Vazovova, Mudroňova – more safety (not only) for children

Every parent knows the so-called “school armageddon” very well – the morning rush, stress and manoeuvres that take place in the small space in front of the school, where many children, many parents and many cars are in motion. Complicated and dangerous situations regularly arise particularly around schools in the morning and afternoon hours. This is why we began to address these situations within the City for Children project. We are not just pulling changes out of the thin air. We have listened a lot during this process – to parents, teachers, neighbourhood residents and the children themselves – because they know the situation best. This is exactly how the spaces in front of the elementary schools on Vazovova and Mudroňova Streets were transformed, thanks to which the safety of children around these schools has been fundamentally improved. With a new approach to making changes in public spaces, we were also able, through participation and the implementation of temporary modifications, to transform these places in one year from their original state into a high-quality permanent solution, which has proven itself in both cases.

“Increasing the safety of children on the streets is one of our main priorities that we have committed ourselves to and which we are fulfilling. Bratislava today has more than 90 primary schools, and from 2022, in cooperation with the Metropolitan Institute of Bratislava, we have already included 12 of them in the City for Children programme. At seven schools, we have already made specific changes in the surrounding area. The primary goal of all these alterations is to make the newly created public space pleasant and safe, especially for children. If children feel good in the city, everyone feels good and safe in it, whether they are senior citizens or parents with strollers,” said Bratislava mayor Matúš Vallo.

Why Mudroňova and Vazovova?

In both cases, these are intersections near primary schools, where a number of dangerous situations regularly arose for pedestrians and children commuting to school. The starting point for modification of the Mudroňova intersection was the chaotic and confusing traffic situation, as it is a transit street with very heavy traffic. Likewise, there was insufficient parking around the school for parents bringing their children to school by car. In the case of Vazovova, the main problem was the location and geometry of the intersection with Mýtna Street. The radius of the intersection meant that cars entered it at high speed, which endangered children on their way to school. We were therefore looking for a way to change these spaces at both schools, to make them safer, while also creating better and more beautiful public spaces out of them.

From temporary to permanent solutions

Even the best traffic analyses and simulations cannot predict the results of street changes with 100% accuracy. Therefore, as in the cities that inspired us, we proceeded to introduce these changes first through temporary modifications, for example, using asphalt paint or plastic posts. These changes rapidly bring the essence of change but do not represent great expenses for the city. We only proceeded with permanent solutions after checking these changes in practice and taking into account the feedback given.

Changes on Vazovova

In the case of Vazovova Street, we converted the temporary modifications that proved successful into the final construction solution, in which, for example, the size of the new area for pedestrians and the new layout of the intersection remain almost the same as they were in the temporary solution. This new arrangement of the intersection, its narrowing and the placing of the traffic lane in a safer position, means that cars now have to slow down in this sensitive location, which is crossed by many children every day. The change in the geometry of the intersection also created a new area which now also serves as a high-quality paved corridor for pedestrians, separated from the road by greenery and curbs. We also replaced 336m2 of asphalt in the area with new greenery and trees, added bicycle racks and benches as well as a passage where people often previously crossed the road. We also added a place for cars to stop for a short time and with the modifications created several new spaces for parking or for picking up or dropping off children. We also made the area accessible, so that it really does serve everyone. Instead of a dangerous intersection with a huge traffic island that served no one, we now have a safer intersection with a cultured and green public space. And mainly a safer path to the school.

Changes on Mudroňova

Practice on Mudroňova Street with the temporary solution showed that the service for parents who must drive their children by car, as well as the possibilities of general movement around the school, need further improvements. Based on repeated meetings with parents, teachers and neighbourhood residents, we therefore prepared several possible variants of a modified solution, which, in addition to safety, also improved the opportunities for stopping, dropping off or picking up a child at school. We then converted the solution that was best for everyone into the final construction design.

For example, a safer elevated passage was created directly in front of the school, as well as several additional safe passages in the vicinity on the routes that children use naturally to get to school. Likewise, several new places for parking or dropping off children were created here. We increased the size of the space for unloading children so that a bus, which sometimes takes students on swimming trips or school trips, can also fit there. The new pedestrian space and places for cars have altered the appearance of the intersection such that the traffic situation is as clear and safe as possible. New greenery and high-quality Bratislava paving stones have also been added to the space.

“Good cooperation is also about timing and flexibility, which is why our city district is taking part in this investment by modifying the intersection of Slávičie údolie and Na Hrebienku Streets. The part modified by the city and the part modified by the city district will thus form one whole – they connect to each other, either technically or visually, with a material solution,” added Matej Vagač, mayor of the Staré Mesto Municipal Council.

The surface layers there will also be replaced – the pavements will be repaved, the road will have a new asphalt surface, and urban furniture will also be added. The work is scheduled to start in the second week of September, and the work in the Old Town itself will take about 1 month.

“Changes on Vazovova and Mudroňova, but also in other locations, either completed or planned, will bring a pleasant and above all safe journey to school for parents and children. I also believe that with the final designs we convinced even those who initially criticised the temporary solutions. We are convinced that the method from temporary to permanent solutions is a good way to work towards sustainable changes that maximally take local specifics into account, saves time and, as a result, the city's financial resources,” concluded the mayor of the capital, M. Vallo.