Nine municipalities of the Kędzierzyn-Strzelecki subregion in South Poland are upgrading road infrastructure to promote public and non-motorised transport, reduce emissions and improve air quality, in the project backed by the European Regional Development Fund.
- 30 October 2020
“This project involves a whole series of coordinated actions, such as development of public transport, purchase of low-emission buses and construction of bicycle paths, which comprehensively contribute to the reduction of CO2 emissions in the region.”
Over 26 km of bicycle paths and joint bicycle-pedestrian lanes have been constructed. Car traffic has been diverted from town and city centres, where possible, with the help of two new park-and-ride and two bike-and-ride parks. Set up at the edge of municipalities, they have nearly 300 parking spaces.
Reorganisation of road traffic, reconstruction of roads and bicycle paths and the modernisation of street lighting is expected to encourage people to use more public transport and bicycles, instead of their cars. In doing so, the project is reducing exhaust emissions, dust and noise from car traffic, while improving air quality and, by extension, the quality of life of residents.
Upgrading public transport
To further promote public transport use, infrastructure for passengers has been upgraded. Commuters now have access to interactive passenger information and can rely on new e-services to buy tickets. A total of 19 new buses have been acquired. The buses have a total passenger capacity of 1 113 and meet Euro 6 emission standards.
A new passenger information system allows dispatchers and managers to track the location of individual vehicles and their adherence to timetables in real time. This has improved the reliability and reputation of public transport.
Nine municipalities
The project is led by the commune of Kędzierzyn-Koźle, where Miła street and a part of Grunwaldzka street have been expanded with bicycle paths, from the Jana Pawła II avenue to the bypass at the northern part of town. Lightning at public facilities, or in public areas, with the exception of the road sections, has been replaced and upgraded.
In Kędzierzyńsko-Kozielski county, the district roads between the towns of Zdzieszowice, Leśnica and Zalesie Śląskie and Cisowa to Kędzierzyn-Koźle have been reconstructed and expanded with bicycle paths and new drainage systems.
North-east of Kędzierzyn-Koźle, in the town of Ujazd, pedestrian and bicycle paths have been constructed along European and American street, which feature new lighting and a bus bay. Further north, in Strzelce Opolskie, a park-and-ride area has been constructed in the centre of town.
In the commune of Zawadzkie, the communal road at Dworcowa street has been reconstructed with separate parking for buses, to create a public transport transfer centre.
In the commune of Reńska Wieś, pedestrian and bicycle paths have been constructed on an old railway line. The same has been done in the town of Cisek, further south, where a new bicycle path runs along a disused railway line. A new bicycle path has been built in the village of Polska Cerekiew.
Total investment and EU funding
Total investment for the project “Improvement of air quality in the Kędzierzyn-Strzelecki Subregion” is EUR 12 851 831, with the EU’s European Regional Development Fund contributing EUR 7 915 957 through the “Opolskie Voivodeship” Operational Programme for the 2014-2020 programming period. The investment falls under the priority “Low-carbon economy”.