Elevation in Prague: There is a roundabout at the Powder Gate
There was a commotion among the people of Prague around the roundabout at the Gothic Powder Gate on Republic Square. The City Hall of Prague 1 came with it and will help ease traffic in other parts of the center. However, neither the city council nor the people on social networks who find the detour unsightly like it. although I do not agree with it, the municipality has no legal opportunity to change the intersection.
According to the management of Prague 1, represented mainly by the ODS, the current organization of transport in the area was illogical and confusing and the roundabout improved the situation. “The measure significantly reduces the traffic load in the Petrská district, but also in Jindřišská and Panská, where the cars heading for Hybernská drove. It will be two-way in the coming weeks and drivers will not have to drive other streets of the center, “said Prague 1 councilor Richard Bureš.
Design versus user experience pic.twitter.com/glviBakDRP
– Jiří Jaroš (@jirijaros)
May 6, 2022
According to him, the measure is related to traffic changes in connection with construction in the vicinity of Masaryk Railway Station. In addition to the introduction of two-way traffic in Hybernský, there will also be a ban on entering a part of Havlíčkova Street and expanding public transport stops. According to Bureš, there is less white on the road itself per square meter than it has been there so far.
In the past, she also made the Prague 1 roundabout at the intersection of Národní třída, Jungmannova and Perlová. “And Národní has shown that it works,” Bures said.
Criticism and folk creativity
Reactions to the district plan are basically uniform – negative. According to Prague Mayor Zdeněk Hřiby (Pirates) and Deputy Adam Scheinherr, the solution to the city center is inappropriate and enforced against their will. “In my opinion, it is fair to acknowledge the authorship of this transport work to those who really deserved it: ODS from Prague 1. I really have nothing to do with this and I really had to look at it. Lesson learned – it is necessary to elect a competent management in the city districts, “Hřib told ČTK.
“It simply came to our notice then. They made some comments, but the main ones did not understand that the roundabout to the Powder Gate and the Municipal House was not suitable here due to the importance of the public space. In the end, we refused to implement it through TSK, so Prague 1 ordered it from the contractor itself, “said Scheinherr.
The decision to build a detour is within the competence of the City Hall of Prague 1 and its Department of Public Space Care and the Department of Transport. According to Scheinherr, the city has no way to change it.
Roundabout at the Powder Gate: A completely wrong solution for me. The whole ring around the Old Town needs to be addressed as a whole, from the National to the Revolutionary. As a place where pedestrians have priority and where trams run along its entire length. And when you drive there, you will feel that you have nothing to do there.
– Adam Gebrian (@AGebrian)
May 7, 2022
In the meantime, social networks have taken over the dispute. “For me, the solution is completely wrong. The whole ring around the Old Town needs to be addressed as a whole, from the National to the Revolutionary. As a place where pedestrians have priority and where trams run along its entire length. And if you drive there, you will feel that you have nothing to do there, “added architect Adam Gebrian, for example.
Other people created parody graphics and visualizations of the intended circuit, including a large road in the city center and the Brno Astronomical Clock.