Tartu cyclists unhappy with newly redesigned street

Road markings on the newly completed redesign of Kroonuaia tänav in Tartu are confusing cyclists and the city council may make changes in the near future.
The recent renovation created more space for pedestrians, new crossings and landscaping. But cyclists say they face problems when riding on the street.
When approaching the street from the Emajõgi River, the marked bike lane suddenly ends. The cyclist must then decide whether to ride on the sidewalk or on the road, where the surface markings are confusing to users.
Jürgen Karvak, representative of the Tartu Cyclists' Society (Tartu Rattaliiklejate Selts), told "Aktuaalne kaamera: "At times it looks like there are bike lanes, but officially they are not bike lanes, and since there are similar bike lanes elsewhere in the city, cyclists use them in a similar way, though in the opposite direction that technically should not be allowed."
He added: "This is not clear to all road users—whether it is cyclists, pedestrians, or drivers. It is not exactly clear where the cyclist is supposed to go."
The group now questions why a stretch of marked bike lane was needed on the street at all, if there was no room for it along the whole length.
For some road users, it has also created dangerous situations.
One cyclist, Maarika, told the show she almost fell off the first time she used the revamped street. "Out of the corner of my eye, I did not notice that the bike lane was actually a bit higher up and had a curb in between," she said.
Tartu Deputy Mayor Raimond Tamm (Reform) said no bike lanes were planned for Kroonuaia tänav, except at the end closest to the Emajõgi, where Kroonuaia intersects with another street that is part of the core bike network. Bike travel in both directions will have to wait until bike lanes are built on nearby Lai tänav.
Tamm said riding in the same direction as traffic on Kroonuaia tänav is not a problem, but riding against the traffic is.
"Since people have interpreted the setup differently, we will probably need to make some changes here, whether through traffic signs or by some other means," he outlined.
Karvak, from the cyclist society, said the group would like the lane to be built closer to Supilinn and on a quieter street with a 30-kilometer-per-hour speed limit. Tamm said the city is assessing the idea.
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Editor: Johanna Alvin, Helen Wright
Source: Aktuaalne kaamera










