Tallinn planning to remove Paldiski maantee's 'pop-up' bike lane
Deputy Mayor of Tallinn Kristjan Järvan (Isamaa) has proposed the city temporarily remove a recently installed "pop-up" bike lane on Paldiski maantee and convert it back into a traffic lane.
The official said he suggested removing the path during the winter months.
Observations conducted by the Tallinn Transport Department revealed that during a one-hour period, six cyclists used the bike lane, while 1,500 people traveled through the section by motor vehicle, he said.
"Due to the bike lane, wait times for these people have increased by approximately 20 minutes, while only six cyclists are on the other side of the equation. The proportions seem a bit off," he said.
In August, Tallinn created the temporary bike lane on the inbound side of Paldiski maantee between Mooni and Toompuiestee and towards the city center.
The city plans to make a permanent bike lane on the street when it is upgraded and eventually connect it with a new bike path linked to the Hipodroom development.
Järvan said creating bike lanes on Paldiski maantee has reduced traffic capacity by about 25 percent. While adjusting traffic light cycles has slightly offset this, the improvement was less than five percent, the deputy mayor added.
Traffic jams began to appear in the area in early September, with drivers reporting congestion stretching to the zoo during morning rush hours.
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Editor: Helen Wright
