Borgarlina in Reykjavik

A low-carbon bus network for Iceland’s capital

Iceland is committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2040, and is working to reduce its CO2 emissions by developing public transport and soft mobility projects. The municipality of Reykjavik has decided to create a high-level bus network that will serve the entire city and run on hydrogen or any other green energy. Artelia is working with the Icelandic capital on this project, called Borgarlina (City Line in Icelandic).

CONTEXT & ISSUES

With almost two-thirds of Iceland’s population, Reykjavik is a city with a rapidly growing population and a relatively large, sparsely populated area. Its transport system, which relies mainly on individual vehicles using fossil fuels, is responsible, according to municipal estimates, for around 70% of all Reykjavik’s greenhouse gas emissions. The authorities therefore believed it was essential to offer the public a reliable and more sustainable public transport system.

Borgarlina is a visionary project for the Reykjavik region, the first high-capacity public transport system in the metropolitan area. It consists of creating a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) infrastructure serving the entire urban area, which will improve the efficiency, reliability and accessibility of transport for users. It will form the main axis of the capital region’s public transport infrastructure, with the ambition of creating one of the most sustainable networks in the world.

Artelia is leading a consortium of renowned French, Danish and Icelandic companies, and is designing the project in close collaboration with the Icelandic Road and Coastal Administration and the municipalities concerned. Our teams are in charge of all the mobility, eco-design, infrastructure and operating studies, the carbon and acoustic assessments, and the selection of operating assistance and passenger information systems. They also coordinate the various networks and interfaces with related worksites.