The reconstruction that disappointed: Vodičkova Street

Despite early hopes for a miracle, it’s now clear that there’s no smoother pavement, and the cobblestone style hasn’t significantly changed. As far as cycling comfort is concerned, the situation remains almost the same as it was before the reconstruction.

From the outset, it was nearly certain that no smooth pavement would be added between the tram tracks, but politicians and representatives of the transport company assured that the cobblestones would be laid with smaller gaps and fewer height differences to make cycling safer and more comfortable. However, this promise has not been fulfilled. The old cobblestones remain, giving the impression that they have been laid just as roughly, with the same large gaps as before. Even if the installation was done carefully, the actual riding experience has not improved much.

Additionally, new cobblestones have been added to Jindřišská Street in areas that previously had asphalt, effectively worsening the situation. While Václavské Náměstí has been reconstructed with smooth cut stones, the connecting streets—Jindřišská and Vodičkova—did not benefit from the same level of comfort.

Déjà vu

It feels like a déjà vu. Back in 2014, the cobblestones in this area were changed following appeals from the cycling community during the reconstruction of the tracks on nearby Vodičkova and Lazarská streets. The extremely rough cobblestones were replaced with the current type. At that time, the transport company was satisfied, and the cycling community seemed somewhat accommodated. But those hoping for a truly smooth ride were deeply disappointed. Still, some may have been grateful for even the slight improvement.

This story continues to this day. Why change cobblestones that were „installed for cyclists“ just ten years ago? Isn’t that ungrateful? And why must bicycles travel through this route? After all, this is one of the busiest streets in the city center, and the transport company would prefer if cyclists were directed away from streets heavily burdened by city traffic. This sentiment is often echoed in the background. There’s also the question of how durable the different types of cobblestones are. We’ve seen countless photos of loose smooth paving between tram tracks in cities like Olomouc and Brno. Frequent surface repairs would be a nightmare for the transport company’s budget.

Bikes everywhere and nowhere

Many of the arguments from both sides make sense. However, creating comfortable bike routes always seems to end in disappointment. Ultimately, we realize that there aren’t strong enough advocates for cycling, no consensus exists, and the conceptual approach remains only on paper.

You can’t really go another way

While the cycling master plan may envision a two-way bike lane along Štěpánská Street, the city district has yet to implement it. The same goes for Jungmannova Street. And when was the last time anyone heard about improvements for cycling through Můstek? That conversation only surfaced when there were plans to ban—sorry, limit—bike access. Since then, silence. There are tram tracks in some areas, parking spaces to be removed in others, too many pedestrians here, or patio seating there.

It’s no surprise, then, that we’re once again discussing improving the cobblestones on Vodičkova and Jindřišská, even though the transport company doesn’t fully understand why, and the cycling master plan doesn’t include a bike route here. The problem is, there’s no alternative route, as proposed alternatives were rejected or ignored. These discussions always arise too late, when nothing can be done, and there’s no room left to debate the pros and cons of different solutions.

So, there’s no smoother ride on Vodičkova and Jindřišská, nor any hope of significant improvements for cycling in this area anytime soon.

No light at the end of the tunnel

But let’s not think this is just a problem with these particular streets. There are plenty of similar areas. And we don’t have to look far. Just nearby, a years-long battle has been ongoing over the best route for cycling from Karlovo náměstí to Náměstí Míru. Prague 2 prefers Ječná Street, while city hall suggests Žitná. The rest of us can only place bets on the outcome. My recommendation? Bet that neither will be completed anytime soon. And don’t even mention any potential two-way bike lanes on side streets.

Tomáš Halva, Prague 2’s transportation councilor, mentioned on these pages the challenging design work involved in planning a bike path on Ječná: „I’m not saying it’s an easy task; there will be a lot of project work involved. But I think many people will appreciate it.“ In the meantime, however, the transport company is preparing to reconstruct the tram tracks on the street and certainly isn’t waiting for someone to design a bike path. Did anyone tell the transport company that the city district dreams of a bike path separate from traffic? With such projects, even a few centimeters of street space make a difference, and once the tracks are laid, they won’t be moved. Is the transport company considering a bike path in Ječná, as per Prague 2’s wishes, while preparing the tram tracks? „The tram track reconstruction deals with the tram tracks, where, by definition, a separate bike path cannot be built,“ said a spokesperson from the transport company in response to this question.

And they are right. A separate bike path can’t, by definition, be built on the road or on the sidewalk. Space has to be created for it in the street profile. The current approach, where each entity focuses only on its own part, doesn’t make Prague’s streets pleasant or functional for everyone. Instead, they become a haphazard assembly of individual functions. While streetlights and utility poles are being combined again (almost a joke considering they were once built side by side), that was an easier problem to solve. Cycling routes, meanwhile, often suffer because they are addressed last, when there’s no space or time left to solve them. And make no mistake, this isn’t just a problem of the transport company; it’s a broader issue that involves all of us.