Istanbul’s mayor has announced construction of a new tram line between the centre of Istanbul and the district of Alibeyköy in the north of the city’s metropolitan area.

With a total length of about 12 kilometres, the line will comprise 18 stations.

It is expected that the new line will be completed in 30 months, and will have a peak capacity of 25 000 passengers per hour.

A cycle path and green way will also be incorporated into the construction of the new line to encourage other forms of sustainable mobility such as walking and cycling.

The Turkish government is also taking steps to encourage sustainable mobility more broadly. The Ministry of Health is distributing 1 million bicycles across the country in schools and universities, and has also provided guidance to Turkish municipalities on best practice for constructing cycle paths.
 
Original author: Lewis Macdonald