Ofnidan (Hebrew: אופנידן), or the Greater Tel Aviv Cycle Network, and sometimes transliterated from Hebrew as Ofneidan, is a infrastructure project under construction to establish a network of long-distance bike paths in the Gush Dan, Israel's largest conurbation and metropolitan area. The network will to connect residential areas and employment centers and reduce the use of motorised private transport and the resulting congestion and pollution. The project was first announced in 2015[1] and the plan originally included more than 145km of segregated bike paths.[2]
Connects Rishon LeZion, Holon and Tel Aviv. The route starts at the Golden Mall in Rishon LeZion and reaches Ben Zvi Road in Tel Aviv. Important landmarks on the route include the Holon Institute of Technology, Design Museum Holon, Meditech Holon, Park HaHorshot and the Tel Aviv-Jaffa Academic College.
Ariel Sharon Park Route
Red
14 km
Begins in the Nahalat Yehuda neighborhood of Rishon Lezion and reaches Derech HaShalom in Tel Aviv. It connects Rishon LeZion, Holon, Azor, Ariel Sharon Park, Ramat Gan and Tel Aviv.
Sadeh Route
Blue
14 km
Connects Petach Tikva, Giv'at Shmuel, Kiryat Ono, Ramat Gan and Tel Aviv-Jaffa. The route begins at the interchange Amishav-Highway 471 and reaches the bridge Judith Yitzhak Sadeh Street in Tel Aviv-Jaffa. Among the important landmarks on the route are Bar-Ilan University and Yehudit Bridge.
Sharon Route
Orange
16 km
Connects the Herzliya, Ramat HaSharon, Yarkon Park and Tel Aviv. The route begins at the intersection of Ra'anana Herzliya east, Highway 531 and reaches the Savidor railway station in Tel Aviv. Among the important landmarks on the route are the HaKfar HaYarok, Afeka College of Engineering, and Yarkon Park.
Specifications
The Field Route crosses Yehudit Bridge in Tel Aviv-Jaffa
The planned bike paths will be at least three meters wide, with bridges facilitating rapid and safe crossing of high-speed roads, where necessary. There will also be resting places, water fountains, maps, and appropriate signage.[3]
Controversy
In March 2021, Ynet reported that just six months after an opening ceremony by the Minister for Transport, a section of the bikeway between the Moshe Dayan and Komemiyot highway interchanges was ripped up and closed to commuters with fences. The Ministry of Transportation claimed a detour was paved, but a visit to the site showed no such detour nor any signage indicating a detour, according to the report.[4]
