On August 1, a meeting of the Minsk City Commission on Road Safety was held. At it, among other things, issues related to the organization of cycling in Minsk were considered, the speaker on which was Yuri Vazhnik, chairman of the Belarusian Association of Transport Experts and Surveyors, with which we have long and closely cooperated.
Overall, the solutions and trends are interesting. The following are excerpts from the minutes of the meeting:
4. The administrations of the districts of the city of Minsk to determine the customers for the implementation of work on the arrangement of bike paths in accordance with the concept of cycling in the city of Minsk.
5. The administrations of the districts of the city of Minsk, SE “Gordorstroy” […] to ensure, by 1.10.2011, the work on lowering the curbstone in accordance with SNB 3.03.02-97 in accordance with the design solution for the arrangement of a cycle path along Independence Avenue.
6. UGAI GUVD of the Minsk City Executive Committee [...], Municipal Unitary Enterprise “SMEP of the Minsk City Executive Committee” […] within 2 weeks after the implementation of paragraph 5, organize the installation of technical means of organizing traffic in accordance with the design solution for the arrangement of a cycle path along Independence Avenue.
7. Unitary Enterprise “Garages, parking lots and parking lots” […] until 01.12.2011 in the existing flat parking lots to equip the required number of special places for storing bicycles.
8. The administrations of the districts of the city of Minsk until 01.12.2011 to ensure the implementation of work on equipping objects of attraction of citizens (shops, shopping centers, hairdressing salons, etc.) with the necessary number of parking spaces for bicycles.
9. UGAI GUVD of the Minsk City Executive Committee [...] when issuing technical specifications for design, include in the scope of work the requirements in accordance with the concept of cycling in the city of Minsk, providing at the same time equipping objects of attraction for citizens and guarded parking lots with a sufficient number of storage and parking spaces for bicycles.
10. The Department of Physical Culture, Sports and Tourism of the Minsk City Executive Committee [...] initiate the creation and development of public organizations of cyclists aimed at uniting participants and improving road safety.
11. [about intelligent transport system]
[…]
11.3 Provide for the possibility of preventing an accident in the event of antisocial behavior of a pedestrian and a cyclist (inattentive crossing of the carriageway, emergence from a zone of limited visibility, etc.).
11.4 To work out the feasibility and technical feasibility of introducing a system for collecting fees for the use of cycle paths.
12. To consider at the meeting of the Minsk City Commission on Road Traffic Safety the issue of ensuring road safety on the main sections of the road network and mutual influence on the safety of drivers, pedestrians and cyclists.
Few comments:
In fact, this is the official acceptance cycling conceptsdeveloped by the Belarusian Association of Transport Experts and Surveyors with the participation of bicycle activists. Now it's up to the public control of its implementation, which we will definitely do.
The organization of the bicycle path along the avenue was "somewhat" delayed, but nevertheless it is moving. There is a hope to see it in reality by next spring.
About the creation of organizations - it is not entirely clear what was meant, but it is likely that it will be possible to establish closer interaction between our association and the city government.
Let's leave the fantasy about paying for bike paths without comment.
