The new zoning plan for Prague will propose additional tram lines

Prague - In the capital city, several new train stops and transfer terminals could be created in the next decade. In addition to completing the metro line A to Václav Havel Airport, plans also include the establishment of so-called tangential tram lines that would run outside the center and connect parts of the broader center. Marek Zděradička from the city development department, who is involved in preparing the new urban plan, stated this in an interview with ČTK. The plan is expected to be valid in the metropolis after 2010.
    According to Zděradička, the new urban plan will primarily strengthen the use of railways. "To a certain extent, it will involve the intensification of existing railway areas and corridors, but new train stops and new routes will also be created," Zděradička told ČTK.
    People commuting to Prague from the surrounding areas are expected to benefit from several new transfer terminals, which will have P+R parking lots and will be connected to Prague's public transport. Transfer points for the Kladno area should become the Dlouhá míle and Veleslavín stops on the planned extension of metro A to Ruzyně. Veleslavín could be operational as early as around 2014, while Dlouhá míle could take several more years.
    Additional terminals are planned near Smíchov railway station, near Podbaba or at the new train stop Zahradní Město, which will replace the Strašnice stop.
    The upcoming urban plan also newly includes land for the extension of metro line A to the airport. However, according to Zděradička, most of the proposals for metro development, including line D, are inherited from the previous plan. "Additionally, there is a branch to Západní Město from the station Stodůlky," Zděradička noted.
    The proposal also includes a new tram line across Wenceslas Square, which should connect Jindřišská and Vodičkova Streets and Vinohrady, as well as a line to Jižní Město, which would partially supplement the overloaded metro line C. Tangential lines are also expected to be created. These would connect, for example, Smíchov with Pankrác, Podbaba with Bohnice, and Spořilov with Bohdalec and Želivského, alleviating transfers at the Museum, Můstek, and Florenc stations.
    City districts and the public will have the opportunity to comment on the proposed new urban plan, which should be completed within a month. The final form will then need to be approved by the city council.