The town hall at Galerie Šantovka may establish a pedestrian crossing

Galerie Šantovka (foto: Atelier 8000)

Olomouc - After the opening of the new shopping center Galerie Šantovka, which was launched in mid-October next to the historic center of Olomouc, the traffic situation around the intersection near the nearby marketplace has become complicated. Crowds of people are flocking to the shopping center, some of whom are crossing the busy road leading to Polská street in violation of traffic rules. The town hall has therefore asked experts to propose a solution, which could be a traffic-light-controlled pedestrian crossing.
    Deputy Mayor Ivo Vlach (TOP 09) told reporters today that the number of pedestrians around the shopping center Šantovka sharply increased after its opening. In the first three days, 130,000 people visited the shopping gallery. Although an overhead bridge was built to the shopping center, some visitors use the place for crossing that was established on the road leading from the marketplace to Polská street. Previously, there was a full pedestrian crossing in these places, but it was removed to improve the flow of traffic through the intersection.
    According to Vlach, pedestrians forget that they do not have priority at the so-called crossing place, which they often impose on drivers. "Pedestrians are increasingly using this access route to the shopping center Šantovka, parking in the parking lot at the marketplace and in the surrounding streets. Therefore, we will have this area reassessed by experts," Vlach stated.
    The town hall has already contacted the designer and experts who will assess the plan to build a traffic-light-controlled pedestrian crossing in these places. "The condition for implementation is a positive assessment of the suitability of this solution, which should not lead to a deterioration of traffic flow through the intersection and a slowdown of traffic, especially when turning from Svobody Boulevard," Vlach pointed out.
    Juraj Aláč, the spokesperson for the Šantovka project, told ČTK that originally there was consideration of restoring the pedestrian crossing. "However, the concerned authorities only allowed the establishment of a crossing place because it would cause complications in traffic," said Aláč. Galerie Šantovka currently offers visitors 1,000 parking spaces in the underground and on the roof. "An outdoor parking lot will soon be opened, which will be primarily for larger vehicles. It will serve visitors to the multifunctional area, playgrounds, and the shopping center," Aláč said.
    Galerie Šantovka, which houses two hundred stores, is the largest shopping center in the Olomouc region with a sales area of 46,000 square meters and ranks among the ten largest centers in the country. The new shopping center is part of the eponymous urban district Šantovka, which is planned to be built by SMC Development for ten billion crowns. In the new district, which is also crossed by a new tram line, the investor plans to construct a complex of apartment buildings and offices.
    A new high-rise building is also expected to be built near Galerie Šantovka, which some experts opposed. Recently, however, city heritage officials granted consent to the planned construction of the Šantovka Tower building, which is 75 meters tall. It is expected to be built in 2015.