“No city has a well-established 30,” says Miniberger. Every city is different, according to the traffic expert, a blanket introduction of such a restriction would be pointless. The optimum speed based on the traffic capacity of the city is fifty kilometers per hour.
“I will choose the main roads and try to bypass them as much as possible. I will fine-tune the optimal speed through modelling, monitoring and adjustment,” says Miniberger, adding that Prague has already exhausted the capacity of its roads in terms of efficiency. Traffic calming zones with low speeds only affect traffic. “According to measurements, the average driving speed in Prague today is about 25 kilometers per hour,” says Miniberger. According to the expert, speed reduction in quiet zones should not take place through road markings, but through construction improvements – road surface, retarders, bays and so on.
Moderator Wladimir Vogel’s guest on the discussion show on iDNES.cz explains what affects the city’s traffic. What gets in the way of a smooth ride? How can constipation be prevented?
Tomáš Miniberger also comments on how traffic in Prague has been affected by the start of the second phase of the Barrandovské Bridge repair. According to the expert, the traffic slump at the beginning of Monday’s traffic jam was due to several factors, including rain. “When it starts to rain, people in Prague get into their cars. They take a metal umbrella,” Miniberger says.
“With the help of variable traffic signs, the speed of the traffic flow can be adjusted so that fluidity can be maintained,” praises the steps taken by the Prague Transport Administrator. According to Miniberger, the readiness of the complete reconstruction of Barandovsky Bridge and related activities is good. According to the expert, the Barrandovský bridge is not such a problem, but the connecting roads are blocked. According to Miniberger, drivers will get used to planning and adjusting their journeys just like bridge repair legs last year.
“In 2022 Prague drivers spent an average of 53 hours in traffic, the worst being London (156 hours) and the second worst being Paris (136 hours),” Miniberger said, citing statistics to explain how the traffic data is collected.
