Greener
transport
The main transport connections between neighborhoods in Háleiti-Bústaðir will be defined in the neighborhood plan as well as connections to the adjacent districts.
Transport is the main issue in Háaleiti-Bústaðir. Heavily-trafficked streets, with the associated traffic congestion, run both around the district and through it. Through a public consultation process with residents and stakeholders, it has emerged that improved connections to neighborhoods are key to the community. The goal of the neighborhood plan is to find solutions that increase the safety and quality of life of the residents and reduce traffic pollution and noise.
These emphases are in line with the City of Reykjavík’s policy and the state and municipal transport agreement in the capital area to strengthen public transport and walking and cycling infrastructure to enable residents to use environmentally friendly means of transport. Strengthening local services in the city’s neighborhoods, within easy walking distance for most residents, can also reduce the strain on the street system and, at the same time, contribute to health promotion.
The aim of the neighborhood plan is to find solutions that increase the safety and quality of life of the residents and reduce traffic pollution and noise
Transport policy map
Overview map of the main transport routes in district 5, Háaleiti-Bústaðir, and key stations and routes for public transport.
Map: City of Reykjavík.
Public transport
Emphasis is placed on a good public transport system. Key stations and public transport routes are shown on the neighborhood plan policy map for transport for the district, but it should also be emphasized that the implementation of the Strætó route system is not covered by the neighborhood planning project.
In the future, Strætó and Borgarlínan (The City Line) will form a comprehensive public transport route network in the capital area.. See more here.
In the future, Strætó and Borgarlínan (The City Line) will form a comprehensive public transport route network in the capital area.
Borgarlínan by Miklabraut 2029
The development of Borgarlínan is a long-term project. The number of Borgarlínan routes is to increase steadily during the period of the capital area’s transport agreement, and these plans assume that in 2029 the connection via Miklabraut will become a reality.
Map: borgarlinan.is
Urban streets are key streets
Ideas about urban streets and beautification of street spaces, e.g. Fellsmúli, Háaleitisbraut and Bústaðavegur were well received by residents and stakeholders in the public consultation process at the beginning of the neighborhood planning work. According to the work proposals, urban streets will be key streets within each neighborhood, not least with regard to connections to the main retail and service areas within the neighborhood and connections to other neighborhoods.
The word urban street in a neighborhood plan refers to a public space where houses, streets and open spaces form an unbroken whole, but conditions can be very different between neighborhoods. Urban streets should be given priority when it comes to redesigning and beautifying neighborhoods. Emphasis is placed on promoting environmentally friendly modes of transport on urban streets and that access is ensured for all, regardless of mobility. They often have neighborhood centers with a variety of local services, and neighborhood squares and public spaces are usually designed in connection with urban streets. Temporary activities, such as food trucks and/or market sales, will be allowed on urban streets.
Emphasis is placed on making environmentally friendly means of transport a priority on urban streets and that access for all is ensured regardless of mobility.
Urban street
Urban streets are bustling with life and people travel on foot, by bicycle, by car and by public transport.
Photo: DLD – Dagný Land Design ehf.
Háaleiti-Múlar: An urban street by Háaleitisbraut is assumed, as Háaleitisbraut is especially important due to its central location and extensive street space. Efforts will be made to create a green and environmentally friendly setting. See more in the section Green focus.
Leiti-Gerði: Háaleitisbraut and Listabraut will be the urban streets of the neighborhood, in addition to which the neighborhood is adjacent to two other urban streets; Bústaðavegur and Grensásvegur.
Bústaða- og Smáíbúðahverfi: Four urban streets are defined in the neighborhood. Sogavegur and Réttarholtsvegur are within the neighborhood, while Bústaðavegur and Grensásvegur are on the periphery.
Fossvogshverfi-Grófir: Bústaðavegur will be the only urban street in the neighborhood and a lot of effort will be put into creating both a safe and environmentally friendly setting for everyone who will travel through there.
It is expected that these urban streets, Bústaðavegur in particular, between Bústaðakirkja and Grímsbær, will be a shot in the arm for the neighborhoods and the district as a whole.
The urban street Bústaðavegur
Bústaðavegur was especially important to the residents in the public consultation process at the beginning of the neighborhood planning work, not least because of the many children who cross it daily for school, sports and leisure activities. Various proposals were discussed, such as partially putting the road in an underground tunnel, building underpasses or bridges, or significantly reducing traffic on this important transport route that entire neighborhoods use to get to and from work!
The work proposals that the neighborhood planning consultants present here on Bústaðavegur are part of an ongoing public consultation with residents. They aim to turn the street into an urban street that will be a traffic route for all modes of transport. There, residential areas, shops, services and business activities are to be integrated with a strong neighborhood center in Grímsbær. At the same time, the negative environmental impact of the street should be reduced, lighting should be improved, traffic speeds should be reduced to 40 km per hour and traffic safety in general should be increased, i.a. with greatly improved connections between neighborhoods and safe transport for both pedestrians and cyclists. Special consideration will be paid to children, not least for school and leisure activities, as well as senior citizens, the visually impaired and people with reduced mobility.
Street trees and parking pockets should give the street a beautiful overall look and a particular focus will be on improving air quality and acoustics to promote general public health and increase the quality of life of the residents. Increased vegetation will provide more shelter, demarcate space and promote the diversity of ecosystems, as well as beautifying the environment. See more about the development at Bústaðavegur under Development areas.
Bústaðavegur by Grímsbær
Proposal by neighborhood planning consultants for a better connection between the neighborhoods and an increase in the number of apartments in the area following Bústaðavegur becoming a urban street.
Drawing: Jakob Jakobsson architect.
Charging stations, shared cars and drop-off centers
Various infrastructure will be built along the urban streets that can support environmentally friendly means of transport. Drop-off centers with underground containers will be located along urban streets, close to neighborhood centers, so that they are within easy walking distance and in areas that many people have regular errands. Emphasis will also be placed on installing charging stations and parking spaces for shared cars on the urban streets.
Energy and resources policy map
The neighborhood plan provides for shared car stations in all neighborhoods of the district, as well as charging stations at key locations within the neighborhoods to promote environmentally friendly means of transport for residents.
Map: City of Reykjavík
Connections between neighborhoods
In the work proposals emphasis is placed on establishing connections across the arterial roads and traffic streets that surround the district, on the one hand as a whole and on the other hand the four district sections, which is in line with suggestions from the public consultation with residents and stakeholders. The safety of road users is paramount and it is important to establish easy and safe connections over these roads for both pedestrian and bicycle traffic, such as with pedestrian and bicycle bridges, tunnels and light-controlled pedestrian crossings and intersections.
Bústaða- og Smáíbúðahverfi: In parallel with the transformation of Bústaðavegur to an urban street, the aim is to improve connections to Grímsbær between the Fossvogshverfi and Bústaða- og Smáíbúðahverfi neighborhoods, where safe transport for pedestrians and cyclists should be paramount. Special consideration should be given to children, for example for school and leisure activities, as well as senior citizens, the visually impaired and people with reduced mobility. The intention is to create a large square in front of the neighborhood center, which is to stretch over Bústaðavegur and form sunny seating and garden spaces on the north side of the street. Furthermore, the neighborhood plan includes ideas for connections to Kringlan, Leiti and Gerði, as well as connections to Elliðaárdalur, to increase traffic safety.
Háaleiti-Múlar: The neighborhood is bounded by Suðurlandsbraut to the north, Grensásvegur to the east, Miklabraut to the south and Kringlumýrarbraut to the west and it is considered important to establish easy and safe connections across these roads for both pedestrians and cyclists. This can be done in various ways, such as with pedestrian and bicycle bridges and light-controlled pedestrian crossings.
Leiti-Gerði: The settlements in Leiti and Gerði are also bounded by arterial roads on every side; Miklabraut to the north, Grensásvegur to the east, Bústaðavegur to the south and Kringlumýrarbraut to the west. These lanes also need to be provided with easy and safe connections for pedestrians and cyclists with both pedestrian and bicycle bridges, and light-controlled pedestrian crossings, as stated in the work proposals of the neighborhood plan, and it is emphasized that where such connections cross an urban street, an environmentally friendly setting should be provided.
Fossvogshverfi: Emphasis is placed on reducing the negative environmental impact of the large traffic routes that divide the district. These are connections to Bústaða- og Smáíbúðahverfi, over to Öskjuhlíð, east to Elliðaárdalur and south to Kópavogur. Furthermore, emphasis is placed on connecting the neighborhood better with other neighborhoods in the district with an improved walking and cycling path system, not least for school and leisure activities. There are also plans to connect access to a new swimming pool in the valley to the walking and cycling path system of the neighborhood and thus to the district as a whole.
Walking and cycling paths
In recent years, cycling has been increasing rapidly in Reykjavík in parallel with the systematic development of infrastructure. The location of the main walking and cycling paths of Háleiti-Bústaðir is indicated on the Transport policy map. It is mostly based on the City of Reykjavík’s Bicycling Plan 2021-2025 and looks at the paths being connected to the paths of the adjacent districts.
The work proposals focus on promoting increased safety for pedestrians and cyclists by improving both walking and cycling paths within and between neighborhoods, as called for in the public consultation process with residents and stakeholders. Improvements should also be made to cycling and walking paths between nearby districts where there are service areas that residents visit, e.g. Kringlan and Skeifan, as well as green areas such as Laugardalur, Elliðaárdalur and Öskjuhlíð. These goals will be achieved by:
- Pedestrian and bicycle connections from Vegmúli over Suðurlandsbraut to Laugardalur.
- Walking path from the green area between Háaleiti and Síðumúli via Selmúli to Suðurlandsbraut where a walking and cycling path to Laugardalur is planned.
- Pedestrian and bicycle bridge over Kringlumýrarbraut to the shopping and service center at Skipholt.
- Pedestrian and bicycle connection from Múlahverfi to Skeifa.
- Hiking and cycling paths between Háaleiti and Múli and Leiti and Gerði, on the one hand via an underpass and on the other hand via a bridge.
- There will also be walking and cycling paths to all adjacent districts via light-controlled intersections.
The proposals for the terms of the neighborhood plan also state that the number and arrangement of bicycle parking spaces at schools, shops, services and other commercial premises shall be according to the current car and bicycle parking policy of Reykjavík.
