In Žižkov, underground garages for a hundred cars have been opened

Prague - The Žižkov Town Hall opened new underground garages yesterday on Lupáčova Street. There are a total of 96 parking spaces, of which six are reserved for the municipal police. The garages began construction last August, and Prague 3 paid a total of 90 million crowns for them, said its spokesperson Jan Sotona. According to him, the town hall is trying to identify other locations where underground garages could be built.
    "The construction of the garages on Lupáčova Street is part of a comprehensive concept of the Žižkov Town Hall to combat the lack of parking spaces in Prague 3," Sotona said.
    The garages were built on the site of a neglected small park. Next to it is a residential complex that is being renovated. The central police station for the municipal police of Prague 3 will be located there. Sixty spaces in the garages will be offered to the residents of the apartment building for rent. "The prices have not yet been set," Sotona said. A tender will be announced for the remaining spaces.
    Access to the garages will be via a chip card, and security will monitor them. After the completion of the renovation of the panel building, according to Sotona, a park will be established again above the garages. There will be greenery and benches added.
    In Prague 3, there is generally a shortage of parking spaces, which is more pronounced in certain areas, such as on the border of Žižkov and Vinohrady, Sotona said. According to traffic studies used by the Žižkov Town Hall, the number of cars in the city is expected to continue to rise in the future.
    Prague 3 has therefore examined other locations where garages could potentially be built. The last one was on Škroupovo Square, but there the need for garages is reportedly not as great. Currently, eight more locations are being evaluated. "Underground garages are a long-term project," Sotona said, noting that the process of project development and construction takes five or six years.
    "In Vinohrady, the project for 400 spaces in underground garages at Jiřího z Poděbrad Square is now in the final phase," Sotona said. According to him, the project has successfully passed the EIA process, which examines the impact of construction on the environment. Construction could begin in the near future. The town hall estimates that the garages will cost 500 to 600 million crowns.
    Prague 3 has previously opened underground garages on Pod Lipami Street in Jarov. There are 60 parking spaces there. In June 2008, 1,215 citizens signed a petition against the garages in Jarov, of which 1,014 were opposed to the construction of garages on Škroupovo Square.