Better news on the commuting front

The new PKP Koleje Mazowieckie (KM) timetable sees an increase in the number of morning rush hour services from Piaseczno and beyond into central Warsaw from five to seven. From the new year, Warsaw public transport tickets will be valid on KM trains all the way out to Zalesie Górne. These improvements should, I hope, lead to an increase in people commuting into town by train, and a decrease in the number of cars on ul. Puławska. Which is good, because in early 2009, the authorities plan to paint a bus lane down Puławska from ul. Karczunkowska all the way up to ul. Poloneza. Hell for drivers! (Can it get worse? YES.) Above: Corner of ul. Farbiarska and ul. Ludwinowska on Tuesday morning.

Click here for the PKP timetable website

At the same time, today's drive from home to Platan Park (up the notorious ul. Poloneza, a street named after the rickety and unreliable car of the same name), was a doddle. Traffic was quite heavy, but it was civilised. No nutters emulating the Paris-Dakar Rally today. Just a steady stream of cars heading up ul. Trombity, ul. Kórnicka, ul. Jeziorki and ul. Poloneza at a sedate 30km/h, as the Good Lord had intended.

I'd like to single out for special praise the driver of a silver BMW X5 on WI plates, who drove in front of me all the way to ul. Poleczki. Steadily, safely, considerately. Were there more like him.

This time last year:
Complexities of time and place in the pre-postmodernist millieu