Don't disturb my lanes

When Prague City Hall announced a plan in April 2003 to improve life in the capital by supporting cyclists, experts immediately dismissed the pledge as empty. The naive ones who welcomed the decision and hoped it would move car-crowded Prague closer to other European cities became targets of derision. And justly so, unfortunately: Almost nothing has changed over the past four years and the politicians have turned a blind eye to their own pledges.

What's the matter? The city council's resolution of 29 April 2003 obliges City Hall to „ensure favourable conditions for bicycle transport as part of infrastructure modernisation and development projects and other investments.“ A seemingly unequivocal formulation cannot find its way to practice. Cyclists have not received their safe space in the Chotkovy sady road repairs, nor in road works near Sazka Arena, nor in the rebuilding of the Vltava waterfront. And the freshly reconstructed Štefánik Bridge holds the line ― it has reopened only for cars and trams, same as before the reconstruction. We can dream on about „favourable conditions“ taking the form of a separate cycle lane.

The saddest part of the story is that the same scenario repeats itself, with slight variations: The town hall launches road repairs, closes the area for traffic, and only after the works are finished one of the inspecting bureaucrats slaps his forehead: „Oh my god, we forgot again …“ To date City Hall has never openly admitted…