For Residents

In order to get from Mistrzejowice to the first Cracow ring road, the tram has to cover the distance of 11 km, running through Nowa Huta. Thanks to the new route along: Jancarza, Bohomolca, Dobrego Pasterza, Lublańska, Młyńska and Meissnera Streets, the distance between this northern district and the city center will be reduced by approx. 12 min.

The new tram line will also be a more comfortable means of transport for residents of Mistrzejowice and Prądnik Czerwony, who use bus lines now. A standard bus used by MPK has 30 seats and an articulated bus – 50 seats, whereas a tram can have even 93 seats. Use of vehicles of higher capacity enables transporting more passengers in more comfortable conditions.

PPP (public-private partnership) is a model of implementation of public investment projects assuming a long-term cooperation of a public partner (e.g. commune) and a private partner (company or consortium). In that perspective, an investment project does not generate virtually any costs during the design and construction stage for the first of them. Financial involvement of the commune starts only once the residents can use the outcome of the project.

In the PPP project consisting in the construction of a tram road to Mistrzejowice, the private partner (consortium of PPP Solutions Polska and Gülermak) is responsible for designing, funding and implementing the project, and – after the handover of the tram road into operation – for maintenance of the road for a periof of 20 years. Cracow Municipality (public partner) will pay the private partner remuneration for operation and maintenance of the tram road only after its opening, and after 20 years, it will take over the road for administration. Such an arrangement allows not only spreading financing of the project but also benefiting from the experience of the private partner. It will propose innovative solutions thanks to which the highest quality can be ensured during the operation of the infrastructure so that unnecessary cost related to its maintenance for a longer period of time can be avoided.

Apart from an approx. 4.5-km long tram road section connecting the existing terminus in Mistrzejowice with the intersection of Meissnera and Lema Streets, a completely new urban space along the road will be created. Along the full length of the track bed, separated bike paths and pedestrian paths will be constructed. The existing road layout will also be altered thanks to which safety of all road users will be enhanced. Vegetation management, providing for protection of the largest possible number of existing trees, compensation and ornamental plantings as well as green trackbed technology, will help create a resident-friendly space around the modern tram road.

The aim of the private partner is to limit the interference in urban greenery, thus it intends to preserve as many trees as possible already at the designing stage. Therefore, it ordered a detailed predevelopment plan for this area. The collected data are now being compared with the possessed maps and information from the environmental decision. On the basis of that comparison, detailed alteration designs as well as landscaping designs will be drawn up.

Location and condition of each tree is being analyzed separately. The trees conflicting with the planned infrastructure will be transplanted if their condition allows it. Additional plantings (including ornamental plantings) are planned as well as adoption of green trackbed technology to the largest possible extent.

The project assumes construction of new stops and alteration of the existing stops, the provisional location of which is as follows:

– at the intersection of JPII, Lema and Meissnera Streets,

– in the area of Ugorek Street,

– in the area of intersections with Pszona and Chałupnika Streets,

– in the area of Młyńskie roundabout,

– in the area of Polsadu roundabout,

– in the area of Barei roundabout, in Dobrego Pasterza Street,

– in Dobrego Pasterza Street, in the area of Krzesławicka Street,

– in Bohomolca Street, in the area of Kniaźnina Street,

– in Jancarza Street, in the area of Oświecenia Estate,

– at the altered Mistrzejowice terminus.

There will be a solution providing for the tram road running in the area of Młyńskie roundabout at -1 level (in an open tub structure), and vehicle traffic running at the existing ground level.

Construction works are planned to start in the third quarter of 2023. Works will be performed in stages along with implementation of temporary traffic arrangements which will have to be agreed on and approved by municipal entities and services. Prior to implementation of any changes in the traffic circulation system, the private partner will notify local residents and passengers using urban transport of such changes in advance. Access to private properties will be maintained, and works will be carried out in the least burdensome manner.

On the final straight of the designing stage, the private partner was ordered to make some corrections in the design concerning mostly Meissnera Street. Their aim is to minimize the environmental impact of the project. Thanks to the corrections consisting in, among others, limitations for heavy vehicles, planned bus fleet replacement with electric fleet as well as use of noise-reducing pavement, it will be possible to reduce the number of noise walls along the project. Additionally, approx. 200 trees will be preserved and more space will be gained for new plantings.