Editing Tbilisi (section)

== Transport ==
[[File:P1000074 (8849563928).jpg|thumb|[[Tbilisi International Airport]]]]

Tbilisi's public transport system is managed by the Transport and Urban Development Agency. After years of prioritizing private vehicles, the city has invested heavily in developing a green, accessible, and extensive public transit network since the 2010s. Today, the city is served by an international airport, metro, national rail, municipal buses, minibuses, cabs, aerial tramways, bike lanes, and a funicular railway.

=== Airport ===
{{Main|Tbilisi International Airport}}

[[Tbilisi International Airport|Shota Rustaveli Tbilisi International Airport]] is the city's only international airport, located about {{convert|18|km|0|abbr=off}} southeast of the city centre. Handling nearly 3 million passengers in 2022, it is the busiest airport in Georgia and a regional hub.<ref>{{cite web|title=Passenger Traffic up by 23% at Georgian Airports|url=http://georgiatoday.ge/news/13646/Passenger-Traffic-up-by-23%25-at-Georgian-Airports|publisher=Georgian Today|access-date=10 December 2018|archive-date=10 December 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181210182829/http://georgiatoday.ge/news/13646/Passenger-Traffic-up-by-23%25-at-Georgian-Airports|url-status=live}}</ref> It is a hub for [[Georgian Airways]] and other international carriers, offering direct flights to Europe, the Middle East, and Central Asia.

A secondary domestic airport at [[Natakhtari Airfield]] connects Tbilisi with Batumi, Mestia, and Ambrolauri.

=== Metro ===
{{Main|Tbilisi Metro}}
[[File:Merto Station TAVISUPLEBIS MOEDANI.jpg|thumb|[[Tbilisi Metro]] station]]

The [[Tbilisi Metro]] operates two lines — the Akhmeteli–Varketili Line and the Saburtalo Line — with 23 stations and around 400,000 daily rides. Opened in 1966, it was the fourth metro system in the former Soviet Union. The system is known for its depth and ornate station designs.<ref>{{Cite web|title=History|url=http://ttc.com.ge/index.php/en/history|access-date=2023-12-22|website=ttc.com.ge}}</ref>

The metro is undergoing major upgrades, including full station renovations, better accessibility for people with disabilities, and new rolling stock acquisitions.

A third overground metro line connecting central Tbilisi to [[Tbilisi International Airport]] and [[Rustavi]] is under planning.<ref>{{cite journal|url=http://vestnikkavkaza.net/news/New-metro-stations-to-link-center-and-outskirts-of-Tbilisi.html|title=New metro stations to link center and outskirts of Tbilisi|journal=Vestnik Kavkaza|date=22 October 2018|access-date=2019-01-15}}</ref>

=== Rail ===
Tbilisi is the main hub of [[Georgian Railways]], with inter-city trains connecting it to Batumi, Zugdidi, Poti, Kutaisi, and other cities from [[Tbilisi railway station|Tbilisi Central Railway Station]].

=== Buses and Bus Rapid Transit ===
[[File:Tbilisi's new city bus - MAN Lion's city A21 CNG.jpg|thumb|Tbilisi's municipal bus fleet]]

Tbilisi’s bus network forms the backbone of urban transit. A major reorganisation launched in 2020 introduced [[Bus Rapid Transit]] (BRT) corridors (TBT lines 300–310) served by articulated 18-metre-long buses, alongside more than 200 other city and local routes.<ref>{{cite web|title=Tbilisi Mayor Unveils Major Public Transit System Changes|url=https://civil.ge/archives/364069|date=28 August 2020|access-date=28 August 2020}}</ref>

New environmentally friendly buses — including MAN Lion’s City CNG and ISUZU models — have replaced the ageing fleet since 2017.<ref>{{cite web|title=126 new buses to start serving passengers in Tbilisi tomorrow|url=https://agenda.ge/en/news/2020/3295|date=20 October 2020|access-date=20 October 2020}}</ref>

=== Cycling ===
Cycling is gaining popularity, supported by a growing network of bike lanes. During the [[COVID-19 pandemic]], temporary cycle lanes were introduced, increasing the city's cycling network to over 20&nbsp;km. The long-term plan aims to expand it to 350&nbsp;km.<ref>{{cite web|title=თბილისის მერია მობილობის ოცწლიან სტრატეგიაზე მუშაობს|url=https://euronewsgeorgia.com/2021/02/08/თბილისის-ველობილიკები/|website=euronewsgeorgia.com|date=8 February 2021 |access-date=8 February 2021}}</ref>

=== Trams ===
{{Main|Trams in Tbilisi}}
Tbilisi had an electric tram network from 1904 until 2006, when it was dismantled. Projects to reintroduce modern trams have been proposed but remain unrealized.<ref>{{cite web|title=Subways and Trams in Georgia: Tbilisi|url=http://www.subways.net/georgia/tbilisi.htm|access-date=24 December 2010}}</ref>

=== Minibuses ===
Private minibuses ([[marshrutkas]]) continue to supplement the bus network, although their share is gradually decreasing following municipal reforms. In 2019, a new tender introduced modern minibuses with stricter safety and comfort standards.<ref>{{cite web|title="ყვითელი სამარშრუტო ტაქსები 2020 წლის ბოლომდე ახალი მიკროავტობუსებით უნდა ჩანაცვლდეს"|url=https://bm.ge/ka/article/yviteli-samarshruto-taqsebi-2020-wlis-bolomde-axali-mikroavtobusebit-unda-chanacvldes/34820|date=4 June 2019}}</ref>

=== Aerial Tramways ===
Tbilisi operates three gondola lift systems:
* **Rike Park to Narikala Fortress** (opened 2012)
* **Vake Park to Turtle Lake** (reopened 2016)
* **State University to Bagebi** (reopened 2021)

The Soviet-era tram between Rustaveli Avenue and Mtatsminda was dismantled after the tragic [[1990 Tbilisi aerial tramway accident]], but reconstruction plans are underway.<ref>{{cite web|title=Major worldwide cable car accidents since 1976|url=http://edition.cnn.com/WORLD/europe/9907/01/france.cable.car.04/list.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130731155658/http://edition.cnn.com/WORLD/europe/9907/01/france.cable.car.04/list.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=31 July 2013|access-date=19 December 2012}}</ref>

=== Funicular ===
The [[Tbilisi Funicular]], originally opened in 1905 and restored in 2012, connects Chonkadze Street to [[Mtatsminda Park]] at the highest point of the city. The line provides access to panoramic views, the [[Tbilisi TV Broadcasting Tower]], and various recreational facilities.