The Prague Post Online: News: Locals protest metro station closure

November 20th, 2008

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Locals protest metro station closure

Petitioners criticize plans to close Národní třída for 16 months

By Curtis M. Wong
Staff Writer, The Prague Post
October 1st, 2008 issue

VLADIMÍR WEISS/THE PRAGUE POST

The Národní třída metro station, which currently has only one exit to the street, is in need of an exhaustive overhaul, transit officials say.

COURTESY IMAGE

The projected Copa Center would fill the vacant lot beside Tesco.

The planned renovation of the Národní třída metro station has sparked the ire of area residents, who say the station’s 16-month closing will significantly hinder their daily commute.

Officials say the refurbishment, which will cost more than 200 million Kč ($12.1 million), will be timed to coincide with the revitalization of the aboveground area surrounding the metro station, which services an estimated 40,000 passengers daily.

A 4 billion Kč development, to be called Copa Center, is currently in the works for the vacant area behind the Tesco department store bordered by Charvátova, Vladislavova and Purkyňova streets, and will include residential, retail and administrative components. A start date for both the development and the station’s refurbishment has not been set.

Transit officials say the station, which has operated for 20 years, is in need of an extensive overhaul. Unlike the nearby stops at Můstek and Karlovo náměstí, the Národní třída station only has one entrance. Therefore, there is no alternative to closing the station during the renovations, during which trains will pass through without stopping.

“Everything at the station needs to be renovated,” said Ondřej Pečený, spokesman for Prague Public Transit Company (DPP). “We need to replace the paneling, and there need to be new escalators.” He added that DPP officials were also considering equipping the station with elevators for disabled passengers.

A total of 8,064 locals, including business owners, have signed a petition protesting Národní třída’s closure and the development of Copa Center, and argue the construction of an alternative entrance to the station should precede the renovations due to the area’s high commuter traffic.

“Closing a metro station for 16 months is an outrageous step that totally disregards the needs of the public,” said Petr Kužvart, a lawyer working with the petitioning committee, before adding that he uses the station very frequently. “Also, building a commercial center in this area is bad from the point of view of public interest. There is already a high density of buildings and heavy traffic in the area, so it’s really unacceptable.”

He noted that the station received some renovations following the 2002 floods, and therefore the proposed overhaul may not be as extensive as authorities have implied.

Petitioners have also suggested that Copa Group, which is helmed by local entrepreneur Sebastian Pawlowski, finance the opening of a second entrance, possibly on Lazarská street, prior to the metro station’s renovation so as to not disrupt commuter traffic in the area. Petitioners claim DPP and Prague 1 officials scrapped plans for a proposed second entrance in 2005, shortly after a detailed report was published in daily Mladá fronta Dnes.

“Pawlowski and his company want to build a commercial center in one of the last public places in the city center,” Kužvart said. “Therefore, I consider it absolutely proper that he assume responsibility for the costs of a second entrance, and that he start the whole project with the realization of one. Therefore, the construction would not result in closing the station.”

Transit officials acknowledged the petitioners’ claims, but say repairs made in 2002 were simply to get the station back in working order after the floods. At the moment, there is no additional tram or bus service planned to replace the metro during the renovation period.

“There’s no way you can do it without disrupting people’s schedules and affecting their comfort in some way,” Pečený said, adding that future renovations of the metro stations at Kačerov and Českomoravská are also in the planning stages.

According to Pečený, the Národní třída station was originally designed with two entrances, yet only one was completed. Contrary to media reports, DPP has never planned to open the second entrance. Doing so, he added, would require the demolition of several privately owned buildings on Lazarská street.

“From our point of view, the protesters are requesting something that’s impossible,” he said.

Copa Group officials have supported DPP’s plans to close the station during the renovation, which would be taking place independently of the new project.

“The full refurbishment of the station is absolutely necessary and had been planned by the DPP anyway,” said Copa Group spokeswoman Karin Cifková, adding that building permits for the Copa Center have not yet been issued by Prague 1 officials. “The station needs to be closed due to safety reasons as well as the technical feasibility of the renovation.”

She added that she was unaware of any petitioners targeting the Copa Center project itself, but that their opinions would be considered. The firm was taking a series of preventive measures to ensure the project’s construction would go smoothly.

“Local residents are part of any decision process as far as the law allows, and they are fully respected,” she said.

Nevertheless, petitioners have vowed to continue their fight.

“We want the station to remain open, and we want our elected representatives to do all they can to find the best solution for the metro-riding public,” Kužvart said.

— Hela Balínová and Naďa Černá contributed to this report.

Shutdown reactions

“I don’t think it should be closed. … I think the renovations are definitely necessary, but maybe there is some way it could remain open and the [duration of] the renovations extended.”

Martin Haloun, student

Haloun enlarge

“It’s not fair. It’s frequented by too many people and there are already plenty of shopping centers in Prague. If they’re going to close the station, they need to provide some shuttle to replace the metro.”

Alena Vořišková, student

Vořišková enlarge

“It’s going to be very unpleasant for people in this area. Sixteen months is a long time, and it will mean huge complications for me and my family.”

Kateřina Cetlová, retiree

Cetlová enlarge

“Of course I signed the petition. … I don’t agree with it at all. It’s just inhumane and it’s going to be really terrible for Prague residents.”

Anna Svobodová, retiree

Svobodová enlarge

“I think it’s a good idea. It’s not really a good area and it could be a better place for people living here. And I like riding trams, so it’s OK for me.”

Jakub Šach, financial analyst

Šach enlarge

Curtis M. Wong can be reached at cwong@praguepost.com

Reader's comments:

add your comment

[20:05 03/10/2008] : The place next to the station was kept in bad condition in order to provide a reason for another bad project. This area needs some green space, perhaps including a water feature, very badly. Definitely not another commercial project, with all its corporate drones and parking spaces. Pollution is just as bad for the children of ODS politicians as it is for anyone else.

Todd Michael Edelman
Berlin

[13:36 07/10/2008] : I think the city should make this public area more green. I don't think the city needs another shopping/office/residential centre.

Joe Bertrand
Prague

[16:25 07/10/2008] : I work near the station. While I understand it will disrupt the public and their daily commution. I strongly believe this station needs to be completely refurbished. It will also be a good opportunity to stop the homeless people from loitering around the station and dirtying the area. The smell of urine goes right up to the entrance of Tesco and the station is in delapidation.

I think people should survive 16 months without the station if we consider these points. Surely people don't want to have to smell urine as they pass the station.

Peter Maguire
Prague

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