On Wednesday, 20 May, a session of the Bolesławiec City Council was held—for the first time online. One of the items on the councillors’ agenda was the introduction of a paid parking zone. The head of the Law and Justice councillors’ club Szymon Pogoda asked a series of detailed questions related to the draft resolution. Among other things, he asked whether honorary blood donors would be able to park for free. Mayor Piotr Roman: “I support this idea.”

A discussion followed and lasted several dozen minutes. During it, P. Roman assured the council: “These will not be fees that hurt terribly. The aim is not fiscalism, but mobility.”

City Impuls councillor Dominik Chodyra asked in turn whether owners of electric cars would also be able to park for free. Municipal officials replied that this was already guaranteed by law.

Finally, to cool tempers, the mayor of Bolesławiec proposed a compromise: over the next week or two, both councillors and residents would be able to send their amendments/proposals to the municipal authorities.

The resolution was adopted. Sixteen councillors voted in favour, Maciej Małkowski of City Impuls abstained, and three Law and Justice councillors voted against.

When is the zone to be introduced?

1 January 2021

How much will it cost?

  • up to half an hour of parking – PLN 1.00
  • for the first hour of parking – PLN 3.00
  • for the second hour of parking – PLN 3.60
  • for the third hour of parking – PLN 4.30
  • for the fourth and each subsequent hour of parking – PLN 3.00
  • monthly resident subscription for a resident of the City who uses a vehicle with a permissible gross vehicle weight of up to 3.5 tonnes – for 1 month – PLN 20.00, per vehicle
  • annual resident subscription for a resident of the City who uses a vehicle with a permissible gross vehicle weight of up to 3.5 tonnes – for 12 months – PLN 200.00, per vehicle
  • monthly subscription for any road user who uses a vehicle with a permissible gross vehicle weight of up to 3.5 tonnes – for 1 month – PLN 240.00, per vehicle
  • monthly bearer subscription for a user of a vehicle with a permissible gross vehicle weight of up to 3.5 tonnes – for 1 month – PLN 600.00.

Which streets will the zone cover?

  1. Zgorzelecka St (from Władysława Łokietka St to Bolesława Prusa St)
  2. Dolne Młyny St (from Wesoła St to Zgorzelecka St)
  3. Grunwaldzka St (entire length)
  4. Targowa St (entire length)
  5. Górne Młyny St (from Władysława Łokietka St to Mała St)
  6. Mała St (entire length)
  7. Piaskowa St (entire length)
  8. Bolesława Kubika St (entire length)
  9. Obrońców Helu St (entire length, including the adjacent car park)
  10. Armii Krajowej St (entire length)
  11. Szkolna St (entire length)
  12. Partyzantów Avenue (entire length)
  13. Magistracka St (entire length)
  14. Zamkowy Square (entire area)
  15. 1 Maja St (entire length)
  16. Karpecka St (entire length)
  17. Braci Śniadeckich St (entire length)
  18. Kutuzowa St (entire length, including the adjacent car park)
  19. Teatralna St (entire length)
  20. Sądowa St (entire length)
  21. Adama Mickiewicza St (entire length)
  22. Ignacego Daszyńskiego St (entire length)
  23. Ogrodowa St
  24. Plac Wolności St (entire length)
  25. Komuny Paryskiej St (entire length)
  26. Wąska St (entire length)
  27. Bankowa St (entire length, including the adjacent car park)
  28. Mikołaja Brody St (entire length)
  29. Marcina Opitza St (entire length)
  30. Michała Drzymały St (entire length)
  31. Józefa Wybickiego St (entire length)
  32. Karola Miarki St (entire length)
  33. Fryderyka Chopina St (entire length, including the adjacent car park)
  34. Zacisze St (entire length)
  35. Kościelna St (entire length)
  36. Bartosza Głowackiego St (entire length)
  37. Sierpnia ’80 St (entire length)
  38. Piłsudskiego Square (entire area)
  39. Ignacego Łukasiewicza St (entire length, including the adjacent car park)
  40. Adama Asnyka St (entire length)
  41. Polna St (from Adama Asnyka St to Bolesława Chrobrego St)
  42. Juliusza Słowackiego St (entire length)
  43. Kaszubska St (entire length)
  44. Żwirki i Wigury St (entire length)
  45. Heleny i Wincentego Tyrankiewiczów St (entire length)
  46. Dzieci Wrześni St (entire length)
  47. Górników St (entire length)
  48. Piotra i Pawła St (entire length)
  49. Królowej Jadwigi St (entire length)
  50. Fabryczna St (entire length, including the adjacent car park)
  51. Parkowa St (entire length, including the adjacent car park)
  52. Bielska St (entire length)
  53. Cicha St (entire length, including the adjacent car park)
  54. Tadka Jasińskiego St (entire length)
  55. Spółdzielcza St (from Tadka Jasińskiego St, including the adjacent car park)
  56. Zygmunta Augusta St.

Details: https://www.um.boleslawiec.bip-gov.pl/public/get_file_contents.php?id=207706.

Why is this zone being introduced?

The justification for the document states:

A consequence of the development of motorisation, alongside increased traffic volume, is a general rise in mobility, which leads to traffic congestion, primarily in the city centre. The capacity of street infrastructure has practically been exhausted, while further expansion of road cross-sections is impossible or socially unacceptable. The shortage of spaces also makes it difficult to conduct trade and provide services. Introducing a paid parking zone is a way of alleviating the above problems.

For years, Bolesławiec has focused on developing public transport, which, in an era of ubiquitous air pollution and increasing traffic, should be used as widely as possible. The city regularly invests in the development of public transport and has introduced free public transport, which is the case in few cities. Importantly, this will not change in the near future, providing a genuine alternative for motorised residents.

Establishing a paid parking zone in areas characterised by a significant shortage of parking spaces, justified by the need to organise traffic, is intended to increase the turnover of parked motor vehicles, particularly to limit vehicle access to the area and thereby give preference to free public transport and implement local anti-smog policy.

The Public Roads Act of 21 March 1985 provides the legal basis authorising the governing bodies of local-government units to establish paid parking zones on public roads managed by a local-government unit.

What do you think? We invite you to join the discussion.