The Bank’s loan will be used to redesign and refurbish more than 15 km of streets in the city, which will see the installation of key measures to improve the urban environment. These include dedicated bus and bike lanes, electric vehicle charging stations, new intelligent traffic management and safety systems, and new public lighting.
„We are honoured to see this partnership with a financial institution such as the EBRD and the openness it has shown to the needs of our community. It demonstrates the strength, performance and eminently positive image enjoyed by the municipality of Alba Iulia at a European level, as well as our desire to grow rapidly, even if local resources are limited, as they are in most Romanian municipalities,” said Gabriel Plesa, mayor of Alba Iulia.
With this project, Alba Iulia joins the EBRD’s Green Cities programme, becoming the fifth Romanian city to join the flagship programme, which helps cities identify and address their urban development challenges. As a next step, the Bank will help Alba Iulia to develop its Green Cities Action Plan, which will support the expansion of investment and green policies in the city to address its most pressing environmental concerns.
EBRD Green Cities is a fast-growing urban sustainability programme with a financing volume of €5 billion, launched in 2016 to address the enormous environmental challenges presented by urban conurbations. More than 60 cities in the economies where the EBRD invests currently participate in the program.
To date, the EBRD has invested more than €10.5 billion in 515 projects in Romania, predominantly in the private sector.
(English version by Catalina Apostoiu)