Athens metro helps city go green

Athens is home to about four million people (40 per cent of the Greek population) and two million cars. Before the metro was built, the city was as famous for its traffic congestion and pollution as for its Parthenon.

Today, the Athens metro network is one of the most up-to-date in Europe and has been described as a monumental achievement. The metro currently carries 650 000 passengers a day, effectively taking 200 000 cars out of circulation. All in all, the 30 kilometre-long metro network facilitated the everyday life of 200 million passengers, while reducing traffic jams on the main roads and slashing commuting times from 40 minutes to 10.

It has also given a new life to the neighbourhoods located near the metro stations, which have been significantly upgraded. Most businesses in the vicinity of metro stations have benefited and real estate value has gone up. In addition, easier accessibility has made attractive some previously difficult to reach areas. In terms of employment, the extension of the Athens metro and the construction of another metro, in Thessaloniki in the north east of Greece planned by 2015 will create 1450 jobs.

News source: EIB link: article