The GRAB project (an acronym standing for Major Bicycle Ring Road in Italian) is a cycle path designed by associations of cyclists and environmentalists with the aim of promoting tourism and enhancing landscape and historical, artistic and environmental heritage. The ring road is around 50 km long, formed of pre-existing stretches of cycle paths along roads and in parks, as well as new routes built specifically for this purpose.

The project has already been added to the national system of tourist cycleways, granting it significant public relevance. Its implementation falls under the measures of Italy’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP) and is one of the projects related to the Catholic Church Jubilee celebration in 2025.

The GRAB crosses the most significant locations in Rome, from centre to outskirts. Divided into 6 lots, each one divided again into smaller sections, the route touches down in iconic locations such as the Colosseum, Palatine Hill, the Baths of Caracalla, the old Appian Way, the Quadraro neighbourhood, the Valle dell’Aniene Nature Reserve, Villa Ada, Villa Borghese Gardens, Via Guido Reni, Viale Angelico, Via Lepanto, Via Giulia, and Via dei Fori Imperiali.

The project activities aim to ensure the usability, interconnection and intermodal nature of the route, while respecting Directive 375/2017 of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport (MIT). This means the Rome Cycleway is key infrastructure for promoting sustainable mobility and health. Its construction offers an opportunity to transform and develop strategic areas of the city, rethinking the roles and shapes of its major roads.

The Cycleway becomes an integral part of this transformation, positively influencing the quality of urban spaces. By connecting places of excellence and daily function, the infrastructure is rooted into the territories it crosses, becoming a trajectory of encounters and a valid alternative to the use of cars for daily journeys.

The creation of connections with rail stations is crucial for extending the GRAB radius of use. The cycleway intersects 8 metro stations, 13 stops on 6 different tram lines, and 3 railway stations. This also makes the GRAB accessible from the rail, metro and tram networks, expanding its use beyond municipal borders.

Approved in December 2023, the final design eliminates interferences with jubilee projects and NRRP measures, guaranteeing the cohesion of the GRAB with the Catholic Church Jubilee celebrations and urban planning objectives (PUMS – PGTU). The Cycleway is the key in a new vision of urban mobility, contributing to lower pollution and social costs and fairer access to resources in the territory.

Working site considered partially closed and operating at the beginning of the Jubilee Year.