Population of Budapest City is 1,7 million. It has been decreasing in the last decade (desurbanization, urban growth), but recently a slow increase has been started (reurbanization). Budapest has a commuter belt with about one million people affected.
Modal split has been pretty good at the change of regime (1990), when about 70% of the population used public transport. On the other hand infrastructure for walking and cycling was a neglected issue.
Since then the number of private cars has been increased, while the public transport has not been developed properly. By 2003 within the city borders 33% used car and 67% used public transport, while at the borders 57% used car and only 43% used public transport.
Rate of biking in 2008 is estimated to 1-2 % (report on Biking Transport Development, Municipality of Budapest, Vice Mayor Miklós Hagyó).
Walking is still not considered as a mode of transport, but is considered as a tool for developing local centres, retail trade or tourism.
| 1990 | 2008 | |
| Car use | 30% | 43% |
| Public Transport use | 70% | 55% |
| Bicycle | 0% | 2% |
