Riga crossing redesign sparks dispute between municipality and traffic experts

Riga’s redesign of a pedestrian crossing on Senču Street has triggered criticism and renewed debate over how thoroughly traffic changes should be analysed, LSM’s programme 4. studija reported.

On the section between Miera and Brīvības streets, two lanes in each direction have been reduced to one near the crossing. The changes have divided road users: pedestrians welcome the redesign, while drivers have voiced objections.

The crossing includes a safety island, means pedestrians do not have to cross four lanes at once, and gives drivers a clearer view of people crossing. However, no detailed studies were conducted to establish how many pedestrians use the crossing each day or to measure the volume of vehicle traffic.

Oskars Irbītis, a road safety expert at the Road Transport Safety Directorate, said the idea was good but had been implemented in the wrong place. He said the changes had caused major traffic jams without improving safety, while the expected flow of pedestrians had not been observed.

Kristaps Kauliņš, director of Riga municipality’s Urban Environment and Mobility Department, defended the changes. He said the municipality had not created a new crossing but had improved safety at an existing one.

Kauliņš said the municipality was improving pedestrian safety at more than 10 locations in the city this year. He said the Senču Street crossing was dangerous because pedestrians had to cross a road with more than one lane in each direction, which he described as both non-compliant with standards and unsafe.