We return to the issue of Gałczyński Street after the August publication about eight raised pedestrian crossings. Their number and placement raised concerns among some residents. Buses operated by the Municipal Transport Company also run along the street regularly.
The editorial office has now received a document submitted by a reader: a request from trade union organizations operating at Bolesławiec’s MZK for an urgent review of the raised crossings and traffic organization on the reconstructed section. We also received a response from city spokesperson Agnieszka Gergont to questions concerning the investment.
Trade unionists want an on-site inspection and a test bus run
The letter dated September 4, 2026, was addressed to MZK president Andrzej Jagiera. It was submitted by “Solidarity” and the workplace organization of the Polish Trade Union of Municipal Transport Workers. The document bears stamps confirming its receipt by the City Office on September 8 and by MZK on September 9.
The authors of the request emphasize that they do not question the need to ensure pedestrian safety. Their concerns concern the number of raised sections, their technical parameters and the overall impact of these solutions on the operation of public transport.
According to the drivers’ opinion presented in the letter, repeatedly crossing the raised sections during each run lengthens journeys, reduces passenger comfort and increases the load on bus suspension systems and other components. The trade unionists also point to the possibility of delays accumulating and fleet operating costs increasing.
These are assessments contained in the request. The submitted document does not include a set of journey-time measurements or data on bus damage. The organizations are specifically asking for such information to make it possible to assess the effects of the solutions used.
The demands include an urgent on-site inspection involving representatives of the city, the road manager, MZK, the designer, the contractor and drivers, as well as a test bus run. The trade unionists also want access to the approved traffic organization plan, the relevant part of the design documentation and the parameters of individual raised sections.
Questions also concern ambulance and fire-service access
The request also covers an assessment of the impact of the raised sections on the passage of emergency vehicles, particularly ambulances, fire engines and police vehicles. In the authors’ view, the entire transport route should be analyzed, taking into account pedestrian safety as well as the needs of public transport and emergency services.
If a negative impact is confirmed, the unions call for changes to traffic organization, reconstruction of the raised sections, a reduction in their number or changes to the parameters of some of them. They also propose considering other ways of improving pedestrian safety.
The organizations requested a written position within 14 days of receipt of the request. They announced that they might approach the relevant supervisory authorities, including the Lower Silesian Voivode, if the matter is not effectively resolved at the local level.
City: crossings were built at the existing locations
The editorial office asked the authorities why eight raised crossings had been built along a relatively short section and on the basis of which analyses their number and placement had been determined.
In a response sent on September 21, Agnieszka Gergont stated:
– Raised pedestrian crossings were built at the locations of existing crossings.
Asked whether such solutions may be used on bus routes, the spokesperson replied:
– Regulations do not prohibit installing them on streets served by public-transport buses.
In its response, the city did not identify specific regulations, the technical parameters of the raised sections or analyses concerning their impact on bus transport. The city’s position and the trade unionists’ concerns therefore do not, by themselves, establish whether the individual solutions meet all requirements. The unions are demanding an inspection of the documentation and the completed infrastructure.
The number of raised crossings was relevant to the funding
We also asked whether the number of raised crossings affected the award or amount of funding from the Government Roads Development Fund.
The spokesperson confirmed that the number of such crossings was one of the criteria for assessing the application under “Improving the level of road traffic safety” and affected the awarding of funding.
However, the response does not state what portion of the grant was connected with the crossings or whether their number affected the amount of support. Nor does it indicate that the city received a specified amount for each crossing.
Reader points out places that remain dangerous
The editorial office also received comments from a resident who draws attention primarily to excessive vehicle speeds. In his view, drivers can reach high speeds after entering Gałczyński Street, while the existing double speed hump does not effectively slow them down. The reader claims that passenger cars drive over it through the middle, while trucks pass without noticeably slowing down.
He proposes replacing this element with two wide raised sections that would effectively limit speed: at the crossing leading toward the bus terminus and school, and at the crossing toward the garages, allotment gardens and ring road.
This is a resident’s proposal, not an announced change to traffic organization. It nevertheless shows that the comments concern both the inconvenience of the raised sections for public transport and the effectiveness of slowing vehicles in places frequented by pedestrians. In its response to the editorial office, the city did not announce any changes on Gałczyński Street.