CYCLING IN PRAGUE > Archive of the news
Delimitation of passage through Petřín concluded
In April 2010, legal bicycle passage through Petřín between the Malá Strana, Strahov and Pohořelec districts has been marked out. Section between Strahov and Pohořelec is part of the backbone cycle route no A 32.
Unlike the right riverbank that has been offering a number of convenient routes for bicyclists, the left bank of Vltava has been quite difficult to pass especially in the area of the city center. Up to date, the most obvious barrier has been posed by the Petřín hill, which is surrounded from the south by Motolský potok (Motol creek) and by busy roads in Prague 6 from the north. Therefore, already a few ago, the City Council Commission for Bicycle Transport started attempts for legalization of passage along the Petřín slopes.
In the year 2009, vertical traffic signs were installed and finally in April 2010, horizontal signs delimiting legal passage of bicycles through Petřín have been drawn. The lanes have been marked by cycle-picto-corridors (similar to those on the riversides), which are illustrative enough for all users and in parks look better than the regular vertical traffic signs.
The whole passage, which connects Malá Strana with Strahov and Pohořelec districts, combines various traffic regimes:
Passage along the Petřín hill and the upper part of Kinského sady (Kinský orchards) has been made legal by traffic signs showing pedestrian and bicycle path (a sign no. C9). This is not an optimal solution due to the fact, that a relatively wide area is thus affected by the passage, which does not oblige the bicyclist to commit to the delimited lane (marked by horizontal signs). This issue is being solved at the moment. Therefore, we kindly ask all bicyclists to use only the marked lanes.
Passage through the Růžový sad (Rose orchard), along the public observatory and the upper station of the funicular, has been also legalized by the C9 traffic signs (a pedestrian and bicycle path).
Passage along Strahovská street, between the upper funicular station and the gate to the Strahovský klášter (Strahov monastery), uses previously established pedestrian regime – with restricted entrance of motorized vehicles.
The last section concerns the ramp from Strahovská street at the Pohořelec square, where the passage is enabled using a pedestrian zone with legal entrance of bicyclists.
With regard to the nature of the area, presence of pedestrians (including children and dogs) and elevation of the terrain, we ask bicyclists to ride cautiously and carefully especially when going downhill. Your behaviour determines how well this measure is accepted and whether it would be used in other areas in Prague.
Detailed information in Czech (15 April, 2010)