New Pelguranna tramline raising tensions among residents

Designs for a new tramline in Põhja-Tallinn have been criticized by residents and opposition Center Party politicians. Tallinn says the whole project was launched by the former administration and led by Center.
According to the current design, the Pelguranna tram will run along Puhangu tänav and the final stop will be at Stroomi Beach. Support for the route is split.
"In summer, the buses are so crowded, and a tram line would be great. It would bring a lot more people to the beach and make getting around much more convenient," one Pelgulinn resident Velda told Sunday's "Aktuaalne kaamera."
But another resident Tiiu disagrees: "The street is so narrow there, and it is almost impossible to walk. It is cramped. There will also be noise, of course, even during construction."
The planned route has sparked disagreement not only among locals but also between the former and current mayors of Tallinn.

Mihhail Kõlvart (Center), who lost a vote of no-confidence last year, said the idea was discussed by the Center-SDE coalition, but no specific route was approved. He said three different options were under discussion until last month.
"In March [2024], the Center Party was removed from power in Tallinn, and then the decisions were made. When we discussed this with the Social Democrats, I personally — and I remember this exactly — said that we do not accept the corridor through Puhangu tänav," he said.
Mayor of Tallinn Jevgeni Ossinovski (SDE) disagreed.
"This is such pathetic populism that, to be honest, it is quite difficult to even comment on. A couple of months ago, the Center Party was fighting against a bike lane they had designed themselves. Now they are fighting against a tram project they themselves initiated. The information is public, and anyone can check it. The current construction project for Putukaväil, which is being implemented right now, was completed in the spring of 2023, when Mihhail Kõlvart was still mayor, and it clearly shows that the tram runs along Puhangu tänav," Ossinovski told the show.

The mayor said an analysis was also requested for a route where the tram would turn around on Kolde puiestee. However, the results showed it would not be effective.
Discussions with local residents will continue to be held to find solutions, Ossinovski added. These will range from the best turnaround location for the tram to ways to reduce noise.
Tallinn University of Technology Emeritus Professor Dago Antov said it is important to construct a new tramline in the area as the population is rapidly growing. Entering and leaving the district could become much harder in the future, he explained.
"If we look at the situation today, Sõle tänav is heavily congested with cars. The intersection at Sõle and Paldiski streets does not allow much traffic through, Taksopark is also a bottleneck, and the other streets leading to the city center are relatively small. The logical conclusion at the time was that some additional public transport would be necessary in any case," Antov told "Aktuaalne kaamera."
The Pelguranna tram is slated to begin operating in 2029 and construction is estimated to cost €28 million.
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Editor: Marko Tooming, Helen Wright