032 Flipping the Pyramid

Oct 3

Yesterday was Yom Kippur - the Day of Atonement when the entire country stops, cars disappear from the streets, and for one magical day, roads are reclaimed by bicycles, tricycles, unicycles and other such cycles. But this year, something felt different walking through Tel Aviv's streets, seeing people on bicycles in the place where cars usually drive. The bicycle revolution that traditionally emerges for just this one holy day has become a year-round reality. Tel Aviv has quietly transformed into Israel's cycling capital, and the numbers tell a remarkable story of urban transformation.

Flipping the transportation pyramid is the title of a multi-year plan put in motion by the city’s department of transportation - heavily investing in safe and convenient infrastructure for walking, cycling and public transportation, putting those modes of transport at the top, lowering car ridership to the bottom. This shift affects both reducing the cost of living and promoting a healthy lifestyle. The results are striking, as 2024 saw car usage dropping below 50% for the first time in decades. Bicycle commuting jumped from just about 6% of residents in 2010 to 17% by 2024. That's a transportation revolution happening in real time.

It all comes down to infrastructure, as the city increased its bike path network by 50 kilometers in the past five years. There’s more to come, as the city’s strategic plan aims to increase the length of bicycle paths from 185 kilometers today to 250 kilometers by 2028, creating what officials describe as a large, safe, and uninterrupted network. With the most robust system in the country, Tel Aviv is without doubt the friendliest city in Israel for cycling. The ambitious expansion means Tel Aviv is also building cycling infrastructure at the same speed of European cities, treating bicycles not as recreational toys but as serious urban transportation.

September has been dubbed as Bicycle Month by the Tel Aviv Municipality, with the traditional Yom Kippur bicycle utopia serving as the crescendo. Throughout the month, residents enjoyed special activities for cyclists that mainly focus on making bicycle operation and riding instruction accessible. The city hosted bike repair workshops, bicycle maintenance courses, riding lessons and community-focused bicycle collection with volunteers repairing them and handing them out to those in need. One of the neighbourhoods also transformed its adjacent park into a bicycle-themed party zone for families. It's a comprehensive approach that sees cycling as culture.

But the revolution extends beyond bicycles to include the once-chaotic world of e-scooters. Rather than viewing electric scooters as rogue players disrupting city order, Tel Aviv has chosen integration over antagonism. New regulations now require identification plates on all electric devices. City residents had for years called out for the intervention of authorities and now legislation enables the municipality to take action. Local enforcement now aims to prevent life-threatening situations, making sure riders wear helmets, and adhere to common sense rules, such as abiding traffic lights and not using your mobile phone while riding. Instead of banning new transportation modes, like Paris chose to do, Tel Aviv has chosen to civilize them.

Taking inspiration from many cities worldwide, with the urgent necessity of mitigating climate change, Tel Aviv can now be viewed as enthusiastically encouraging the use of transportation methods alternative to private cars. Bicycles and other two-wheelers enjoy improved infrastructure and convenient, cheap and fast mobility. Tel Aviv residents are discovering that in a dense urban environment, a bicycle or e-scooter often gets you there faster than a car stuck in traffic, costs infinitely less than parking fees, provides exercise as a daily bonus rather than a separate obligation and protects the environment.

Walking through the city yesterday during Yom Kippur, watching families cycling together, I realized we were glimpsing into Tel Aviv's transportation future. Most striking, in my opinion, is seeing the city’s main highway - the Ayalon Highway - with zero cars. Eight to ten lanes in total, this road is normally choked both ways with traffic, but on this special day of reckoning, kids on bicycles can ride it without fear. Yom Kippur is but a preview of the kind of sustainable urban mobility Tel Aviv is building, with infrastructure to make that vision accessible year round.

My name is Tomer Chelouche and I've been guiding tours in Tel Aviv since 2008. I started out of fascination with my family history - the Chelouche family was one of the founding families of Tel Aviv. My ancestors built this city - and I'm telling its story.

The best way to get to know Tel Aviv better is by purchasing one of my audio tours. Here's one way to experience that -

The Jaffa Hotel is a luxury five-star property, originally built as a French hospital in the late 19th century, showcases the historic preservation of Old Jaffa in all its glory. Featuring 120 rooms, 33 luxury apartments, and one penthouse which spans 1,500 square meters and has sea views from its 700-square-meter terrace - this one is for those seeking high class accommodation. The hotel's design maintains its French architectural heritage while offering modern amenities including a pool, gym, spa, lobby bar, and restaurant.

From The Jaffa, you can begin my Old Jaffa audio tour, which starts near the famous Clock Tower and takes you through a circular route exploring the ancient port city's layers of history. This hour-long walking experience reveals how Jaffa has been a crossroads of civilizations for millennia, hosting everyone from Alexander the Great, enter the Crusaders, to Napoleon. The tour leads you through the restored Artists' Quarter, past Andromeda's Rocks where Greek mythology comes alive, and over the Wishing Bridge to the highest point in Old Jaffa for stunning Mediterranean vistas.

The tour takes you past symbols and stories that span from Greek mythology to Old Testament tales, all while walking in the footsteps of my family - the Chelouche family - who helped modernize Jaffa in the latter half of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. You'll also see the suspended orange tree that continues growing despite being uprooted - a perfect metaphor for how this ancient city has adapted to modernity. When you finish my audio tour you’ll find yourself at the trendy Flea Market, filled with fashionable restaurants and also steps away from the Jaffa Hotel, if you’d like to head back for a mid-day dip in the swimming pool.

You can make sure you've downloaded my Old Jaffa audio tour before you head out, or you can download it on the go if you're set with a data package allowing for uninterrupted internet access. There's a link in the show notes to purchase my audio tour -

Old Jaffa's Secrets: A Circular Tour from the Clock Tower to Yefet Street

If you have any questions - you’ll find all the ways to contact me on telaviv.tours (telaviv as one word, no space, no hyphen) and there’s a link in the show notes for your digital convenience.

Travelers coming this November 2025 to Tel Aviv will enjoy perfect weather conditions to explore the city by foot, with summer heat long gone and right before the rainy season starts. This means visitors will be exploring much more of the city, rather than lying by the pool or on the beach, so I thought it’ll be useful to offer a visitors’ guide to a distinct and attractive part of town - Sarona. Much like Jaffa, not only does it precede the establishment of Tel Aviv, but it also has an interesting multi-faith and intercultural story.

Sarona was founded in 1871 by a religious group called Templars - Christian protestants who came to the Holy Land from southern Germany believing their presence would help catalyze the Second Coming of Christ. Their agricultural colony flourished for decades as they introduced modern farming techniques to the Ottoman period Land of Israel. Today, the Sarona complex is one of Tel Aviv's most successful urban renewal projects, where a 19th-century German Templar colony has been transformed into a vibrant commercial and cultural destination in the heart of the modern city.

Where did the Germans go? Well, in the 1930s some Templars became Nazi sympathizers, and when the Second World War erupted it was only a matter of time before the British Mandate authorities decided to deport them all, being considered enemy nationals. They were expelled to Australia, where the Templar community lives on. The houses of the colony were confiscated and Sarona virtually became a British military base before becoming Israeli government offices and IDF headquarters after the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948.

The massive restoration project began in 2006 when the Tel Aviv Municipality approved plans that involved moving and relocating five historic buildings to accommodate road widening, while preserving and restoring 33 original Templar structures dating back almost 150 years. The renovation was completed in 2014 and since then Sarona has become a magnet for visitors to Tel Aviv.

Visiting Sarona today feels like discovering a European village hidden within Tel Aviv's urban landscape. The restored buildings showcase original German architecture with wooden shutters, red-tiled roofs, and stone construction that dramatically contrasts with the surrounding glass towers housing companies ranging from startups to multinational conglomerates. Over 90 stores and restaurants operate in this green lung in the middle of Tel Aviv’s central business district, all housed within authentic 19th-century structures that maintain their historical character while serving contemporary purposes.

The Sarona Museum and Visitor Center, located in one of the original Templar buildings, provides essential context for understanding the site's layered history. Tours must be arranged in advance and are available in English and other languages. The museum experience includes access to the Templar Tunnel, an underground network the German colonists built to transport wine barrels between cellars, which later served the Jewish underground during the War of Independence when it was used to hide and reassemble captured British aircraft.

The Sarona Market operates as an indoor food hall with diverse culinary options, while restaurants like Jajo Wine Bar occupy the original underground wine cellars built by the Templars. Several establishments offer picnic baskets that can be enjoyed on the landscaped lawns between historic buildings, creating a unique outdoor dining experience.

Key historical buildings include the Community Hall where Templars once gathered for worship and education; the Schmidt House, built in 1872, which was home to the colony's first radio receiver; and the restored olive press in the Pflugfelder House, where visitors can see the original diesel-powered equipment that almost single-handedly revolutionized agriculture in the Land of Israel.

The Sarona complex combines historical preservation with modern urban planning, featuring tree-lined walkways, lily ponds, and children's playgrounds that make it equally appealing for families and history enthusiasts. Urban planners will surely appreciate the juxtaposition, where some of Israel's tallest skyscrapers tower over the modest colonial buildings, symbolizing the dramatic transformation of this corner of Tel Aviv.

Thanks for listening and you’ll hear from me again when the next episode comes out next week.Until then - I am Tel Aviv tour guide Tomer Chelouche, signing off and hoping to see you soon in Tel Aviv.