In the new metro stations, cyclists have been forgotten

Prague - The new metro stations on line C, the city ring road, the reconstruction of Radlická street, and the relocation of the main road are projects where the civic association Auto*Mat believes cyclists have not been considered. However, according to the city council, the association's comments are unfounded; the city consulted with them on these projects, as the representatives of the initiative are members of the committee of the City Council of Prague for cycling transport, said Pavel Polák, the city’s cycling transport coordinator, to ČTK.
    "The new stations on metro line C on the northern route, Radlická in Prague 5, and the planned reconstruction of Kaprova street in the city center are a great disappointment, where elements for cycling transport would not even cost a crown," stated the initiatives Auto*Mat and Oživení in a press release.
    According to Polák, however, the city discussed the new metro stations, which will start operating in May, with Auto*Mat. "Letňany has a solution that is relatively very comfortable for cyclists, with paths, bike lanes, and racks," Polák said. He also acknowledged that bike lanes did not fit in Střížkov and Prosek because the road was not widened.
    According to the association, while there will be bike lanes at Letňany station, the slope of the road is inappropriate. When it rains, passing cars will spray cyclists. The initiative criticizes the fact that two new bike lanes were created instead of one line of parallel parking, while the surrounding area is still just fields. "As part of the latest changes to traffic signage, a bike lane was successfully added to part of one street in Letňany. However, this does not resolve the overall problem," the initiatives state.
    Cyclists are also unhappy with the reconstruction of Radlická street. "Cyclists were overlooked; there could have been an uphill lane or path here," the initiative stated. According to cyclists, the problem is now difficult to solve; the narrow roadway and sidewalks with poorly located streetlight poles do not allow for easy adjustments. Polák disagrees that cyclists were not considered in this case. "A six to seven-kilometer route is being created along Radlická, which leads through roads with reduced to zero motor vehicle traffic," he stated.
    The integration of cyclists, according to the association, is also lacking in the case of the relocation of the north-south main road near the National Museum. According to them, increased attention must be paid to the choice of surfaces at Wenceslas Square. However, Polák stated that the association had also been invited to discuss the final shape of the square in this case.
    "We understand that Prague cannot suddenly create an entire network of cycling routes. Therefore, the best opportunity for establishing paths and lanes is during reconstructions or the construction of new streets," said Michal Křivohlávek from Auto*Mat. Bicycles have also been neglected, for example, at the intersection of the city ring road Malovanka, at Milada Horáková Avenue, or on Pankrácká Plain. According to the association, the city is expanding the network of bike paths, with exceptions in areas of recreational significance, and most routes are located outside the center of Prague.