Easy and sustainable transportation throughout Kuopio
The goal of the Viksu Kuopio program is to develop low-emission transportation in the city and the countryside. A quarter of Kuopio’s greenhouse gas emissions come from traffic. Low-emission, smart and sustainable transportation is made possible by improving land use and the conditions for sustainable transportation. We want it to be safe and attractive to move around on foot, by bike and by public transport. Our goal is to halve Kuopio’s road transport greenhouse gas emissions by 2040.
Sustainable transportation supports well-being
- reduces emissions caused by road traffic
- improves the quality of air
- increases daily exercise and promotes health
- improves the accessibility of services
- improves the accessibility of the city nationally and internationally
We are moving towards emission-free traffic
According to Viksu Kuopio, city buses will be emission-free by 2035. The city wants to enable, among other things, the market-oriented expansion of the charging point network, and support the development of joint ownership of means of transport. Providing new options for transportation accelerates change.
“It is safe and attractive to move around by walking, cycling and public transport, as well as by combining different ways to travel.”
Viksu Kuopio program
We make walking and cycling attractive all year round
Smooth and fast pedestrian and cycling routes in the city and between neighborhoods are at the core of sustainable transportation. When planning the urban environment, it is important to take care of the accessibility of services by walking, cycling and public transport. With high-quality maintenance of the roads, we strengthen sustainable transportation all year round.
The urban environment is built to be accessible
Safe traffic for everyone is made possible by good urban structure and implemented with good manners in traffic. Accessibility will be improved especially on quality pedestrian routes where the need for accessibility has been specifically identified.
According to Viksu Kuopio, everyone must have the opportunity to move sustainably all year round. Considering children, elderly people and mobility barriers in traffic also promotes social equality.
We develop public transportation and travel chains
The aim is to increase the number of public transport passengers by 50% by 2035 from 2023. We improve public transport services and accessibility by developing trunk lines. The main public transport lines, which will be put into use in 2026, will make it possible for city dwellers to move more freely than before. A supplementary construction survey will be made around the main lines, which will also support the construction of a carbon-neutral, climate-safe city.
The functionality of low-emission travel chains is improved by developing ticket products and access parking, as well as the connection of bus and rail traffic.
Goals 2035
The goals of the Easy and sustainable transportation throughout Kuopio -theme are to be achieved by 2035. You can find the planned actions for the years 2024–2035 in the Viksu Kuopio program (in Finnish).
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2.1 Kuopio’s road transport greenhouse gas emissions will be halved by 2040.
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2.2 Everyone has the opportunity to move sustainably all year round, taking into account children and the elderly, people with mobility and functional disabilities.
2.3 Land use planning takes care of attractive, easy and fast pedestrian and cycling routes in the city and between city areas. The services can be reached in 15 minutes on foot, by bike or by public transport.
2.4 The share of walking and cycling of all transportation will be 30% in 2030.
2.5 Kuopio is the best city to use electric bikes.
2.6 At least one-third (33%) of public technology investments are used for pedestrian and cycling investments.
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2.7 Low-emission travel chains operate in long-distance, regional and local transport.
2.8 The number of public transport passengers will be increased by 50% from 2023 to 2035.
2.9 Land use planning enables the development of future rail traffic (local and long-distance rail traffic).
2.10 We will improve sustainable transportation throughout Kuopio, also in rural areas.
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2.11 City buses will be 100% zero-emission by 2035.
2.12 The market-oriented expansion of the network of charging and refueling points is made possible, e.g. by drawing up a plan or making a survey of possible charging locations and steering with different means of control. Charging points will be implemented into the city’s own properties.
