VRT Praha (HSL Prague) feeling map received over two thousand suggestions!

The collection of suggestions for the feeling map was carried out between 4 December 2023 and 31 January 2024. Out of a total of 2,055 posts entered, 1,505 are accompanied by a textual commentary, which further helps the experts to work better with the details. Using keyword analysis, we can highlight the terms that appear most frequently in the posts: water, greenery, park, walks, cycling path, barrier, noise. In the evaluation, the main emphasis is not only on the diversity of suggestions, but above all on ensuring that none of the ideas or insights would get lost.

A preview of all points entered into the feeling map is available at this link: Feeling map VRT Praha (pocitovemapy.cz). If the point is accompanied by a text comment, it is displayed when you click into the point. Below we present a summary of the findings for the five areas crossed by the two branches of the railway lines planned under the name of VRT Praha.

In the area of Prague 10, the leading theme of the submissions is the expected implementation of the Railway Promenade. Citizens expect new connections for pedestrians and cyclists as well as a general revitalisation of neglected areas. The submissions also point to problematic cross-links across the trackbed construction or worsened conditions for non-motorised transport in contact with motorised traffic. They also mention the lack of greenery and generally areas for recreational use. The existing transport nodes Praha-Eden and Praha-Zahradní Město are blamed for poorer accessibility from the vicinity, design of platforms and transfer links to public transport. For the sites of Bohdalec and Slatiny, as well as for the Railway Promenade itself, citizens are seeking to preserve the genius loci of forgotten places.

Submissions directed at Prague 15 emphasize the unique character of the Triangle Wetland. While some users prioritise preserving the ‘wild’ character of the wetland, others call for making it more accessible and addressing the homeless problem. The adjacent forest Záštěpí hides the potential for better recreational use, it is also mentioned as a crossroad of cycling routes, but with an unsuitable surface. The area of Průmyslová and Rabakovská Streets is considered inhospitable for pedestrians and cyclists. From west to east, the theme of building a continuous backbone cycling path parallel to the high-speed line runs through the area of Prague 15. Already outside the route of the HSL, but in connection with the S line, the unfortunate surroundings of the Praha-Hostivař station, its problematic accessibility and the crossing of the track facility by a barrier footbridge are mentioned.

In the districts of Prague-Dolní Měcholupy and Prague-Dubeč, citizens highlight the natural wealth of the Slatina locality and the successful revitalisation of the Lítožnický Pond. Their ornithological importance is described not only by experts but also by the lay public. The topic of the planned line is inscribed in concerns about the creation of barriers between the development of Dolní Měcholupy and the newly emerging Malý Háj housing estate. The risks of endangering investments in the new recreational park and the Dolní Měcholupy bypass are also mentioned. Suggestions for change include new playgrounds, a dog exercise field, removal of the concrete plant brownfield, the creation of a walking trail around the Slatina reservoir, improved conditions for fishing and the creation of new bio-corridors in the landscape. Reference is made to the difficult accessibility of Slatina from Dubeč for pedestrians and cyclists, the high intensity of traffic on narrow roads without pedestrian ways or the inadequately secured Kutnohorská Street.

In Dolní Počernice, there are repeated proposals for a new railway stop in Hostavice, moving the stop Praha-Dolní Počernice closer to the centre of the development or improving the accessibility of the railway stop from nearby Jahodnice. Among other things, the suggestions point to the lack of a pedestrian and cyclist underpasses at the Počernický Pond point to the condition of the underpasses in Národních hrdinů Street and Pilská Street, and to the design of the existing pedestrian underpasses at railway stops. In Kyje, the key issue is the connection of the railway stop to the nearby bridge in Broumarská Street. Suggestions are also directed at technical improvements to the places where pedestrians and cyclists can cross the railway. Citizens also mention the need for more effective protection against noise from the railway.

In Prague 9, topics are the continuity of pedestrian and bicycle routes in the Tábor locality, which would provide better access to natural places with a view of the surroundings, or the protection of natural values - the Smetanka Park and the meanders of the Rokytka River in the area of Mezitraťová. There are concerns about the degradation of the site by the construction of the VRT Praha and the parallel Libeňská flyover. In terms of accessibility, there are a number of topics for improving conditions for cyclists and displacement of car parks. Suggestions for scenic viewpoints to watch trains will also be of interest. In Libeň, citizens point to the unfriendly environment of the railway station and the considerable number of barriers for pedestrians and cyclists.

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