Prague has taken the first step towards the construction of a subway from Dejvice to Ruzyně

PRAGUE - The Prague city council has taken the first step towards the future construction of metro line A from the current terminus at Dejvická to Ruzyně via Motol. The city council today decided to prepare the necessary change to the zoning plan. The segment will have eight stations and will be over 14 kilometers long. Costs were previously estimated at 38 billion crowns. Construction could begin before 2010.
The subway will lead from Dejvická through Červený vrch, Veleslavín, Petřiny, Motol, Bílá Hora, Dědina, and Dlouhá míle to the airport. According to the proposal, construction could take place in stages. The first segment could end at Petřiny or in Motol near the hospital. A provisional transportation terminal would be established at Veleslavín. A large terminal with a park-and-ride facility would then be created at Dlouhá míle.
Mayor Pavel Bém (ODS) stated that, in his opinion, construction should proceed without stages, smoothly and as quickly as possible. His deputy Jan Bürgermeister (ODS) believes that the metro could reach Dlouhá míle as early as 2012. "Much more likely is a slower pace," noted the deputy.
According to Bém, the extended line A will serve an area where 200,000 Prague residents live. The metro will also serve people from the Central Bohemian Region, particularly from Kladno. It is said that 50 million passengers commute from there to Prague annually. Thirdly, Bém mentioned the airport, which has almost 11 million clients per year.
Bürgermeister noted that currently 15,600 people travel daily to the previously poorly accessible Motol; this number reportedly surprised even experts. According to the deputy, about 15,000 people work at the airport.
Representatives of the city hall had already reached an agreement with the mayors of the western districts of Prague last year regarding the routing of line A. Several variants were discussed earlier. According to the original plan, the line was to end in Zličín, while others anticipated a more direct routing to Ruzyně airport.
Deputy Bürgermeister emphasized today that the decision is not in conflict with the planned construction of metro line D, which is to lead from the center through Nové Dvory to Písnice. "This decision does not make line D a Cinderella," he said. According to the deputy, the city needs to divert traffic from Dejvická as soon as possible while also resolving traffic from the housing estates in the southern part of the city.
"It is realistic to imagine that both routes will be under construction before 2010," said Radovan Šteiner (ODS), the city councilor for transport. City politicians want to advocate for a higher state contribution to the metro construction than currently exists. Šteiner also mentioned that negotiations are underway for financing from European funds.