On Tuesday Moscow opened ten new metro stations on the Big Circle Line (BCL) — the ring of stations that surrounds the original Circle Line in the city center. Nine more stations are expected to be opened in 2023, bringing the total stations on the new line to 31. The first section of the BCL was opened in 2018.

The new stations cover about 20 kilometers of a total expected length of 70 kilometers, and officials have estimated that they will be used by at least 600,000 people.

In recent years Moscow has dramatically expanded its public transportation system while taking measures to discourage driving, especially in the center. Sidewalks have been enlarged by eliminating road lanes, and paid parking — with higher tariffs — has been instituted in the city center and parts of many distant neighborhoods.

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