In the Sviatoshyn District of Kyiv, the possibility of cutting down all trees on Sviatoshynska Street is being discussed in order to widen the roadway.
This is reported by Kyiv24
During preparations for a major renovation, the municipal corporation “Kyivavtodor” proposed to eliminate the entire green zone on this street to increase the number of traffic lanes.
The Position of the Road Corporation and Activists’ Arguments
Representatives of “Kyivavtodor” presented the relevant project at a meeting of the working group “Kyiv City Workshop.” The NGO “Passengers of Kyiv” reported that according to this project, the roadway is planned to be expanded to four traffic lanes, which would involve cutting down almost all the trees along the street.
“The designer prepared a preliminary project. It involves cutting down almost all the trees on the street to widen the roadway to four traffic lanes,” the statement reads.
Activists pointed out that the reason given for the tree removal is the need to protect the utilities that grow beneath the trees. At the same time, no transportation justifications for such a large-scale street expansion have been provided. There are also no plans to create new green zones within this area.
Alternative Proposals from the Public
Activists note that “Kyivavtodor” refused to conduct transportation modeling, explaining that it was impractical. The NGO “Passengers of Kyiv” emphasizes that the entrance from Beresteiskyi Avenue to Sviatoshynska is only one lane, and current construction standards do not require an increase in the number of lanes on district roads.
During the discussion, the public proposed alternative options for organizing traffic that would allow for the preservation of green spaces. Among the proposals are the establishment of three traffic lanes (two main and one reversible or designated for public transport), or leaving two traffic lanes while adding one-way bicycle paths. Activists stress that the main goal is to preserve the trees and ensure the continuity of the cycling infrastructure along the entire length of the street.
Public organizations expressed hope that the proposals will be taken into account, and that an updated renovation project will be presented in two weeks, which will consider the interests of the residents and preserve the green spaces.