What Dubai has approved
Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority has approved a five-year programme intended to make the beginning and end of public transport journeys easier. Announced on July 19, the plan runs through 2030 and covers soft mobility infrastructure in 25 residential areas as well as improvements around 63 public transport stations.
Soft mobility covers the part of a trip made on foot, by bicycle, by e-scooter or through a shared service. In this plan, those options connect a home, workplace or other destination with a Metro station, bus station or another transport service. RTA is focusing on these first- and last-mile connections rather than the rail or bus journey itself.
The five neighbourhoods where work is under way
RTA has identified five neighbourhoods where soft mobility elements are currently being implemented: Dubai Marina, Al Murar, Naif, Al Rigga and Al Muraqqabat. These are the only locations described as being in the implementation stage in the July 19 announcement, so residents elsewhere should not assume that construction in their community has already been scheduled.
The wider programme is expected to bring the total number of residential areas targeted by RTA's soft mobility work to 34 by 2030. However, the complete list of the 25 planned areas has not been published. The announcement also does not identify every one of the 63 stations or provide a completion date for each neighbourhood and station.
Nine areas where similar work is complete
RTA says it has already developed soft mobility elements in nine areas: Al Mankhool, Al Qusais, Al Karama, Al Barsha 1, Al Barsha 2, Al Khawaneej 2, Hor Al Anz, Abu Hail and Al Souk Al Kabeer. These completed areas offer the clearest indication of the type of street-level changes the new programme may deliver.
The authority also reports that it has upgraded the environment around 37 Metro stations. The examples it names include Mall of the Emirates, Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall, ONPASSIVE, Gold Souq, BurJuman, Baniyas Square, Sharaf DG and Abu Hail. The new programme extends that station-access approach to a further set of public transport locations through 2030.
What the upgrades can include
The work is not limited to cycle lanes. RTA lists pedestrian crossings, rest areas, shaded paths, landscaping, bicycle parking and vehicle parking among the possible improvements. The plan also covers passenger pick-up and drop-off points and bays for shared services such as Careem Bike and e-scooter operators.
Accessibility and street safety are part of the programme as well. RTA says the designs can incorporate facilities for People of Determination, raised pedestrian crossings, traffic-calming measures, directional and warning signs, pavement changes and lanes shared by vehicles and non-motorised transport. The precise combination will depend on the location rather than being identical everywhere.
How RTA decides where to intervene
RTA says neighbourhood selection is based on several factors: whether public transport is available and heavily used, population density, the mix of residential and commercial land, and the condition of existing walking and cycling infrastructure. Future development plans under the Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan are also part of the assessment.
The programme is organised around connections rather than isolated paths. RTA wants to link residential communities, business districts and important destinations with Metro, bus and other transport services. This is transport access work: the aim is to help people complete a journey across different modes, rather than simply create more space for recreational cycling.
Walking, cycling and scooter use are already growing
RTA's figures show why access around stations is receiving attention. The authority recorded 342 million pedestrian journeys in 2025, five percent more than in 2024. Cycling trips rose 23 percent to 57.3 million, while e-scooter trips increased by nearly 23 percent to 39.6 million during the same period.
The numbers cover activity across Dubai. They do not tell residents when work will reach a particular neighbourhood. The useful detail will come in later location-specific announcements: which community is being linked to which Metro or bus station, what will be built there and when that work is due to finish.
The cycling rules that apply now
The 2030 plan does not replace Dubai's current cycling rules. RTA requires cyclists to use designated tracks where they are available. Bicycles are not allowed on roads with speed limits above 60 km/h, and riders may not use jogging tracks or lanes designated for pedestrians.
RTA states a 20 km/h limit on urban cycling tracks, including routes shared with pedestrians, and a 30 km/h limit in areas shared with vehicles. Cycling is prohibited inside Metro stations and on pedestrian bridges, although a bicycle may be pulled across a pedestrian bridge and a foldable bicycle may be carried on the Metro under the published guidance.
What residents should watch next
For residents of Dubai Marina, Al Murar, Naif, Al Rigga and Al Muraqqabat, the announcement confirms that implementation is under way, but it does not supply a street-by-street timetable. Residents of other communities will need a later RTA announcement before knowing whether their neighbourhood or nearest station is part of the named delivery schedule.
RTA has committed to work across 25 residential areas and around 63 stations through 2030. It has not yet published the remaining locations or project dates. Until those details arrive, this is a confirmed citywide programme, but it is not evidence that construction has begun in every Dubai neighbourhood.
Sources
2. Gulf News: RTA's last-mile plan aims to make car-free commuting easier
3. Dubai Roads and Transport Authority: Cycling Tracks: safety rules and regulations
