“Terrible, terrible, terrible, …” comments one of the new parking spaces in the Facebook group Prague No. 1. On Nerudova Street, which is one of the busiest roads to the Castle, for many years there was a relatively narrow sidewalk. The cars were parked vertically on the street.

In 2018, the upper part of “Nerudovka” underwent a transformation – the sidewalk widened and the parking area decreased. Instead of perpendicular, the cars began to park longitudinally. At the same time, at first glance, the ordinary sidewalk was replaced by a typical Prague mosaic.

This change was made on the basis of an architectural competition announced in 2014. According to the previous management of the town hall, the much-visited place suffered from an inappropriate solution, fragmentation and confusion.

For example, the narrow sidewalk did not allow holding a dignified ceremony at a memorial plaque commemorating the students’ march for freedom on February 25, 1948, located directly on the top of Neruda Street. The architectural design was prepared by the Kava studio. “The widening of the sidewalk creates space for the normal movement of pedestrians and for holding a ceremony,” said its authors Jan Karásek and Jonáš Krýzl about the project.

A few days ago, however, Prague 1 again marked parking spaces for vertical parking on the extended sidewalk. It thus narrowed to its original form in 2014.

It was the wish of the locals, the town hall is defending

“A larger sidewalk was not necessary from the point of view of pedestrian traffic and for the needs of the reverential act held once a year, the previous arrangement is difficult to justify,” Petr Bidlo, head of the external relations department of Prague 1, told iDNES.cz. I consider the solution from 2018 to be unfortunate, because it has reduced parking spaces for locals, “who rightly consider enough parking spaces to be part of the basic equipment.”

This is confirmed by one of the discussants on Twitter, who said that the larger sidewalk got the locals in a problematic situation. “The current solution is not aesthetic, but at least I have a chance to finally unload the purchase here,” said Ondřej K.

According to another inhabitant of “Nerudovka”, however, the only solution is to ban the parking of hotel guests, shared cars and in general everyone who has nothing to do here. “Ten years ago, a city policeman passed through here every day and it was great,” says local David Č. On Facebook, adding that in addition to parking, there is an incredible extension of the “transit” passage in the street. “

In Nerudova Street, parking is reserved for residents. However, visitors to hotels or tourists who pay 80 crowns per hour can also park here.

Problem solving?

The Institute of Planning and Development of the Capital City of Prague (IPR) is also surprised by the current state of parking. “If you want one of the most visited streets in the country to look better, but change your mind,” he writes ironically in comments on Twitter. According to IPR, this expensive limestone mosaic is not designed to park heavy cars on it.

According to Prague 1, however, the paving does not suffer from parking. “Of course, we had the pavement construction strengthened,” Petr Bidlo said when asked by iDNES.cz.

“If you have to park here, you can do better, given the value of the space,” the institute added, adding that it is at the level of a can of paint. People are also amazed at what an unaesthetically white line in the monument zone on the sidewalk looks like.

Recently, a radical modification of the crossroads at the Powder Gate, which is also behind the City Hall of Prague 1, has aroused discussion. These have changed into a roundabout.

“Some may have the creation or return of several parking spaces as an unimportant step. But this is a very important moment for the locals, after which they have been calling for a long time. Helping them is important to us, ”adds Bidlo.

“I live in ‘Nerudovka’ and I bet none of the locals want this. It’s pure stupidity, “concludes another local debate.