 900 organizations registered mobility actions to promote sustainable transport.