Next year, Tallinn will launch a project to count pedestrians and cyclists at key locations in the city centre. The project is supported by the European Union’s CEF Transport programme and will run until the end of 2028.

According to Indrek Gailan, Head of the Tallinn Transport Department, the aim of the project is to gain a more accurate understanding of residents’ travel habits and assess how decisions on urban space and infrastructure development affect people’s choice of transport. “Up until now, Tallinn has only counted motor vehicles. Including pedestrian and cyclist movements in the city’s traffic data will allow us to build and refine a mobility model that supports evidence-based decisions in urban planning and mobility management,” Gailan explained.

Currently, permanent traffic counts are conducted at 48 intersections across Tallinn, where 426 sensors collect data on cars, buses, motorcycles, and trucks. However, no data exists on pedestrian and cyclist movements. The new data collection will make it possible to better determine the share of different modes of transport and evaluate the impact of various measures aimed at making city mobility more sustainable. Tallinn’s goal is to increase the share of cycling during the spring–autumn season to 15% by 2035.

The Tallinn Transport Department has already mapped the key locations where pedestrian and cyclist counts are most needed. The first sensors will be installed in 2026, covering about 30% of the planned monitoring points. A further 50% will be added in 2027, and the remaining 20% in 2028. The exact number of sensors will be determined in the technical project, which will be procured in 2026 along with the equipment delivery and installation.

The total cost of the project is €306,500, half of which will be covered by the Tallinn Transport Department, with the remainder financed through the European Union’s CEF Transport programme.

Source: tallinn.ee