Dvořák Embankment becomes more pedestrian- and cyclist-friendly: Bike lanes, crossings, and two-way cycling on Klášterská Street

The adjustments focused on the intersection of Dvořák Embankment, Klášterská Street, and Na Františku Street, where the traffic lights were modernized. The crossings are now fully barrier-free, and a traffic island was added at the crossing in front of Dvořák Embankment. The small street in front of the Convent of St. Agnes has been newly designated as a residential zone, eliminating an extra crossing and giving the entire corner over to pedestrians.

Two-way cycling route and bike lanes

One of the key features of the new design is the two-way cycling route on Klášterská Street, which now allows cyclists to comfortably and legally ride from Dvořák Embankment into the Old Town through the alleyway Řásnovka. A new contraflow bike lane has been added on Klášterská, connecting to the adjustments on the embankment.

The project also includes the extension of protective bike lanes on the roadway of Dvořák Embankment. These connect to the bike lanes established in 2021 at the intersection with Nové Mlýny Street under the Štefánik Bridge. Additional bike lanes between the Rudolfinum and the Faculty of Law at Charles University were also created in the same year. To complete the bike lanes along the entire embankment, only a 500-meter section remains between the Faculty of Law and the Convent of St. Agnes. Bike lanes not only improve conditions for cycling but also help to calm car traffic.

A new crossing over the Embankment: What is it for?

During the adjustment works, sidewalk crossings for bicycles were also legalized on both sides of the newly modified pedestrian crossing over the embankment. Thanks to this, cyclists can now legally and safely perform an indirect left turn from Dvořák Embankment into the new two-way cycle route on Klášterská Street. In the opposite direction, the cycle crossing allows for a protected left turn from Klášterská Street.

The changes implemented align with the study by the Prague Institute of Planning and Development, which in 2016 proposed a concept for the reconstruction of Dvořák Embankment. Although a full-scale reconstruction is not currently planned, the present modifications serve as a preliminary step and a test of a possible new layout for the area. The recent adjustments were made without major construction work, significantly reducing costs.

Thanks to these changes, people can now reach the Old Town from Dvořák Embankment by bike without having to use the busy and often congested Revoluční Street. The new route connects the riverside cycling path outside of car traffic, the new crossing with a bike lane, the two-way cycling route on Klášterská, and the quiet alleyways of the Old Town, allowing cyclists to get all the way to Old Town Square.

The addition of bike lanes directly on the Embankment also provides an alternative to the A2 route along the riverbank, which is not always easy to ride through. For instance, this year Easter markets for tourists were held there, directing pedestrians onto the smooth lanes normally used by cyclists. Vendors even illegally placed a sign reading “Cyclists, Dismount,” which was later removed at the request of the authorities.