Deputy mayor wants to discuss alternative routes for Pelguranna tram

Tallinn Deputy Mayor Kristjan Järvan (Isamaa) believes different routes for the new Pelguranna tram should be discussed and is not convinced by the proposed plans to build on Puhangu tänav.
Both Mayor Jevgeni Ossinovski (SDE) and Deputy Mayor Pärtel Peeter Pere (Reform) explained at Tuesday's city government press conference why the tramway should run along Puhangu, despite opposition from residents.
Ossinovski called the new line a "priority" which is why the city applied for EU funding. It also helps reach new mobility goals the city has set.
"The tram routes currently in progress have been selected based on several thorough studies and analyses. The key factors have been the ease of construction — how simple and feasible it is to build this route — and, on the other hand, how many passengers it would potentially serve," he said.
"Based on this, we are moving forward with two projects by 2029, one of which is the Liivalaia tänav, which is quite extensive and complex. It requires the complete reconstruction of the Liivalaia tänav corridor, but it will have a significant impact on mobility in the city center. The second project is the Pelguranna tramway, which provides a large additional transport capacity at a relatively modest cost," the mayor said.

Ossinovski acknowledged Puhangu tänav residents' worries. "We take these concerns seriously, particularly those related to noise and vibration," he said.
More discussions will be held with residents in the future which will cover the design and planning processes.
"Of course, all noise and vibration requirements will be incorporated to ensure that residents can be confident the new tram will not worsen their living environment on this street. I believe that with proper construction solutions, it is possible to build this tramway so that it is no louder than buses. Today, Puhangu tänav already has over 150 bus departures on a weekday. I believe we can work together with local residents to successfully complete this project so that the tramway to North Tallinn is ready on time," the mayor said.
Pere: Noise must be minimized
Deputy Mayor Pärtel Peeter Pere said tram routes must be placed where they have the most users.
"That is why we have Liivalaia, Suur-Ameerika, and the Pelguranna tramway. This is measured and well-known data. The city government is not making arbitrary decisions here. This route will have the highest number of users. This also benefits the long-term development of North Tallinn, where there are already many people, and the population continues to grow," he said.

"The Tallinn city government is reducing congestion by improving public transport quality, building tramways in areas where people live and work, and ensuring connections between jobs, homes, and schools," Pere added.
He said the council will work to ensure that disturbances for local residents will be minimized. "We are using construction technology solutions to make this clear in our design specifications — the noise must be reduced to an absolute minimum," the deputy mayor said.
Two more public meetings will be held this month.
"We will take these opinions into account and respond to them. In March, we will present the draft design conditions, and by mid-summer, we aim to announce the design tender. The final solution will emerge during the design process," Pere said.
The Puhangu tänav route has been chosen because it is a highly populated area with the most potential users.

"This route is recommended by studies commissioned by the city and publicly available. It is also supported by the city's chief architect, Andro Mänd. So, we have arguments that support Tallinn residents both now and in the coming decades. Additionally, this Puhangu tänav route improves the quality of life for local residents. People will gain the much-discussed Nordic, European quality of life. The tram will stop right at their doorstep. The property values on Puhangu tänav and in the surrounding area will increase, as seen in examples from other countries," said the deputy mayor, listing the benefits.
"In the future, the Pelguranna tram will take people to the beach. And if that is not Western European quality of life, then I do not know what is," Pere said.
The deputy mayor added that the tramway will cost €28 million, of which €20 million will be covered by the European Union.
Järvan: We still need to discuss the route
Deputy Mayor Kristjan Järvan believes different route options need further discussion.

"Undoubtedly, we need to discuss this tram route in our meetings. Because, in reality, the Transport Department proposed an alternative route, which was also brought up at the public meetings and presented to the district council. This alternative route would have been cheaper. The difference in the number of users was within the margin of error, meaning there was no significant difference. There would certainly have been fewer conflicts. We have a European Union funding deadline of October 29. This alternative would also serve more schools and kindergartens. Although, I agree, getting to the beach by tram is also important and a symbol of a Western society," said Järvan.
He stressed that such a major decision requires thorough consideration and discussion.
ERR asked Järvan if he was convinced by Ossinovski and Pere's arguments.
"Let's just say that today's arguments strongly suggest that we need to have a more serious discussion on this topic," he replied.
"If the main argument is that you can take the tram to the beach, then that is nice, but if there is a cheaper way to build the tramway, then we must discuss it further. Considering the feedback from city residents, I would gladly hear more arguments," the deputy mayor said.
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Editor: Aleksander Krjukov, Helen Wright