Franka Square awaits reconstruction
Ivana Franka Square is one of the most important historical squares of Lviv with both considerable transport importance and peculiarities of renowned architectural ensemble. With the course of time, the needs of the city regarding use of space are changed and the present state of the square does not correspond to the residents’ everyday needs anymore.
Within development of Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan the interdisciplinary group with participation of Lvivavtodor Lviv Communal Enterprise and involvement of external experts have developed several options of the new square layout and in this publication we introduce to you four of these.
The first was the presentation by Olha Zarechniuk from the Center for Urban History (Lviv) on the emergence of the square, stages of its development and forming of architectural ensemble.
What we learned in the course of urban analysis:
– The Square is virtually all the time filled with transport and relevant discomfort, the central triangular island as a public space is degrading: becomes filled with trade booths and becomes place for marginalized groups, and most people come here just to use the only available tram stop;
– Road safety is an important challenge for the square. A situation of a car, slamming into a stop at high speed, must be physically impossible in terms of infrastructure
– The square has poor walkability and passing ability that provoke crossing the road in “prohibited” places and degradation of an island. There is a lack of pedestrian crossings on the key directions
– public transport (mostly, tram) traffic is blocked by motor transport (especially, during the peak hours)
– the square is inconvenient as a connection hub, there is complicated and illogical stopover between the stops on the square and stops by Stryiskyi Market
– Chaotic parking and delivery of goods make movement of pedestrians and transport more complicated
– Architectural attractiveness of the square is barely seen due to trade booths and uncontrolled parking
Then the square space and its traffic rearrangement options were developed.
During the meeting, the participants have selected several criteria for offers assessment: improvement of conditions for pedestrians, accessibility to transport and stopover convenience, suggested activities implementation cost and maintenance cost etc.
CRITERIAS
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The suggestions aimed at accounting the needs of the square as a connection hub, public space for residents of the neighboring streets and students of institutions, located nearby, as an important transport junction and as a part of Lviv Triangle race track (race of retro cars). On the subsequent meetings, one of these options will be selected for development of working project of reconstruction of this square.
Option 1: “Circular motion for cars and a triangle for trams”
Provides for arrangement of circular motion for cars around Franka Sq, and making separated lanes for public transport in the direction from Vitovskoho St. to the center and from Stryiska St. to Vitovskoho St., as well as in both directions on the section of Franka Square from Stryiskyi Market. At the same time, the option provides for arrangement of two public transport stops right on Franka Sq. (by building No.78) and an island-like stop on Franka St. on the direction from center (at the approach to Franka Sq.).
This option provides for exclusion of extra space from the square by expansion of central triangle, arrangement of direction-specific islands and safety islands, as well as increased number of crossings.
Advantages:
– no tram movement in the direction, opposite to other transport
– separated lanes from Franka Sq. to the center and vice versa
– decrease, by 7-9% on average, of distances between platforms on the basic stopover directions
– more stops directly on the square, movement of tram stop from Stryiskyi Market to this place
– preservation of available vegetation (trees)
Disadvantages:
– narrow pavements (stops make the pedestrian space by the buildings even more narrow)
– considerable length of crossings (through three lanes)
– no opportunities for cycling infrastructure
– no place for short-term parking and delivery of goods
Option 2: “Triangle”
Provides for arrangement of car motion along every side of a triangle of Franka Sq., and arrangement of separated lanes for public transport in both directions on the section of Franka Sq. from Stryiskyi Market in the direction to center and to Vitovskoho St. and in one direction from Vitovskoho St. to the center. The private transport moves along straight trajectory from Vitovskoho St. to the center and back. The motion from Stryiskyi Market to Vitovskoho St. is moved to Zarytskykh Street. This option also provides for arrangement of two stops of public transport directly on Franka Sq. (in front of building No.78), one of which is “Viennese” (elevated roadway in the stop area) in the direction of Stryiska St. and two island-like stops: one on Franka St. in the direction from the center (at the approach to Franka Sq.) and another one – on the section of Franka St. from Stryiskyi Market in the direction to city center.
The option provides for elimination of excessive space from the square by arrangement of directional islands and safety islands and increase of number of crossings.
Advantages:
– separated lanes for public transport in all directions
– increased traffic safety
– more stops on the square due to transfer of tram stop from Stryiskyi Market
– decrease, by 5-7% on average, of distances between platforms (interchanges will become convenient)
– number of lanes for crossing is decreased, number of crossings is increased
– partial preservation of available vegetation (trees)
Disadvantages:
– less space by the facades, no opportunities for delivery of goods
– increased transport load on Zarytskykh Street
– possible running of passengers between two stops as transport might go in one direction from different stops
– no opportunities for bicycle infrastructure
Option 3: “Т-intersection”
The option provides for radical reconstruction of Franka Sq. with arrangement of T-intersection (crossroad) instead of the present triangular island in the center of the square, as well as considerable expansion of public spaces along the facades. It is provided that tram lines will be divided according to the directions of the tram movement at the approaches to crossroad so that motor transport could not obstruct the movement of tram. The stops are arranged behind the crossroad, at this, in the Sykhiv direction the relevant stop line is arranged (to be able, during the tram’s stop, to collect cars in the queue towards crossroad with Stryiska St.). In other directions there is a stop on the traffic lane, at this in the Vitovskoho direction the public transport lane from Franka St. might be prolonged, and the cars from the center and from Stryiskyi Market, heading at Vitovskoho St., might be led through Zarytskykh – Voloshchaka. There is an option of shutting movement on Mendelieyeva St. that becomes residential dead-end street, and is approached via Kyryla and Mefodia St. The traffic lights on the Franka – Vitovskoho crossroad is synchronized with the one on Franka – Stryiska crossroad.
Advantages:
– considerable expansion of pavements, there is a place for vegetation, parking and delivery of goods
– stops according to the movement direction
– trams do not block each other, cars do not block trams
– decreased number of crossings, regulated crossing via the square
– the area, occupied for transport function is materially decreased
– improved opportunities for trade and services on the first floors of the buildings
– the opportunity to arrange quality bicycle infrastructure appears
– arrangement of new public spaces, opportunity for new quality design
Disadvantages:
– increased length of crossings
– increase, by 4-5% on average, of stopover distance
– more joint movement of cars and public transport
– great additional traffic flow on Zarytskykh St.
– liquidation of existing vegetation on triangular island and of the island itself (historical view)
Option 4: “Fully-Featured Tram Circle”
The option with arrangement of fully-featured tram circle provides for creation, on Franka Square, of big transfer hub for different directions of public transport with enabled tram turning in all direction, in case of necessity. Besides, one of the ideas of this option that might be also used in the other ones is arrangement of separate lane for trams, trolleybuses and buses on Franka St. in the direction from center.
Advantages:
– convenient prompt interchanges, the least distance between stops (10-16% less than now)
– opportunities for tram turning in all directions, opportunities for arrangement of new routes and expanded opportunities for movement change in case of accidents or parking on tram lines
– might be combined with trolleybus network
– pedestrian crossings on both sides of the platform
– stops are integrated according to direction, no running between them
– preserved shape of an island
– preservation of existing vegetation (trees)
Disadvantages:
– dangerous (with respect to other options) crossings: tracks, big length and different movement directions
– no opportunities for bicycle infrastructure
– tracks in short-radius curves (considerable and prompt depreciation of both tracks and tram wheels)
– decreased useful area of pavements
After final shaping and selection of one of the represented concept, the design assignment will be developed and then Lvivavtodor Communal Enterprise will define the project organization (development of working project) and afterwards the construction tender will be launched.
