Riga tram infrastructure development

Narrative

The main complaints from residents of the Riga area Skanste and visitors to the area are about the poor availability of public transport, as the central part of Skanstes is poorly connected to public transport. The problem becomes especially acute during public events (sports games, concerts, etc.), when public transport is overcrowded and there is a lack of parking spaces for private transport. However, in the future, as the number of residents and workplaces in the neighborhood increases, meeting the daily mobility needs of residents (especially to/from work and to/from an educational institution) will be an increasingly acute problem. The project will also contribute to the development of the Skanste neighborhood.

The project “Development of Riga tram infrastructure” aims to promote sustainable use of public transport in Riga, including less connected urban development areas in the public transport network of Riga. The place of implementation of the project is Riga, capital of the Republic of Latvia.
Planned measures:
• the construction of a new tram infrastructure phase – 3.6 km;
• conversion of tram infrastructure phase ~ 3 km;
• purchase of 12 low-floor trams;
• construction of one new substation, conversion of one substation, construction of a network of cables for contact line and contact line;
• the construction of approximately 11 new staging points;
• Reformation of streets, construction of the local carriageway, transfer of engineering communications, establishment of a traffic management system, etc.

Financial data

Total investment: 123 854 000.00 €. EU investment: 65 669 331.00 € (53,0%).

Recommendations

The tram line to the Skanstes district is not perceived unanimously by the community. The main arguments against this project are the originally planned reconstruction of the street, which would reduce the green area and sidewalks, as well as the argument that other districts, such as Purvciems, would need such a line significantly more. However, it is not a lie that the Skanstes district is poorly connected by public transport, and if it is not developed now, there is reason to fear that the people living and working there will choose to travel by car. The recent public consultation confirmed once again the mixed attitude of the public towards this project. It is recommended to take into consideration the priority scale for movement, where the private car should be left as last priority.