Pärnu wants unused Liivalaia tram funding for city center and Rail Baltica terminal link
The City of Pärnu has proposed redirecting funds freed up after Tallinn abandoned the Liivalaia tram line project to the construction of the Riia maantee connection corridor linking downtown Pärnu with Rail Baltica's Pärnu passenger terminal.
In a letter sent to the Ministry of Climate, Pärnu Mayor Kristel Voltenberg said that redirecting European Union sustainable mobility funding left over from the canceled Liivalaia tram line project to the construction of the Riia maantee sustainable mobility connection corridor linking downtown Pärnu with Rail Baltica's Pärnu passenger terminal would help achieve three nationally significant goals.
According to Voltenberg, the move would support the effective use of EU funding, amplify the impact of Rail Baltica and promote sustainable mobility outside the capital.
"Rail Baltica's Pärnu passenger terminal, together with Tallinn's Ülemiste terminal, is one of two international Rail Baltica passenger terminals planned in Estonia. Therefore, connecting the terminal with the city center, residential districts and the public transportation network is not merely a matter of local importance, but part of the actual usability and impact of the Rail Baltica investment," the mayor added.
The project would include the construction of a continuous bicycle path between the city center and the terminal, high-quality sidewalks and accessible crossings, modern public transportation stops, bicycle parking, landscaping and stormwater solutions. In addition, street space would be reorganized in favor of sustainable modes of transportation and traffic safety would be improved.
Voltenberg said the modern walking, cycling and public transportation corridor would make Rail Baltica a natural part of everyday mobility in Pärnu and increase the investment's real impact across Southwest Estonia.
"If access to the terminal depends primarily on cars, part of Rail Baltica's potential will remain unused," she explained.
The City of Pärnu is ready to begin preparing the project as soon as the state signals its support. According to Voltenberg, directing the funding toward the project would be one of the clearest ways to ensure that the freed-up EU funds quickly deliver visible, measurable and nationally justified results.
Last year, Tallinn's city government canceled plans to build a tram line on Liivalaia tänav as part of the street's reconstruction, arguing that construction would paralyze traffic in the capital.
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Editor: Aleksander Krjukov, Marcus Turovski
