Officials push to keep bus layover lot at Tallinn's main train station
As Põhja-Tallinn plans more green space, officials want to keep a bus layover lot operational next to the central Balti jaam, especially as another nearby lot already closed.
Both the Ministry of Regional Affairs and Agriculture and the Tallinn Transport Department say the Rannamäe tee layover lot should stay put, even as the new Põhja-Tallinn master plan envisions turning it into a green space.
A similar lot nearby on Suurtüki tänav already closed in October after the city's parking deal with the North Estonia Public Transport Center (PEÜTK) ended. That site is slated to become a sports site for downtown school students, increasing pressure on the remaining Balti jaam lot.
The ministry argues that removing the Rannamäe 5 lot would create unnecessary bus trips and raise operational costs.
Deputy Secretary General for Regional Development Sigrid Soomlais said buses would be forced to "make empty trips to wait elsewhere," adding that this would increase environmental impacts and strain the state budget.
She noted that bus schedule reliability and riders' transfer convenience would suffer as a result as well.
While the ministry supports greener public spaces, Soomlais said officials hope for a compromise, where part of the area could still be used as a smaller layover lot.
"A small but necessary space for public transit vehicles to stand briefly should remain in the area," she said, suggesting the planned green area could be scaled back to accommodate it.
The Tallinn Transport Department agrees. Deputy director Olev Parts said he has already passed that stance to the city's Urban Planning Department.
Balti jaam, he noted, is one of the few central hubs suited for both city and county bus layovers.
City official: We need more layover space
Parts said the city's Tallinn 2035 strategy and its sustainable mobility plan both call for boosting transit use — a shift that will require more layover space, not less.
Today, he noted, Central Station only has two such areas: Balti jaam and Hobujaama — and detailed plan is already underway for the Hobujaama lot. Parts said the city center needs spots where buses can lay over at the end of the line, which he added would make "route management a bit more efficient."
The public comment period for the Põhja-Tallinn master plan only just closed on December 7, and neither the ministry nor the Tallinn Transport Department has yet discussed the issue with Joel Jesse, the city's new deputy mayor for transport. Parts hopes that conversation can begin early in the new year.
Soomlais said she is likewise awaiting further discussion, noting the comment period is intended to gather viewpoints before a more substantive debate on the matter.
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Editor: Aili Vahtla
