Budapest is building a new protected cycleway along Szent Gellért rakpart, raising an interesting question for property owners: could safer cycling routes make nearby homes more attractive to buyers and tenants?
Construction begins on 19 October, with the 260-metre section opposite Rudas Baths expected to be completed by mid-November.
The project addresses a longstanding problem along the Buda waterfront, where pedestrians and cyclists have been forced to share a narrow pavement increasingly crowded by tourists and bicycle traffic.
What's Changing on Szent Gellért Rakpart?
Cyclists will move from the pavement into the existing roadside parking strip, separated from passing vehicles by a continuous protective barrier.
The new two-way cycleway will include access ramps, while pedestrians will regain the full width of the pavement.
Some parking spaces will disappear, although vehicle lanes and parking on the opposite side of the road, including spaces for people with disabilities, will remain.
The project was selected by Budapest residents through the city's participatory budgeting programme.
The original proposal covered the entire stretch between Szabadság Bridge and Erzsébet Bridge. However, additional traffic-light changes and more complicated construction work would have exceeded the available budget.
Further improvements remain under discussion.
Budapest's Cycling Numbers
Budapest's MOL Bubi bicycle-sharing system recorded more than 2.9 million journeys in 2025, according to the city's annual mobility report.
At Szent Gellért tér, close to the new cycleway, the bicycle-sharing station recorded 72,085 pick-ups and drop-offs, making it the sixth-busiest station in Budapest.
At nearby Goldmann György tér, cyclists passed a monitoring point more than 317,000 times in 2025, averaging over 1,200 crossings on working days.
These figures show the existing level of cycling activity around this part of Buda, where the new infrastructure is being introduced.
Could Better Cycleways Make Properties More Attractive?
Alex Markus, Chief Executive of City-Lets Ltd., believes safer cycling routes can increase the appeal of residential neighbourhoods, particularly among buyers and tenants who regularly travel by bicycle.
“People who cycle to work or university value safe, convenient routes. As Budapest's cycling network improves, I believe properties close to well-connected cycleways will become increasingly appealing to this group, much as properties near tram and metro stations appeal to public transport users.”
In cities like Copenhagen, travelling by bike is part of the cultural fabric of the city. The underlying attraction is convenience: being able to travel safely between home, work, shops and other everyday destinations.
In Budapest, this could become another consideration alongside public transport, parking and commuting times.
What About Landlords?
The development also highlights the importance of bicycle facilities within residential buildings.
Secure bicycle storage and convenient access can be useful features for tenants who regularly cycle, particularly when comparing otherwise similar apartments.
It is worth checking whether an apartment building offers suitable storage and whether bicycles can be moved in and out without difficulty.
New residential developments may also benefit from considering bicycle parking alongside traditional car parking and other shared facilities.
These are practical considerations rather than guarantees of higher rents, but they can influence how well a property suits a particular tenant.
The Importance of Connected Routes
The Szent Gellért rakpart project is only the first stage of improvements originally proposed for a longer section of the Buda waterfront.
The remaining sections will require further planning and funding, with broader changes potentially coordinated with future tram-network development.
For cyclists, the benefit of a protected route depends on how safely it connects with the rest of their journey.
For Budapest property owners, the same principle applies: the appeal of nearby cycling infrastructure lies not simply in having a cycleway outside the building, but in the destinations residents can reach using it.