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On Tuesday evening, a revised project of the Nemunas embankment in Šančiai was remotely presented. Not only Šančiai residents were able to join the virtual discussion, but all interested people. The passions could not be avoided during the presentation, as part of the society along the Nemunas does not want any streets.
Virtual presentation
More than a year ago, a project to rebuild the Nemunas embankment in Šančiai was presented to the public, but there was great resentment and people’s plans were suspended. After adjusting the draft, it was handed back to the public court. More than 160 people attended the remote presentation.
According to the new variant of the Nemunas embankment, the street would continue not across the embankment, but from A.Juozapavičiaus avenue. to Kranto 11th Street. The project foresees the installation of car parks in the apartment buildings. The street would be two lanes. It is also planned to expand the hiking and cycling routes.
Now we turn to man so that everyone can reach the Nemunas safely.
“We believe that we have met the expectations formed by the local community and residents of Kaunas. We had received many offers, so we narrowed the street and shortened it. Now we turn to man so that everyone can reach the Nemunas safely. We received feedback that we only design the street and provide visualizations with playgrounds for children. However, we consulted so much with vegetation specialists and architects that we met expectations and gave the project a comprehensive look, ”said Aloyzas Pakalniškis, head of the City Management Department.
Rita Nagelienė, Head of the Design Department of the Kauno tiltai company, presented the reconstruction project of the Nemunas embankment street (from A.Juozapavičiaus avenue to Kranto 11th os.) And a cycle path (from Nemuno krantinės street He presented that currently there is a 6-meter wide street near the Nemunas with a gravel surface.Here, according to the project developers, cars are parked anywhere, so safety is not guaranteed.
Kaunas City Municipality Photo.
The specialist also reviewed the current state of the bike and the trail. This trail is crumbling in places, narrowing considerably in places, making it unsuitable for pedestrians and cyclists.
“One of the objectives of the project is to implement the solutions of the general plan of the city of Kaunas, ensuring communication and solving parking problems,” presented the head of the Design Department.
Two 5.5 m wide traffic lanes are planned on the 1.7 km long street. Due to the more convenient entrance to the A.Juozapavičiaus avenue, the street would be extended up to three lanes of traffic, which would facilitate the turn towards this artery of the city. The pedestrian and bicycle lane is planned for approximately 1.6 km, covering an area of 2.5 m. There is a red asphalt for the bike path and a sidewalk for pedestrians.
The project foresees the installation of four exits, adapted for people with reduced mobility, and benches near the roads. There would also be a prominent intersection and seven crosswalks. It is planned to cover the parking lots with draft.
“There were many fears that the street would not fit, but the project was being prepared with topographic photos, so the street does not really go up to the buildings. It is true that it will be necessary to remove part of the trees. The exact number of trees to be inverted will be made clear during the preparation of the technical design. We try to leave as many trees as possible. To avoid a full parking space near the street, there are green areas where there will be vegetation, ”said R.Nagelienė during the presentation.
Offers received
Residents were able to make suggestions before the public presentation. Kaunas residents were interested in both the entrances to the planned street and the playgrounds and underground garbage bins that have already been installed on the planned street site.
According to R.Nagelienė, the waste containers will be moved to another location, but it will be specified during the technical project. Also, the locals wanted more play areas, but the project in Kranto al. It is not planned to install it in house 28 due to lack of space, children’s areas will appear next to other homes.
Kranto al. Residents of House 64 have requested additional parking because the residents of this house have nowhere to park their vehicles.
We invite you to solve parking problems in a specific apartment building through the “Dream Garden” program. During it, the municipality contributes to the preparation and implementation of the project ”, pointed out A. Pakalniškis during the presentation of another program, according to which residents can apply.
Kaunas City Municipality Photo.
Residents also wanted a kennel site designed, but no such facility has been planned so far. Stakeholders considered that perhaps a sidewalk in a street location could be abandoned and the bike path was widened and separated from the trail by some barriers. However, the project developers took the position that the passage to the pier itself should be left on both sides of the street. And there are no more opportunities to distribute the bike path, because then you would have to take a step towards the river and manage the slope of the embankment.
Metal fences have also hit people as they are not aesthetically pleasing and the asphalt surface needs to be quiet to reduce noise. R.Nagelienė pointed out that the fence solutions will be adjusted during the technical project, during the preparation of which it will be possible to analyze the concept of silent asphalt.
Passions arose
At the time of delivery, a resident had requested that his letter be made public. Since they supported the Nemunas embankment project, the people of Dšančė, who participated in the remote presentation, called that letter propaganda.
Residents of Šančiai were also impressed by the width of the projected street. Because it was just during the weekend that they held a protest, during which the neighbors pasted a layer of the film to match the street area. Šančiškės walked along the Nemunas embankment and in some places showed that the planned street does not fit into the existing area in any way. However, the project developers indicated that a slope will be installed in several problem areas, leaving the bike and pedestrian paths at the bottom. In this way, it is said that both the street and the trails will fit.
Photo by Justina Lasauskaitė
It was important to the residents of Šančiai why there were no public creative workshops during the preparation of such a project. The vegetation of the dock was also awakened, but the representatives of the municipality indicated that the best vegetation would be selected during the next project, but during the preparation of this project environmental specialists were consulted, the vegetation moved in the published visualizations.
“Why are there no scheduled landings on the bike path from every street in Kranto or exits from apartment buildings? After all, the current situation is getting worse. To this day, residents are free to descend onto the bike path from anywhere on the ‘reconstructed road’, ”said Vita Gelūnienė from Ššančiškės.
“Doesn’t this contradict the declared idea of approaching the river and does it not negate the promotion of the cultural vitality of rivers declared by Kaunas 2022, which should be done by developing active recreation and leisure areas, rather than designing a new street that separates the Coastal area of residential areas? “, local resident Lina.
Others criticized the project, saying it was not a reconstruction of a street, but a new street construction project. “The general plan, which the builder follows, is valid only until 2023. So, shouldn’t it be worth starting to follow the Sustainable Development Goals, a national priority measure of the government?”
“Resident parking lots under the windows at a distance of several meters. Amazing life improvement. The final is full of young people with music and beer all day, they deliver more kebab kiosks, the level will be felt right away, ”Marijus launched another critical arrow.
Do not insert such laws. You have written the proposals yourself, now it is mandatory to send them.
Criticism of the neighbors themselves
There were other opinions in the heated debate. Some said they cycle regularly, so the project should improve infrastructure. Others criticized the Šančiai residents themselves, saying that they had all become experts and now know how things should be.
“Do not insist, those laws. If you have written the proposals yourself, now it is mandatory to submit them, ”said a discussion participant who was outraged that the project developers had been reading the proposals received prior to the submission for a long time.
It is being considered that the project could start in the fall of this year and be finished by the end of next year. The exact amount of the reconstruction of the street would be clear after the preparation of the technical project, but the municipality indicates that it could reach 3 million. euros.
Kaunas City Municipality Photo.
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