One-way traffic and BRT relocation: what was decided regarding Timiryazev Street in Almaty

Tengrinews.kz — Discussions regarding changes to Timiryazev Street have been ongoing in Almaty for several months. Authorities proposed converting it to a one-way street and relocating bus lanes from the center of the road to the curbs. A Tengrinews.kz correspondent looked into the fate of the existing BRT line.
Proposed changes to Timiryazev Street
In May 2026, the Almaty Akimat announced potential modifications to Timiryazev Street.
During a briefing on May 20, the head of the Traffic Management Department stated that authorities were considering making the street one-way and moving the bus lanes from the center of the road to the right shoulder.
The proposal was prompted by traffic congestion. According to the department head, Timiryazev's throughput decreased following the BRT launch, causing a portion of the traffic flow to shift to Al-Farabi Avenue.

"We are currently studying Timiryazev Street and considering the implementation of one-way traffic. It is possible that the street's capacity has significantly decreased, causing traffic to spill over to Al-Farabi, where we are now seeing major congestion during rush hour," Dikhanbaev said at the time.

Confusion later surrounded these plans. Media reports suggested the Akimat had allegedly scrapped the changes. However, on June 23, the department told Tengri Auto that no final decision had been made yet, and the matter "is in the stage of detailed development."
The Akimat's current decision
To clarify the situation, in October 2026, the Almaty Department of Traffic Management and Passenger Transport informed us that the plans have been shelved for now.

"Currently, the department is not considering any changes to the existing traffic management scheme on Timiryazev Street," the agency stated.

Thus, despite discussions regarding potential changes to the traffic pattern on Timiryazev Street, no specific decisions have been adopted.
Based on the response from the relevant department, there are no plans to introduce one-way traffic on this street. Timiryazev will remain a two-way street, and buses will continue to operate under the previous scheme.
Status of the Raiymbek Avenue BRT
As a reminder, Tengrinews.kz previously reported that the Almaty Akimat is once again reviewing the 39.9 billion tenge BRT project on Raiymbek Avenue.
The line was originally scheduled for completion in 2025, but the deadline has been postponed several times. Now, due to the future Almaty SkyTrain, authorities are considering moving bus lanes to the sides of the road; previously constructed BRT elements are already being dismantled on one of the sections.
The Akimat has not yet specified when the project will be completed or what its final cost will be.