Austurstræti becomes a pedestrian street
Starting today, Austurstræti from Pósthússtræti and Veltusund will become permanent pedestrian streets. This means a continuous pedestrian area will extend from Lækjartorg to Ingólfstorg. This change follows the city center traffic plan approved in 2020. The area has been marked with pedestrian street arches, and planters have been installed to add greenery to the area.
The change was approved by Reykjavík City's Environment & Planning Council over the summer and has since been published in the Government Gazette. With police consent secured, the new designation takes effect now that traffic signs have been installed.
More changes planned for the area
More changes are planned for this area. Preliminary design work for the Austurstræti pedestrian street and Lækjartorg is finished, and the design has been presented. Reykjavík City is waiting to begin detailed design and construction in this area. The project is on hold while Veitur Utilities completes a surface flood assessment downtown, which could influence the design of these areas.
The changes aim to improve accessibility and safety for pedestrians, people with mobility disabilities and service providers, while enhancing public life and city center growth. Regular surveys by Maskína for Reykjavík City show a large majority of residents support pedestrian streets in the center of Reykjavík. Support for pedestrian streets has increased while opposition has declined in recent years, and more people believe pedestrian areas could be expanded.
Under the traffic plan for Kvosin, the city center core will become a pedestrian zone while nearby streets will become shared streets. Streets around the outer edge will remain conventional traffic streets. Shared streets and the edge of the pedestrian area will include parking spaces for goods delivery, but within the pedestrian zone, goods delivery will be limited to specific hours.
Ensuring goods delivery and emergency access
In addition to exemptions already specified in the Traffic Act, such as for holders of disability parking permits, goods delivery will be permitted on pedestrian streets from 7–11 a.m. on weekdays and 8–11 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. Emergency responders such as police, ambulance services and the fire department maintain unrestricted access to the city's pedestrian areas.
A shared street prioritizes pedestrians. Motor vehicles may drive at a maximum speed of 15 km/h and must show special consideration for pedestrians and yield to them.