Transport in Tel Aviv

Last updated
Yehudit Bridge carries pedestrians and the Field Route of the Ofnidan Cycle Network over the Ayalon Highway Yehudit Bridge 3.jpg
Yehudit Bridge carries pedestrians and the Field Route of the Ofnidan Cycle Network over the Ayalon Highway
Ben Gurion International Airport Tel Aviv-Flughafen-02-2010-gje.jpg
Ben Gurion International Airport

The Tel Aviv transportation system is seen as the hub of the Israeli transport network in terms of road, rail, and air transport. The Israeli road network partly centers on Tel Aviv, with some of the country's largest highways passing through or running to the city. The city forms a major part of the country's rail network, whilst Ben Gurion International Airport located near the city is the country's largest airport. There is also a strong public transport system within the city, based primarily on bus transportation.

Contents

Local and national

Cycling

Tel-O-Fun in Tel Aviv PikiWiki Israel 21531 Bicycles in Tel Aviv.JPG
Tel-O-Fun in Tel Aviv
The Field Route of the Ofnidan Cycle Network passes over the Ayalon Highway at Yehudit Bridge gSHr yhvdyt 132037.jpg
The Field Route of the Ofnidan Cycle Network passes over the Ayalon Highway at Yehudit Bridge

Tel Aviv Municipality is trying to encourage the use of bicycles in the city. The current expansion plan is to reach 250 kilometers (155.3 mi) by 2025. At the end of 2021 the total length of the network was 161 kilometers (100.0 mi). [1]

Tel-O-Fun

In April 2011, Tel Aviv municipality launched Tel-O-Fun, a bicycle sharing system, in which 150 stations of bicycles for rent were installed within the city limits. [2] As of May 2022, there are 175 active stations, providing about 2,000 bicycles and about 500 electric bicycles. As of the end of 2021 the municipality has completed construction of about 161 km (100 mi) of bicycle paths.

Ofnidan (Greater Tel Aviv Cycle Network)

As of 2021, construction was underway on Ofnidan, a cycle network of seven routes connecting the cities of the Gush Dan, with some segments open.

Electric Scooters

Regulations

In August 2019, the city of Tel Aviv planned regulations electrical scooter companies. These conditions included a limit of 2,500 scooters in the city per company, deactivating the scooter alarms during nighttime, designation of parking areas, and restricting minors from using the scooters.

Since January 1, 2020, all electrical scooter companies are required to have license plates on the back of each scooter. In addition, all electrical scooter companies are required to recycle the batteries of discontinued scooters in an effort to minimize e-waste.

Since February 1, 2020, electrical scooters are banned from entering areas for pedestrians only. The scooters automatically turn off upon entering the zones, and will be limited to speeds of 15 km/h upon entering zones deemed high for pedestrian traffic.

As of June 15, 2020, all electrical scooter companies must provide helmets with each scooter. [3]

Rail transport

The HaShalom Rail station Tel Aviv HaShalom Railway Station, Interior.jpg
The HaShalom Rail station

Tel Aviv has four train stations along the Ayalon Highway. The stops are from north to south: Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv Savidor Central, Tel Aviv HaShalom (near the Azrieli Center shopping mall) and Tel Aviv HaHagana (near the central bus station). It is estimated that more than a million people travel by train from the surrounding cities to Tel Aviv each month.[ citation needed ]

Since the completion of the Ayalon Highway railway section in 1993, Tel Aviv has been the central hub for rail transport in Israel. The Savidor Central Railway Station alone handled approximately 38,000 passengers a day in summer 2009.[ citation needed ] Railway lines from Tel Aviv include Israel Railways's main line, running from Beersheba to Nahariya, as well as lines to Ashkelon, Modi'in, Rishon LeTziyon, Kfar Saba and Jerusalem. Most trains stop at all stations in Tel Aviv, except for some trains to and from Be'er Sheva that do not reach Tel Aviv University, some trains bound for Rishon LeZion HaRishonim and late night trains that only stop at Tel Aviv Savidor Central. All stations of Israel Railways, other than Dimona, are directly reachable from Tel Aviv. [4]

Bus transport

A bus on Dizengoff Street 20200211 115857 Dizingoff street in Tel Aviv 2020.jpg
A bus on Dizengoff Street
Tel Aviv Central Bus Station TelAvivCBSPlatforms.jpg
Tel Aviv Central Bus Station

The new Tel Aviv Central Bus Station is the biggest bus terminal in Israel, 400 meters from the old central bus station. The main bus network in Tel Aviv is operated by Dan Bus Company, with some metropolitan lines operated by Egged, Kavim, Afikim, and Metropoline. Few lines are dedicated to Tel Aviv, most lines serving Tel Aviv have their terminus in one of the neighboring cities. The Egged Bus Cooperative, the world's second-largest bus company, provides most intercity transportation. [5] Intercity transportation to certain destinations is offered by other companies, including Kavim, Dan, Metropoline, and Afikim.

Following is a partial list of destinations for every bus company:

Company nameMajor destinations in Gush Dan Major large distance destinationsNotes
Egged Holon, Rishon LeTziyon, Rehovot, Bat Yam, Azor Jerusalem, Haifa, all destinations in the North, Hadera, Ashkelon, Eilat
Dan Ramat Gan, Bnei Brak, Givatayim, Petah Tikva, Bat Yam, Holon, Rishon LeTziyon, Kiryat Ono, Giv'at Shmuel N/A
Nateev Express (As Beit Shemesh Express)N/A Bet Shemesh
Kavim Ramla, Lod El'ad, Shoham, Modi'in, Umm Al-Fahm, Netanya, Harish
Metropoline Herzliya, Raanana, Kfar Saba, Ramat Hasharon, Holon, Bat Yam, Kiryat Ono, Yehud, Or Yehuda Be'er Sheva, Kiryat Gat, Sderot, Netivot, Netanya
Afikim Petah Tikva, Rosh HaAyin, Kafr Qasim Ashdod, Yavne
Dan

BaDarom

N/A Eshkol Regional Council A single bus route from Tel Aviv to Eshkol Regional Council
Tnufa N/A Mevaseret Zion, Ariel and other destinations to Samaria

Most intercity lines use the central bus station or the 2000 Terminal (Arlozorov Terminal) located next to the Tel Aviv Central railway station. The 2000 Terminal is the second most important terminal in Tel Aviv, and all lines from the central bus station heading North stop there.

Other important terminals include:

A new Bus service financed by the city and a few participating municipalities in the area, provides free bus transport during Shabat, when regular service does not work. This service, called "Na'im Busofash" ("Naim" means moving and also pleasant, Sofash is short for Sof Shavu'a = weekend) and provides bus service in the city and to/from Givatayim, Kiryat Ono, Ramat HaSharon, Shoham and Yehud-Monosson. There are 7 lines (numbers 705-711) every 20 minutes, service is on Fridays 5:00 pm to 02:00 am and Saturdays 09:00 am to 5:00 pm (line 711 has different hours and frequency). Since it is not an official government service, they cannot charge money for the rides, and therefore it's free.

Light rail and metro

Demonstration trainset at the light rail depot Tel Aviv Red Line LRT Carriage Prototype.jpg
Demonstration trainset at the light rail depot
Outline map of the Tel Aviv Light Rail and Metro System Tel Aviv Rapid Transit Network.png
Outline map of the Tel Aviv Light Rail and Metro System

A light rail system is for the Tel Aviv metropolitan area is under construction.

A metro system with three lines (M1, M2 and M3), 109 stations, and a total length of 150 kilometers (93.2 mi) is planned, with construction scheduled to begin in 2025 and the first sections are due to start operating in 2032.

Road transport

Arlozorov interchange of the Ayalon Highway, which creates a border between Tel Aviv and Ramat Gan Azrli 14.JPG
Arlozorov interchange of the Ayalon Highway, which creates a border between Tel Aviv and Ramat Gan

Many major routes of the national road network pass through or end in Tel Aviv, a transportation hub. The main road access route to Tel Aviv is the Ayalon Highway (Highway 20), which runs along the eastern side of the city from north to south along the Ayalon River riverbed, dividing for the most part Tel Aviv and Ramat Gan. Driving south on the Ayalon gives access to Highway 1, leading to Ben Gurion International Airport and Jerusalem. Within the city, the main routes are King George Street, Allenby Street, Ibn Gabirol Street, Dizengoff Street, Rothschild Boulevard, and in Jaffa the main route is Jerusalem Boulevard. Namir Road connects the city to Highway 2, Israel's main north–south highway, and Begin/Jabotinsky Road, which provides access from the east through Ramat Gan, Bnei Brak and Petah Tikva. Tel Aviv, accommodating about 500,000 commuter cars daily, suffers from increasing congestion. In 2007, the Sadan Report recommended the introduction of a congestion charge similar to that of London in Tel Aviv as well as other Israeli cities. Under this plan, road users travelling into the city would pay a fixed fee. [7]

AutoTel is a Carsharing service of the Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality. The service offers (as of May 2022) 360 cars (100 of them are electric) for short term rental (pay is by the minute). The cars have 520 reserved parking spaces in the city (but can be parked anywhere if it's legal and free with access to all - so other renters can get to the car and drive). This service requires registration and uses of the service's app.

International

Air transport

Ben Gurion International Airport Ben Gurion Airport terminal 3 reception hall.jpg
Ben Gurion International Airport

Currently there is no airport in the municipal area of Tel Aviv. Tel Aviv's domestic airport Sde Dov was closed on July 1, 2019 and all services were moved to Ben Gurion International Airport, Israel's main international airport, close to the city of Lod and 15 kilometres (9 mi) southeast of Tel Aviv.
Although officially Ben Gurion International Airport is not in the municipal jurisdiction of tel Aviv It does serve the city (and the rest of the country) as indicated by the IATA code TLV.

Future plans

In early 2008, Tel Aviv Municipality announced a pilot scheme to build charging stations for electric cars. Initially, five charging points will be built, and eventually 150 points will be set up across the city as part of the Israeli electric car project, Project Better Place. [8] Furthermore, battery replacement points will be located at the city's entrances.

There is an effort to create a system of bus priority for certain lines that are heavily used and that run through congested areas. This effort is being led by transportation professionals and environmental groups, such as Transport Today and Tomorrow, which seeks to improve sustainable transportation in Israel.[ citation needed ] Buses are currently subject to the same traffic as cars and creating specific lanes and other forms of prioritization would help to alleviate this problem.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transport in Israel</span>

Transportation in Israel is based mainly on private motor vehicles and bus service and an expanding railway network. A lack of inland waterways and the small size of the country make air and water transport of only minor importance in domestic transportation, but they are vitally important for Israel's international transport links. Demands of population growth, political factors, the Israel Defense Forces, tourism and increased traffic set the pace for all sectors, being a major driver in the mobility transition towards railways and public transit while moving away from motorized road transport. All facets of transportation in Israel are under the supervision of the Ministry of Transport and Road Safety.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ben Gurion Airport</span> Main international airport of Israel

Ben Gurion International Airport, commonly known by the Hebrew-language acronym Natbag, is the main international airport of Israel. Situated on the northern outskirts of the city of Lod, it is the busiest airport in the country. It is located 45 kilometres (28 mi) to the northwest of Jerusalem and 20 kilometres (12 mi) to the southeast of Tel Aviv. It was known as Lod Airport until 1973, when it was renamed in honour of David Ben-Gurion (1886–1973), the first prime minister of Israel. The airport serves as a hub for El Al, Israir Airlines, Arkia, and Sun d'Or, and is managed by the Israel Airports Authority.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gush Dan</span> Metropolitan area in Israel

Gush Dan or Tel Aviv metropolitan area is a conurbation in Israel, located along the country's Mediterranean coastline. There is no single formal definition of Gush Dan, though the term is in frequent use by both governmental bodies and the general public. It ranges from combining Tel Aviv with cities that form an urban continuum with it, to the entire areas from both the Tel Aviv District and the Central District, or sometimes the whole Metropolitan Area of Tel Aviv, which includes a small part of the Southern District as well. Gush Dan is the largest conurbation and metropolitan area in Israel and the center of Israel's financial and High technology sector. The metropolitan area having an estimated population of 4,156,900 residents, 89% of whom are Israeli Jews.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tel Aviv Light Rail</span> Mass transit system for Tel Aviv, Israel

The Tel Aviv Light Rail, also known as Dankal is a mass transit system for Gush Dan, the Tel Aviv metropolitan area in central Israel. The system will include different modes of mass transit, including rapid transit (metro), light rail transit (LRT), and bus rapid transit (BRT). Overseen by NTA Metropolitan Mass Transit System Ltd., a government agency, the project will complement the intercity and suburban rail network operated by Israel Railways.

Petah Tikva is a city in the Central District of Israel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Binyamina railway station</span> Railway station in Israel

Binyamina railway station is an Israel Railways passenger station located in the region of Binyamina-Giv'at Ada and serves these towns, as well as Zikhron Ya'akov, Or Akiva and other small communities in the area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tel Aviv Savidor Central railway station</span> Railway station in Tel Aviv, Israel

The Tel Aviv Savidor Central railway station is a major railway station on the Ayalon Railway in central Tel Aviv, Israel, serving most lines of Israel Railways.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transport in Jerusalem</span>

Transport in Jerusalem is characterized by a well-developed inter-city network and an emerging, developing intra-city network. Ben Gurion International Airport serves as Jerusalem's closest international airport. Egged bus lines and Israel Railways connect the city of Jerusalem to much of Israel, and a high-speed rail line to the airport and Tel Aviv is currently under construction, while the segment to Ben Gurion Airport is already in limited operation. Within the city, the roads, rather than the rails, are the primary mode of transportation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ben Gurion Airport railway station</span> Railway station in Ben Gurion International Airport, Israel

Ben Gurion Airport railway station is an Israel Railways station located in the lower level of Ben Gurion International Airport's Terminal 3. The station opened on 10 October 2004, together with the opening of Terminal 3. The railway line extending to the northwest from the station connects it to Tel Aviv and points north, while in the other direction from the station the railway splits south to Lod and southeast to Modi'in and Jerusalem.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rishon LeZion HaRishonim railway station</span> Railway station in Israel

Rishon LeZion–HaRishonim railway station is a station of Israel Railways in Rishon LeZion, part of the Tel Aviv – Rishon LeZion line. The station is located in the southern area of the city, in the middle of HaRishonim Interchange, at the intersection of the new Highway 431 and Route 412. It was opened on September 13, 2003, with the Beit Shemesh railway station. The station has two platforms. It is the southern terminus of the suburban line to Netanya.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tel Aviv HaShalom railway station</span> Railway station in Tel Aviv, Israel

Tel Aviv HaShalom railway station is a major railway station on the Ayalon Railway in central Tel Aviv, Israel, serving most lines of Israel Railways. It is located in the median of the Ayalon Highway at the HaShalom interchange, near the city's main commercial area and HaKirya IDF base. In 2019, over 15 million passengers used the station, making it the busiest in the country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tel Aviv HaHagana railway station</span> Railway station in Tel Aviv, Israel

Tel Aviv HaHagana railway station is a major railway station on the Ayalon Railway in southern Tel Aviv, Israel, serving most lines of Israel Railways. It is located in the median of the Ayalon Highway, north of Highway 1 and 400 meters east of the Tel Aviv Central Bus Station. In 2019, over six million passengers used the station, making it the third-busiest in the country after the nearby Savidor Central and HaShalom stations at the time; it was subsequently overtaken by Jerusalem–Yitzhak Navon and demoted to fourth place, but remains the third-busiest station in Tel Aviv.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rail transport in Israel</span>

Rail transport in Israel includes heavy rail as well as light rail. Excluding light rail, the network consists of 1,511 kilometers (939 mi) of track, and is undergoing constant expansion. All of the lines are standard gauge and as of 2023 approximately one-fifth of the heavy rail network is electrified, with additional electrification work underway. A government owned rail company, Israel Railways, manages the entire heavy rail network. Most of the network is located on the densely populated coastal plain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tel Aviv–Jerusalem railway</span> Railway line in Israel

The Tel Aviv–Jerusalem railway is a railway line in Israel connecting the cities of Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. The line serves as the main rail link between the two cities, complementing the old Jaffa–Jerusalem railway. As such, the railway is often referred to in Israel as the high-speed railway to Jerusalem to distinguish it from the older, longer and slower line. In spite of that name, the line is not high-speed under the definition used by the International Union of Railways: both its design speed of 200 km/h (125 mph) and its current operational speed of 160 km/h (99 mph) are below the 250 km/h (155 mph) threshold used by the UIC to define high-speed railways, and it is traversed by IR's regular rolling stock instead of the UIC requirement for specially-designed high-speed trains.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bnei Brak–Ramat HaHayal railway station</span> Railway station in Israel

Bnei Brak–Ramat HaHayal railway station is a suburban passenger railway station in Israel, operated by Israel Railways. It is located on the Yarkon Railway near the Bnei Brak–Ramat Gan and Bnei Brak–Tel Aviv borders next to the Ayalon Mall and Ramat Gan Stadium. In spite of its proximity to important industrial and commercial areas of Gush Dan as well as to residential areas of Tel Aviv, Bnei Brak is one of the less-popular stations of Israel Railways, possibly because of its misleading name and lack of awareness. As a result, in an effort to increase the public's awareness of the station, the name of the Ramat HaHayal neighborhood located to the north of the station was added to the station's name in 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red Line (Tel Aviv Light Rail)</span> 1st Operational Section of the Tel Aviv Light Rail system

The Red Line is the first section of a light rail system in the Tel Aviv metropolitan area, known as the Tel Aviv Light Rail. The line runs from Bat Yam in the south to Petah Tikva in the northeast with a significant portion of it underground. The total cost of the red line is estimated at NIS 11 billion or, approximately US$3 billion. Construction began in 2011, with the testing phase of the line beginning only a decade later, in 2021. After numerous delays concerning the security and safety of the line, it eventually opened on August 18, 2023 with a 100,000+ daily ridership over just 8 hours of operation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tel Aviv South railway station</span> Former railway station in Tel Aviv, Israel

Tel Aviv South railway station was the name of two former railway stations in Tel Aviv, Israel, which were situated in two different locations. The original station opened in 1920, then in 1970 it was relocated 2.5 km south-east, and it finally closed to passengers in 1993.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coastal railway line, Israel</span> Railway line in Israel

The Coastal railway line is a mainline railway in Israel, which begins just south of the Lebanon-Israel border on the Mediterranean coast, near the town of Nahariya in Northern Israel and stretches almost the entire Mediterranean coast of the country, to just north of the border with the Gaza Strip in the south.

Transport in Bnei Brak occupies a central location within the Gush Dan. It has an important role in transport throughout the region.

References

  1. "City שבילי אופניים". Municipality of Tel Aviv- Yafo. 2022-05-05. Retrieved 2022-05-05.
  2. "Tel-O-Fun". Tel Aviv Municipality. Retrieved 10 May 2011.
  3. "Electric Scooters Tel Aviv". Presstelaviv. Retrieved 2020-03-30.
  4. Route map on the Israel Railways website. Retrieved on 2008-11-23
  5. Solomon, Shoshanna (2001-11-01). "Facets of the Israeli Economy Transportation". Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Retrieved 2007-07-17.
  6. "'We waited a long time for this': Tel Aviv light rail sets off after years of delays". The Times of Israel. 2023-08-18. Retrieved 2023-08-18.
  7. Wrobel, Sharon (2008-08-01). "Public transportation to be overhauled". Jerusalem Post . Retrieved 2008-01-27.
  8. "Tel Aviv commits to electric car". Globes. 2008-01-17. Retrieved 2008-01-17.