Pavement for Karczunkowska - NOW!

It is at this time of year that as a pedestrian making my way between ul. Trombity and W-wa Jeziorki station or from Puławska to Trombity is really unpleasant. Ul. Karczunkowska still has no pavement (and we are within the borders of the capital city of the EU's sixth-largest member state). When there's deep snow on the ground, I cannot but walk on the asphalt. And when the deep snow has melted, the resulting mud also forces me to walk on the asphalt. Which is dangerous. Dangerous because cars drive far too fast along this straight road. Another Jeziorki resident was killed on this road last October. Two more were injured by cars in November. Making this busy road safe for pedestrians - parents with pushchairs, elderly people, schoolchildren - MUST become a priority for the city authorities.

In the eleven years since we moved into our house in Jeziorki, there have been some improvements. Last summer, three pedestrian crossings were provided, pavements have been provided around the eastbound bus stops, some road signs have been added. But this is not enough. A full pavement - on at least one side of Karczunkowska - is needed.

A busy road

A fast road

A deadly road

No room for pedestrians - no pavements on either side of the road.

At the Puławska end - no space for pedestrians here either.

Cars parked on the verge block pedestrians

Drivers not paying attention

Left: A sign warning drivers of pedestrians, by the junction of ul. Nawłocka and Karczunkowska - except it's obscured by a snow-covered tree. Parts of the road in front of houses usually have pathways cleared through the deep snow, but where fields abut upon the road - no one bothers.You are ankle-deep in wet snow. Not pleasant.

The city authorities claim that buying the land adjacent to the road is prohibitively expensive (costing the provision of 2.3km of pavement at 40 million zlotys, around £8 million/ €10 million / $12 million).

Nonsense. Even if a 3m wide strip had to be purchased all along Karczunkowska (which it doesn't), at current prices, 500 zł/m2 is about right, that's still less than 3.5 million zlotys for buying the land. So 36.5 million zlotys for building the pavement? Rubbish. Right now, land is cheap and builders are happy for whatever work they can get. This is the time to invest in infrastructure - not when the markets recover.

Time for Jeziorki citizens to get militant about this issue - before any more pedestrians are killed. Follow the debate on SkyscraperCity.com here (starts at thread no. 597)

This time last year:
From the train's open door

This time two years ago:
Until the Vistula freezes over

This time three year:
Of sunshine, birdsong and wet socks

This time five years ago:
Dziadzio Tadeusz at 90