The Budapest Development Center (BFK) presented the transport development study plans of the surroundings of Városliget and the new road-tram overpass on Szegedi road and the related new Rákosrendező station on an online forum. The implementation of the planned transport developments in the vicinity of Városliget is a precondition for the park to be car-free, for the Kós Károly promenade to be closed to traffic, for parking to be banned in Városliget and for Hősök square to be cleared of cars and for new connections to be established between Zugló and Angyalföld, Dávid Vitézy, director of BFK, indicated on his Facebook page.

As we have written , since the beginning of 2021, based on the decision of the Metropolitan Public Development Council and the government, the preparation of transport developments for the car decontamination of the City Park has been underway. Part of this is that BFK is planning a plan for a new bridge over the Rákosrendező on the line of Szegedi road - providing road, tram, pedestrian and bicycle connections - and a plan for a new 1,500-space P + R car park on Mexikói road as well as many a smaller traffic technical intervention is also expected around Városliget.

The Szeged road overpass (source: Vitézy Dávid / Facebook)

Vitézy emphasized that the basic goal of the development is for as many people as possible to travel instead of cars or transfer from cars to public transport, to stop car traffic passing through Városliget and a direct connection should be opened between the district without the traffic of the M3 burdening the internal road network of Angyalföld or Zugló.

He also emphasized that the Szegedi road overpass in the 13th district would fill a long-missing connection between district centers and provides an opportunity to extend tram ring 3 and improve road, cycling and pedestrian conditions.

Planned developments in the vicinity of Városliget (source: bfk.hu)

This bridge over Rákosrendező has been planned since the 1950s and is still part of the official documents of the capital. The Metropolitan Public Development Council decided in 2019 that it should be built, so the current leadership of the capital also supports it. BFK was given the planning task in 2020, he pointed out.

He also pointed out that Zugló and Angyalföld are the two most populous districts in Pest, and there are areas on both sides of the overpass that are developing rapidly. It is therefore unsustainable to be able to traverse here with a huge detour in the future.

The overpass over the new M3 with the tram (photo: Dávid Vitézy / Facebook)

He indicated that the study plans completed by the end of last year were supported by both affected districts as well as the capital. However, a number of comments and additions have been made, which are now being analyzed by experts, and the online forum has been held for this reason.

The tram to the Peace Square is planned through the overpass. Preliminary analyzes show that the 3rd ring road is worth continuing to Árpád Göncz city center and even to Óbuda. On the other hand, one of the branches of tram 69 could go to Lehel square, and from there later with the reconstruction of the tram on Bajcsy-Zsilinszky road towards South Buda, he explained.

 The Szegedi road overpass in today's environment (photo: Dávid Vitézy / Facebook) 

In the future, one of the most important tasks of the tram will be to allow passengers to transfer from Rákosrendező to the railway. If the Budapest Agglomeration Railway Strategy is implemented, twice the current number of trains will stop here, and a daily traffic of 35,000 can be estimated. Thus, from the lines of Vác and Veresegyháza, an important new transfer connection would be established to Bosnyák Square, Árpád Göncz's city center and Óbuda, Vitézy concluded.

It is planned that the permitting plans will be completed in 2022 and that the building permit will be available. BFK continues to consult with all stakeholders during the planning process, he summed up.

Cover photo: Perspective vision: the Szegedi road overpass, Rákosrendező railway station, Kisföldalatti station, Rákosrendező perspective urban development (source: Vitézy Dávid / Facebook)