You’ve started your commute to work. Your mobile app tells you it will take 1 hour and 45 minutes to reach your destination. Athens resembles a vast parking lot. All major roads, even neighborhood streets, are clogged with traffic, and you long for the days when the same journey took only 20 minutes.

This scenario is all too familiar to Athens residents and, with growing certainty, represents the dystopian reality we will face in the coming years. As time passes, the traffic burden increases, turning even short trips into torturous experiences. How can we solve this traffic problem? How can we stop the daily gridlock in the city’s streets?

The answer is complex and cannot be encapsulated in a single sentence. The problem is multi-faceted, and the solution depends on a combination of factors. Primarily, the number of cars causing the congestion needs to be reduced by making public transport more convenient, faster, more comfortable, and attractive.

Additionally, infrastructure projects that relieve pressure on major roads in the capital are necessary. Managing traffic itself is also crucial, with measures such as altering the traffic restrictions in central Athens, introducing “smart” traffic lights, adjusting delivery times, and controlling illegal parking and antisocial driving behaviors that, though seemingly minor, exacerbate the problem.

A small positive is the initiative by the Attica Region to manage 37,000 traffic lights. Through the Traffic Management Center, which monitors live traffic and continuously updates its studies, “smart” traffic lights that adapt green-light duration based on real-time conditions have been added, saving valuable seconds—though modest, it’s a step in the right direction.

Emissions-Based Tolls and Other Proposals

Complex problems require complex solutions. This is why experts (transport engineers) are advocating for the creation of a metropolitan authority, utilizing the country’s scientific resources to develop and implement a strategic transport plan.

“The traffic issue will worsen each year and eventually become unbearable,” explains the president of the Hellenic Institute of Transportation Engineers, Thanasis Tsianos. He adds: “We will see significant delays daily on the Attiki Odos, Kifisou, Kifisias, and even in Elliniko as new developments create traffic demands without corresponding service improvements.”

Solutions lie in public transport, but to make it attractive, it must meet three criteria: cost, time, and quality. The Institute has been in open communication with relevant ministries and the Attica Region, submitting several proposals to alleviate traffic. One of the key suggestions is the creation of a “Green Ring,” where vehicle entry would be based on emissions. “The odd/even license plate system is outdated. The ring should be based on environmental and numerical criteria,” says Tsianos.

In such a case, Athens would follow the trend of major European cities by regulating car entry based on emissions, though without tolls, unlike other countries. This would favor modern, small cars and encourage the transition to zero-emission vehicles, while also pushing some drivers to use public transportation.

Of course, this is just one proposal. Attica also needs a strategic transport plan that includes everything from traffic flow to parking spaces. A pre-study by KPMG for the Ministry of Transport is already underway on creating a transport authority, while the strategic study by OASA (Athens Urban Transport Organization) is eagerly anticipated.

New Road Projects to Relieve Pressure

Despite efforts to reduce the number of vehicles on the road—especially during peak hours—the government is prioritizing infrastructure projects to relieve congestion on major routes. Upcoming projects will ease traffic on Kifisou Avenue, Athens-Corinth Highway, the Attiki Odos, and the southern suburbs, which will face additional pressure with the completion of the Elliniko project.

For this reason, the Ministry of Infrastructure is expected to introduce the necessary regulations this month to pave the way for Standardized Proposals. These will unblock critical projects from a legal and practical perspective, and secure funding to launch them.

Projects being considered include the expansion of Ymittos Peripheral Road towards Vouliagmenis Avenue, the Elefsina-Oinofyta road section to relieve Kifisou, the Skaramanga interchange, and the expansion of Kymi Avenue to connect Attiki Odos with the national highway network.

Towards Rafina

A proposed package of projects, estimated to cost €1.5 billion, for the expansion of Attiki Odos towards Lavrio, Rafina, and from the Peripheral Road of Hymettus to Vouliagmeni Avenue (the Ilioupoli tunnel), has been submitted by the consortium of GEK TERNA (36%) – Aktor Concessions (32%) – Avax (32%). These projects are expected to alleviate traffic congestion in the southern suburbs—especially with the Ilioupoli tunnel, which will facilitate access to Elliniko (where traffic is expected to increase after its development). At the same time, the other projects will boost urban expansion towards the ports of Lavrio and Rafina, which are anticipated to grow significantly in the coming years.

The extension of Kymis Avenue is expected to remove over 30,000 vehicles daily from the traffic on Kifissou Avenue. The new underground axis, about 4 kilometers long, will extend Kymis Avenue to the Kaliftaki interchange in Kato Kifissia, a point where Kifissou Avenue experiences severe traffic congestion daily.

The “smart” transport network

Government sources told “To Vima” that “we need to reduce the number of vehicles on the roads. Apart from prioritizing infrastructure projects based on costs, we are also creating a modern and ‘smart’ transportation network with interventions in public transport. We must create better public transportation, make it more attractive, and encourage people to use buses and bicycles.”

In addition to the large cycling network under development (with the coastal cycle route being a flagship project), Metro Line 4 is also a top priority. This new line, which is currently under construction, will start from Alsos Veikou and end at Goudi, connecting with Line 3 at the Evangelismos station. The line’s 15 stations are expected to serve over 340,000 passengers daily.

In terms of other rail projects, the extension of the suburban railway (Proastiakos) towards West Attica, featuring seven new stations, will provide relief. The new line will cover 36 kilometers, connecting Ano Liosia with Megara, passing through urban areas like Aspropyrgos and Elefsina. It will offer transfer opportunities to other rail lines and will serve freight transport needs.

As for buses, the renewal of the fleet has begun. By the end of the year, 211 new buses will serve 63 suburban routes, and the first electric buses, which offer comfortable, quiet, and zero-emission travel, have already started operating. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has promised that the government will continue to invest in public transport, committing to have 950 new buses on the roads in Attica by the end of 2025.

The renewal of the bus fleet, as the current fleet has exceeded its limits, will provide the necessary quality for transportation. However, officials understand that making public transport more attractive also requires it to be time-efficient. Therefore, in addition to increasing the frequency of services, measures are being implemented to facilitate public transport movement. One of the key initiatives is the installation of “smart” traffic lights with cameras, which will not only monitor red light violations but also detect vehicles entering bus lanes, ensuring that buses do not get stuck in traffic.

Another challenge is managing peak-hour traffic. While it may seem simple to suggest that deliveries to the city center be made at night or that schools open an hour earlier (or later) to shift peak times, such measures often come at a high cost. For example, in Thessaloniki, switching garbage collection to nighttime hours to ease traffic congestion cost €5 million.

Losing days in traffic…

Every year, the average Athenian loses more than two full days sitting in traffic, a figure expected to rise rapidly in the coming years. Traffic engineers report that 2.5 million vehicles circulate daily in the capital, and congestion is inevitable as more people use the roads. This is because the overall movement of people and goods is increasing, with tourism and commercial activity driving up the number of heavy vehicles traveling to and from key ports like Piraeus, Aspropyrgos, and Elefsina.

Kimon Logothetis, traffic safety and management advisor for the Attica region, told “To Vima”: “The traffic capacity of our roads is three times lower than the number of cars they serve. It’s like being in a room designed for 10 people with 30 people inside. No matter how well we organize the space, it will still be cramped. The region was designed for 2 million residents, but today there are over 4 million, and this number can double during the tourist season.”

Traffic engineers at the Traffic Management Center are observing how congestion is increasing at Attica’s key traffic hub, Kifissou Avenue. According to Logothetis, data from sensors measuring road occupancy, average speed, and vehicle flow show that the percentage of road occupancy by stationary vehicles in traffic jams is rising. These measurements, taken on three typical weekdays (in February, April, and May), confirm that traffic congestion is worsening.