The Prague Assembly approved the Roadmap for Sustainable Mobility of Prague and the Surroundings, a document with 242 specific measures to address the long-term calming of traffic, electromobility development and improved transport safety.
The cost of the measures is approximately CZK 113 billion and will adjust mobility in Prague and its surroundings until 2030.
After analyzing problem spots and a detailed discussion by both the professional and lay public, Prague has a clear idea of how to comprehensively deal with transport and related issues. In September 2018, the City Council approved the concept of the document, and the final step was to obtain an opinion on its impact at the end of March 2019.
The approved strategy addresses eight core areas and offers specific points for improvement for each. “After 20 years we have a new transport policy concept for the 21st century in Prague thanks to the Sustainable Mobility Plan. With 242 specific priority measures, we will make it easier for people to walk comfortably on foot or ride by bike. We will reduce the number of cars passing through the center and improve Prague’s overall life, including the air we breathe here,” Deputy Mayor Adam Scheinherr (Praha sobě), responsible for transport, said on the City Hall website.
“It is important that the plan will be binding on future councilors, regardless of political affiliation,” he added.
The strategy adheres to the global trend of reducing carbon burdens linked to public transport and freight transport, environmental improvement, and transport safety.
“Among the concrete measures that will lead to a reduction in the carbon footprint, we can mention, for example, the introduction of electric buses on selected lines or the construction of P + R parking lots in the Central Bohemian region.. … Regarding public transport accessibility, a big commitment is to increase the proportion of barrier-free metro stations from 72 to 95 percent,” project coordinator Daniel Šesták said.
The approved document replaces the original transport policy concept from 1996 and is binding on the capital.
“Transport, like the rest of the city, is constantly evolving. In the 1990s, people moved around the city differently than they do today, and we expect the way of traveling to change in the future. That is why we have prepared a strategy that counts on changes and not only takes care of more efficient transport, but also on the quality of the environment,” Marek Zděradička, director of the Infrastructure Section of the Prague City Planning and Development Institute, said.
