Prague 6 has marked a contraflow bike lane on Cukrovarnická Street

This measure was implemented on the initiative of the residents of Střešovice. The section between the intersections with Pod Vyhlídkou and V Průhledu streets was previously one-way (except for pedestrians) from the city center. Thanks to new traffic signage, people can now cycle in both directions.

The measure is implemented using additional signs illustrating contraflow bike lanes. At intersections, short cyclist pictorial corridors are added to the roadway, informing drivers about the possibility of cyclists traveling in the opposite direction.

„We strive to meet the requests of urban cycling enthusiasts by establishing contraflow bike lanes in places where it is spatially and safely possible. In this location, one does not expect crowds of cyclists, as it is more advantageous on the Petřiny – Bubeneč route to use Střešovická Street or Na Dračkách due to the terrain. However, this adjustment will primarily benefit the residents of Cukrovarnická Street, who will now be able to legally use it for cycling towards the city center. Additional contraflow bike lanes, prompted by citizens, are currently being prepared in Břevnov and Ruzyně,“ added Ondřej Matěj Hrubeš (ODS), the councilor for transportation in Prague 6.

A cycling route leading in the opposite direction

Cukrovarnická Street historically accommodates a two-way cycling route numbered 201, constructed sometime between 1995 and 1996. It stands as one of the oldest still-serving elements of Prague’s cycling infrastructure. The designation of this cycling route was commissioned in 1994 by Prague 6 based on the resolution of the Prague 6 council No. 151 dated September 20, 1994. The actual implementation took place in the subsequent years, with Prague 6 serving as the investor for the entire project.

The original 1995 project documentation for the cycling route, available to our editorial team, did not envision the installation of a contraflow bike lane on Cukrovarnická Street (unlike the nearby Nový lesík Street), as the street was two-way for all traffic at that time. The conversion to a one-way street likely occurred later after the implementation fo the cycling route, without considering the alignment of the cycling route during the street’s conversion. Unfortunately, the cycling route was not subsequently re-marked to follow the parallel Na Dračkách Street.

This serves as a historical example where the later implementation of a one-way street did not respect the existing signage for the cycling route. Already in 2015 a suggestion on the „Cyklisté sobě“ portal drew attention to this paradox, proposing the installation of a contraflow bike lane or, at least, re-marking cycling route No. 201 to avoid leading through Cukrovarnická in the opposite direction. The installation of a contraflow bike lane has now addressed this paradox, although the significance of cycling route 201 will gradually diminish with the new citywide cycling route system.