Transport Matters in Municipal Elections

1. An Efficient Strætó Operated by the City for Residents

Lowering Fares Alongside Increased Service Ensures the Success of Strætó and Borgarlína

Further strengthening Reykjavík's bus services is essential to increase usage and trust among residents in the capital area's public transport. This includes more frequent trips on existing main routes, better connections to essential services and grocery stores, and a reduction in general fares along with the introduction of more affordable passes. Affordable annual and monthly passes are a prerequisite for Strætó to be a viable option for city residents. We will begin by reversing continuous fare increases and lowering the annual pass price – with our ultimate goal being to reduce fares until public transport becomes entirely free. If Akureyri can have free Strætó, Reykjavík can too.

Stop Privatization – Strætó Operated for the Benefit of City Residents

The authorities' plan is to sell all assets of Strætó Bs. and outsource its entire operation over the next three years. Private companies will then handle all driving and ownership of the buses. The alleged savings from outsourcing are based on allowing private companies to exploit imported labor on minimum wages with no job security. Outsourcing also leads to a stronger negotiating position for private entities against the public sector, resulting in poorer and more expensive service.

Let's Invest in the City's Human Capital

We want bus drivers to be public employees, and all Strætó employees of foreign origin to receive Icelandic language lessons during paid work hours: Investing in the city's human capital benefits service users and society as a whole.

Let's Ensure Strætó Connects All Reykjavík Residents – One System for All City Residents

The reality is that many neighborhoods are poorly connected to essential services and other parts of the city except by private car, and this problem is worsening with the construction of new neighborhoods without comprehensive planning. Most service centers where grocery stores are concentrated, for example, have weak connections to the Strætó system. We must think of public transport as a holistic system capable of serving a growing number of users.

2. Borgarlína is a Rapid Bus System

Dedicated Lanes are a Prerequisite for Reliable Transport in the City

Public transport with a route network independent of general traffic is essential to ensure reliable service. Cities of comparable size to Reykjavík in the Nordic countries are actively developing various types of public transport systems that are independent of car traffic, including dedicated lanes.

Let's Stop Incompetence and Project Delays

The development and implementation of Borgarlína is an example of the narrow-mindedness that characterizes most major city projects. Projects get stuck in committees, and foreign consulting firms gain undue influence in their progress. In the eleven years that Borgarlína has been under development, it has been in constant revision without any actual construction taking place.

Improved Public Transport Will Fix Traffic Congestion

The delay factor for Reykjavík was 87% on average during afternoon peak hours in 2025. This means that travel time nearly doubles during peak hours. Reducing the number of cars by 5–12% during peak hours is sufficient to significantly alleviate traffic delays. To encourage people to forgo private cars, the most important factor is that public transport itself does not get stuck in traffic jams.

3. Away with the Apps – Let's Fix the City's Parking Problems

One App Operated by the City

The Parking Fund should handle the collection of fees for city-owned parking spaces without intermediaries. The city should develop its own app, thereby pushing private companies out.

Efficiency for the City – Savings for City Residents

The city will not lose out on such a system in the long run, and city residents will get a system that is simpler and free to use. Private companies profit hundreds of millions annually through these usage fees – let's put a stop to this!

Resident Parking Permits Should Not Be Charged For

The system surrounding resident parking permits is both unfair and incomprehensible. Individuals living in paid parking zones in the city center who have no parking space at their residence should not have to pay for a resident parking permit.

Adequate Number of Parking Spaces in New Construction Planning

We live in reality, and newly built apartments must be planned with an adequate number of parking spaces that reflects the realistic travel habits of Reykjavík residents.

4. A Healthier, Cleaner, and Safer City

Robust Infrastructure for Cyclists and Pedestrians

We need to speed up the development of cycling and walking paths. If this is to be a real and safe option for city residents, cyclists and pedestrians must be able to travel without car traffic endangering them.

Let's Eliminate Particulate Matter

Particulate matter in the capital area is a serious public health problem that can cause severe health damage. To achieve success, it is essential to significantly reduce the use of studded tires among city residents, as they wear down roads ten times more than winter tires. Making studded tires subject to a fee has proven very effective in reducing their use in most Nordic cities.

Electric Vehicle Infrastructure for Working People

The Electric Vehicle Charging Station Grant Fund for multi-apartment buildings should be revived to build up EV infrastructure for the general public. EV adoption must not leave low-income groups behind, and the city should build infrastructure for wage earners.

Let's Reverse the Outsourcing of Snow Removal, Anti-Icing, and Road Cleaning

The city should completely stop outsourcing this essential road network service, which is necessary to ensure the safety of city residents.

Let's Stop All Outsourcing of Asphalt Paving, Road Maintenance, and Speed Bumps

The city spends between 1–1.5 billion annually on asphalt paving. The city needs to utilize the Höfði Asphalt Plant to handle this instead of outsourcing to private companies.

5. The Mileage Fee Should Serve the Nation's People

With the newly introduced mileage fee, 37 billion will flow into the State Treasury without conditions on their use. However, the mileage fee should rightfully serve all national transport projects, and the use of the funds should be tied to those projects. Municipalities, and especially Reykjavík, incur significant costs each year for asphalt paving, road maintenance and cleaning, public transport operations, and the development of transport infrastructure. Rightfully, the mileage fee should be earmarked for both the Icelandic Road and Coastal Administration and the municipalities to support the transport system.

6. No Tolls on Main Roads Out of the City

The Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs is now considering reviving the old ghost of road tolls on all major routes to and from the capital area. However, city residents have financed and will continue to finance all road construction in the area through taxes, municipal levies, and mileage fees. Further charges on main routes out of the city are therefore completely unjustifiable, and the city must protect the interests of its residents by opposing them. In projects like Sundabraut, tolls will also have a discouraging effect on usage, which goes against the purpose of the project.

7. Sundabraut – We demand consultation and thorough work

Sundabraut is a major project that will permanently diminish valuable natural and recreational areas for city residents, along with considerable disruption to neighborhoods adjacent to the structure. It is therefore essential that city residents are fully consulted on the choice of project options, and furthermore, that all realistic options undergo a genuine assessment and are open for discussion, not just those that are cheapest and most disruptive to the immediate environment. The emphasis should be on ensuring that projects in the capital area are thoroughly considered, and furthermore, that stronger policy-making occurs regarding which green areas should be permanently protected.