Starting next week: traffic changes in Vilnius Old Town

These changes were previously planned to be introduced from July 1. According to the deputy mayor of the municipality Vytautas Mitalas, the decision was delayed a week after estimating that after a long weekend of vacation, the total traffic of cars should decrease and, therefore, it will be easier to adapt to the changes.

Visitors and residents of the old town will continue to be able to drive to their homes, workplaces and attractions, but will not be able to cross the old town and will have to leave the same side as where they entered. In total, there will be four so-called loops marked with different colors – they will only allow one-way traffic.

According to the loops, the old town will be divided into four color zones: brown (Trakų streets), orange (Islandijos streets), purple (Subačiaus streets) and blue (Latako streets).

The main entrances will be at Trakų, Islandijos, Subačiaus and Latako streets, and the exits will be at All Šventųjų, Klaipėda and Universiteto streets. It will be possible to enter the old town area through smaller streets, but they will all belong to one of the four loops.

Each circuit will have one or two exits, and traffic will be regulated by prohibited signs and barriers.

Taxis and other transportation service providers may also pick up or drop off customers by car, using only the circular traffic rules. In the future, the municipality promises to install customer embarkation and disembarkation points in the center of the old town.

According to the municipality, currently traffic in transit in Vilnius’s old town is 40 percent, and in the morning: up to 70 percent, car traffic here increases the indicators of pollution and noise, creates safety problems of traffic, affects the condition of historical buildings, quality of life and leisure.

Public transport routes will not change in the old town due to these innovations.