Mersin Becomes a Bicycle City

Mersin Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Vahap Seçer gave the good news with the words "We will build a bicycle path wherever the width of the streets permit", and the work of the first phase of the 18.5-kilometer bicycle path project has started.

First pickaxe shot

In the bicycle path project that will breathe traffic and delight bicycle users, the first digging for 18.5 kilometers was hit. The bicycle path, which will continue uninterruptedly from Mezitli District Viranşehir District, along Kültür Park, by the Mersin Metropolitan Municipality Transportation Department, will be terminated at Mersin Train Station. While the first phase of the bicycle path is aimed to be completed within 150 working days, it is planned to start the construction of 70 kilometers in Mersin city center and 30 kilometers in Tarsus in the coming days.

"The most demand of our citizens from us is the bicycle path"

Mersin Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Vahap Seçer, who has been working to support the widespread use of bicycles throughout the city since the day he took office, stated that they pay attention to the bicycle paths and unobstructed pavements in the new road works in line with the demands of the citizens. Mayor Seçer said, “We are opening a new road on the 4th Ring Road, 17th Street. A bicycle path was drawn there. Now, we are making these plans with the principle of having bicycle paths on all newly opened roads. We are working on bicycle paths on 26th Cadde and Nevit Kodallı Caddesi, in places saved by meters. Because the most demand of our citizens from us, especially the bicycle path demand. "We will make a bicycle path wherever the width of the streets allows."

There will be a 70-kilometer bicycle path in the city center and 30 kilometers in Tarsus.

Head of Transportation Department Ersan Topçuoğlu emphasized that they are working to make citizens prefer the use of bicycles instead of public transportation vehicles or private vehicles. Giving information about the first phase of the bicycle path project, Topçuoğlu said, “Today we are giving the first start of our 18.5-kilometer bicycle path in Mersin. We started our work today. We are planning to provide the people of Mersin with a further 70 kilometers of bicycle path in total by the end of this year, with our work on a 30-kilometer bicycle path in Mersin and a 100-kilometer bike path in Tarsus, ”he said.

"Our citizens will be able to use their bicycles safely"

Stating that every detail is considered on the bicycle path for the life safety of citizens, Topçuoğlu said, “We know that our citizens will be pleased and our traffic will be relieved when we provide transportation on the bicycle paths with all precautions. "Our citizens will be able to use their bicycles with peace of mind on the bicycle path with life safety."

"This road will be beneficial for more people to use bicycles"

Members of the Mersin Cyclists Association, who participated in the start of the first phase of the bicycle path, expressed their happiness for the work started. Mehmet Ovalı, Board Member of the Association, made the following statements about the work that started:

"We are very happy. For a long time, we wanted the bike lanes to be increased. Because the bicycle is a very important instrument for eliminating the problems of this traffic, using less fossil fuels and for people to communicate better with each other. We have been working on this for a long time. We had communications with the municipality. Thanks to this matter, our communication with our dear President Vahap Seçer was very tight and solid. He approached us very well. Being at the beginning of this now also makes us very happy. Because it is really difficult for bicycles to progress in traffic. Inevitably, we also have problems with drivers. Of course, when there is a bicycle path, we will prevent this and it will be useful for more people to use bicycles. Because not everyone wants to use bicycles on these roads, they have difficulty. In this way, it will also be prevented. The traffic problem will also be solved in this way. I hope the work will be finished quickly, as at the beginning of this road. "