For years pedestrians have been relegated to tunnels for the convenience of drivers. This is finally about to change - by the end of the year, long-awaited pedestrian crossings with traffic lights will be ready in the Pomeranian capital.
Gdansk boasts that for several years it has been focusing on traffic calming and creating new pedestrian connections, especially within the city center. Among the five core values of the Gdansk Development Strategy 2030 Plus, there is even a provision for "openness of urban spaces." The idea is to make public areas accessible to all - pedestrian traffic was considered a priority. In practice, the document is being implemented with mixed results, as some of the passages planned for years are being implemented at a truly snail's pace.
Downtown Gdansk more convenient for pedestrians
After seven (!) years of floating announcements by city officials, it was only this summer that the construction of a zebra crossing near the Gdansk Główny train station, at the level of Elisabeth Street, began. The new pedestrian crossing is not only about painted lanes and the comfort of pedestrians, who today use an inconvenient tunnel. A bicycle crossing will be created within the interchange, kiss&ride parking spaces will be designated near the PKP station. Also important: the platforms at streetcar stops, overcrowded today during rush hour, will be lengthened.
However, there will be more benefits from the investment. It can be expected that the zebra will enliven Elzbietanska and Garncarska streets, which today remain somewhat on the sidelines, and after the construction of the crossing will be the main road to the Royal Route. Catering establishments located here may benefit, while at the same time the city should think about such landscaping that will make the space even more attractive.
Location of the passage, which is being built next to the Gdansk Central Railway Station in downtown Gdansk
photo: Piotr Wittman/graphics: Jacek Szymanski
I think this crossing will bring the street back to pedestrians and allow at least to some extent a return to pre-war solutions,"Prof. Piotr Lorens, Architect of the City of Gdansk, said in an interview with AiB .- When we look at a plan of Gdansk from the interwar period, we can see that two main traffic routes were located in the area of the station square. One of them is precisely Elzbietanska, which in turn leads us from the train station to the area of the Wood Market and further - the Main Town. This route is possible to reconstruct today. At the same time, it should be remembered that the street physically exists, only that it is poorly used by pedestrians, because there is not much to lead to.
The tunnel on the border of Zaspa and Wrzeszcz will be a thing of the past
Worth nearly PLN 12 million, the work on the zebra crossing at the Gdansk Główny train station will last until the end of the year, and earlier - in November - pedestrians and cyclists will also gain easier access on the border of Zaspa and Wrzeszcz. The planned crossing there (at a cost of PLN 3.4 million) is being built near the intersection of Rzeczypospolitej Avenue and Hynka Street, and will also be equipped with traffic lights. Pedestrians will finally get to the streetcar platform via an above-ground crossing, and a track crossing will also be created. The construction of this zebra was called for by city activists a decade ago. Attempts were also made by residents as part of the civic budget. But first the project didn't get enough votes, and the following year it was rejected because officials decided that the investment was too expensive.
One of the crossings is being built on Rzeczypospolitej Avenue
Photo: Piotr Wittman/www.gdansk.pl
The crossing at the level of the Upland Gate in downtown Gdansk, which opened in 2022, turned out to be a hit.
- The solutions that are being introduced step by step in Gdansk, i.e. traffic calming or zones of equal intersections, do not reduce the flow of car traffic," noted Piotr Grzelak, deputy mayor of Gdansk.
