Praha should incorporate the metro to Žižkov into the Metropolitan Plan

Prague - Prague should incorporate the northern part of the metro line D route from Náměstí Míru to Žižkov and further to Vysočany into the prepared Metropolitan Plan. This was decided today by the city council's transport committee. The route is currently only included as a land reserve in the valid zoning plan, and the draft of the Metropolitan Plan does not account for it in Žižkov and Vysočany. The committee's resolution is advisory; therefore, it will present its resolution to the council members, who will decide how Prague will proceed. The first section to be constructed will be the D line from Pankrác to Písnice, which the city is currently preparing.

"This matter cannot be postponed, because it may happen that we will have a Metropolitan Plan that does not account for metro D in Žižkov and Vysočany at all," said the committee chairman Matěj Stropnický (SZ/Trojkoalice). The Metropolitan Plan is set to take effect from January 2023; its draft is currently being examined by officials.

According to Stropnický, the second option for getting the route into the plan is to propose a change to the zoning plan. "One of the paths might be faster; that is currently unknown. However, it is desirable to pursue all options in this matter," he stated.

The Institute of Planning and Development (IPR) previously prepared an analysis indicating that it would be advantageous to lead the D line from Vinohrady to Náměstí Republiky. The reason is better usability of the D line when directed to Náměstí Republiky; moreover, Žižkov, according to the IPR, will be better serviced by trams. It was against this that the committee opposed today.

The leadership of the route to Žižkov and Vysočany is supported by Prague 3 and 9. Prague councilor and deputy mayor of Prague 9 Marek Doležal stated that the municipal district has a large number of brownfields where construction is planned. The population of Prague 9 will thus increase from the current approximately 56,000 to potentially double. Councilor of Prague 9 Tomáš Holeček (ODS) stated that the route should end not at Vysočanská but at Prosek, where it would connect with line C.

Similarly, the representative of the mayor of Prague 3, Lucie Vítkovská (ODS), expressed her views. Also, a number of apartments are to be created on the current brownfields in the third municipal district. "The tram network we have is at its maximum, and its further development is complicated," she said. Prague 3 is reportedly not opposed to discussions regarding the specific location of individual stations, but the route should lead through Žižkov.

The committee also discussed whether to support the discussion of the route only in the mentioned variant or to allow consideration of other options, including ending at Náměstí Republiky. Councilor Jiří Nouza (TOP 09) pointed out that one should not forget, for instance, the introduction of the metro to Bohnice.

Construction is set to begin first on the section from Depo Písnice to Pankrác, followed by the stage from Pankrác to Náměstí Míru. The D line will connect the center with the southern part of the city. Project planners estimate preliminary costs at around 50 billion CZK. Prague intends to draw on subsidies from European funds for the construction. The transport company (DPP) is currently working on acquiring land between Pankrác and Písnice. Driverless trains will operate on the new line.