If you thought traffic in the Machane Yehuda area of the capital was difficult until now, officials announced the Davidka Square and the street leading to Pines Street will be closing down for four months. The move is necessitated to permit replacing the underground infrastructure as work on the light rail moves ahead.
Representatives of City Park (light rail) met on Tuesday with city engineers, architects, Transportation Ministry and local officials ahead of the move. It appears the move will get underway in about three weeks.
Askan Rav Chaim Miller of the Citizens for Jerusalem NGO warns that the closure of Davidka Square to 1,000 buses that pass daily will result in total chaos. He warns the result of the move will be one major traffic jam extending through the entire downtown area.
He lamented the fact that area residents are paying dearly for the infrastructure and light rail work, suffering day-in-and-day-out.
Rav Miller also requests that closing down the left turn from Jaffa Street to Pines should not take place until after Pessach, to avoid bringing the chaos to the center of the capital during yomtov.
Moti Nachmias, the manager of the Prima Palace Hotel (formally the Central Hotel, on Pines St) opposes the move, stating it will result in devastation for his hotel.
The local community council Lev Ha’ir plans to encourage local residents and Machane Yehuda merchants to hold another meeting. At that time, they hope to hear from the experts, who must explain the new traffic arrangements during the four-month period.
(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)
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One Response
City Pass, not City Park.
Now first, I thought – “so what, leave your car at home”.
But… closing Davidka to BUSES?! Then they should close Agrippas to cars completely, and make it two-way, and have all buses in both directions go via Agrippas.