Baltupio street is a real example of the municipal street standard. They laid a new bicycle path, a sidewalk, and part of the asphalt, and left the old, battered curbs, inserting new ones in places.
"We experience the city through the streets", is the phrase of the new street standard that Vilnius is following. What kind of city experiences do visitors have on the renovated Baltupios street? After all, they are forcing people to do it.
A few broken curbs, five new ones placed behind them.
Then - a few old ones again, a small section of new ones, and a string of old ones left again. The residents of Baltupia district do not understand why they have to dislike the city so much?
Neither the municipality nor the real estate developer Galio Group, which built apartment buildings near the street, wanted to answer this question directly. It is said that this is a project, a creative approach, a new standard.
Adjusted the scope of work
The representative of the municipality, Irmantas Kuzas, stated that the developer of the "Jomanto park" project, Galio Group, undertook to carry out work from Didlaukis street to the plot where the apartment buildings, end of
"According to the prepared technical project, the boundaries where the road curbs will be changed were provided. The curbs in the municipal area will be replaced when the capital repair of Baltupios street takes place in the future - re-asphalting", the representative of the municipality assured.
When asked why some curbs were replaced and others left old, Galio Group's communication partner Inga Razmaitė explained that the scope of work stipulated in the project and agreed with the municipality is being carried out.
According to the coordinated project, sidewalk curbs are replaced with new ones where the bicycle and pedestrian path project intersects with the street, at the entrances to the yards, at the place where the street trajectory changes.
The roadway itself does not fall within the developer's scope of work approved by the municipality. Consequently, the holes were patched by a contractor selected by the municipality.
I. Razmaitė confirmed that the replacement of curbs has been completed in the real estate developer's work area.
Narrowed the footpath
In the project of the pedestrian and bicycle path on Baltupios street, there is a lot of talk about how it will be separated from the roadway by a green belt, how it is planned to plant trees and bushes.
It is told how the entrances in the managed area will be raised to the level of the pedestrian path through the entrance curb.
The condition of the plantations and what will be planted, what covering will be installed are discussed. Not a word about roadsides.
By the way, the new pedestrian path has been narrowed from 2,5 to 2,25 meters in the project. So where is the new street standard declaring that pedestrians have priority everywhere?
Spent half a million
The total amount of works implemented by the real estate developer exceeds 0,5 million. euros.
With his funds, a pedestrian path and lighting were installed at "Jomanto Park", a children's playground with lighting near the 61st apartment building on Baltupios Street, an old asphalted parking lot and entry to house yards.
The developer also designed the section of the pedestrian and bicycle path from Didlaukis to Ateities Street, installed the section of the pedestrian and bicycle path from Didlaukis Street to "Jomanto Park", and replaced the lights.
At Baltupis Street, a green area has been established at the expense of the developer.
Asphalt is too thin
Speaking about the quality of street repairs, the member of the municipal council, Aleksandras Nemunaitis, mentioned that it is not necessary to wait a year to find out how the work was done.
The same on Baltupios street. "It is possible that the curbs of the road will be distorted, potholes will appear. The same was nearby in the section of Kalvarijju Street that was repaired a year ago. Now the pothole that has appeared is already marked with a warning sign," wondered the council member.
There are many such examples, and one is even curious.
Before NATO At the time of the summit, Liepkalnis Street was paved, but now the asphalt has been scraped off again.
When A. Nemunaitis asked the representatives of the municipality about it, it turned out that the asphalt layer was too thin and now the street has to be repaved.
The same is the case in the section of Kalvariju Street from Didlaukis to Ateities Street. The recently renovated section is under repair again.
"But after all, it's the city's money, which is given with a light hand," A. Nemunaitis complained.
Estimates are classified
A. Nemunaitis has been raising the question for several months whether it is wise to allocate an additional 16 million. euros for asphalting the streets, asking for a specific explanation of what the funds will be used for, which are being prepared for the maintenance of the streets.
He did not receive an answer either during the meetings of the Council or the Economic and Financial Committee.
Later, he managed to get a list of the streets to be repaired, but not much is clear from it. Because it states that 35 million is needed for the streets to be repaired. euros.
The politician noticed another malaise. The municipality indicates how much it spent repairing the streets, but he was unable to demand estimates of what works to be done.
"Out of 2 kilometers of streets in Vilnius, only 1200 kilometers are asphalted. How are these statistics? However, instead of asphalting where there is no asphalt, repairing where the condition of the streets is really tragic, they are simulating work where it was not needed", - said A. Nemunaitis.
He boasted that he would repair the streets in an innovative way
2 years ago, the municipality boasted a new street standard. It states that different pavements and elements create the character of the street and reflect the speed of movement.
Therefore, it turns out that different curbs are used to create the character of the street and to reflect the speed of movement. "New quality streets for Vilnius and its residents!" is the slogan of the new street standard.
The description of the innovative order states that the street is the main public space of the city, where not only movement, but also life takes place. Today, a significant number of streets are more like roads, where it is not very convenient to move other than by car.
Author: Arūnas Dumalakas "Capital" "Lietuvos rytas"
