Due to the increase in the number of cases of Sars-Cov-2 coronavirus, MPO Kraków has once again started cleaning the urban space with the use of disinfectant liquid. Work focuses on sidewalks and squares, pedestrian crossings, and stops – places where there are usually more people. Street baskets, handrails of various types, and benches are also disinfected.
The disinfecting liquid is safe for residents and animals. The employees of MPO Kraków use protective clothing due to the long-term work with this agent – temporary contact is completely safe. We ask residents for cooperation and understanding – so that MPO employees can efficiently disinfect, please move away from the cleaned surface. The disinfection action will continue until further notice.
Krakow City Hall
Some locations will be disinfected more frequently!
Depending on traffic and current needs, the frequency of disinfection will vary – from once a day to once a week. Public places with high pedestrian traffic throughout the city will be disinfected, including public transport stops, sidewalks, bus loops, larger transfer points, underground passages and footbridges, containers for selective waste collection, pharmacy surroundings with entrances, street bins in the garbage.
As reported in the office, the disinfection and ozonation action of buses and trams of the City Transport in Krakow is carried out without any changes.
The disinfection of the city and restrictions on the movement of residents bring positive effects in the fight against SARS-CoV-2. This is confirmed by scientists from the Małopolska Center of Biotechnology of the Jagiellonian University.
The magistracy notes
Analysis of the urban space contamination with the SARS-CoV-2 virus run by the Małopolska Center of Biotechnology of the Jagiellonian University
Scientists from the Małopolska Center of Biotechnology of the Jagiellonian University under the supervision of prof. Wojciech Branicki, dr hab. Eng. Paweł Łabaj and prof. Krzysztof Pyrć, in the spring of last year, conducted an analysis of urban space contamination with the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Thanks to the cooperation with the city, samples for testing were collected by city guards from places with heavy traffic. Swabs from flat surfaces came, for example, from ATMs and ticket machines located at bus stops, e.g. at pl. All Saints, Mogilskie roundabout, Bagatela Theater, Nowy Kleparz, Mały Płaszów loop and shopping malls.
“The determination of the genetic material of SARS CoV 2 virus was performed using the genetic test “Real-Time Fluorescent RT-PCR Kit for Detecting SARS-2019-nCoV” from BGI Genomics Co. Ltd. This test is very sensitive as it is able to detect even single copies of the virus. It is used, among others in Germany to test samples from patients” – explains Paweł Łabaj, co-author of the study, and adds that although the determinations were qualitative, not quantitative, the characteristics of the results indicate the presence of several or a dozen copies of the virus in the samples taken, not several hundred or more.
Research results and actions taken
As research has shown, in mid-March 2020, over 40% of the samples could find the genetic material of the virus. “The highest percentage of positive results was observed on the first day of the project. The material was collected and accumulated on the surfaces for several days” – explains Łabaj.
In the following weeks, the data were more and more optimistic, and at the beginning of April 2020, only one sample on a given day was positive in subsequent downloads. “We do not see any location having positive results. The virus appears incidentally when a sick person appears in a specific place and is not constantly present in public space”, emphasizes the scientist from the Małopolska Center of Biotechnology of the Jagiellonian University.
The authors of the research emphasize that the virus was therefore detected in the initial monitoring period, but the steps taken by the city, including the disinfection of public spaces, brought the expected results. The authors of the research also remind you to disinfect your hands and avoid touching your face.
Read the article in Polish language, in Gazeta Krakowska, here.
The coronavirus pandemic has had a drastic impact on Krakow’s tourism industry. Will Krakow ever return to the pre-pandemic level of tourism? The city authorities prepared the document “Krakow’s sustainable tourism policy for 2021-2028”, which is to answer this question and what will the tourism policy look like in the coming years.
Pandemic = collapse of tourism
Due to the pandemic, there was a collapse in tourist traffic in Krakow. Foreign tourism has practically died down, and the Krakow airport is recording drastic drops in the number of passengers. Pre-pandemic tourism and the idea for the future are described in over a hundred-page document on tourism policy for 2021-2028. It was prepared by the Tourism Department of the Krakow City Hall. The document is ready and the councilors will take care of it soon. If adopted, it will become the basis of the city’s official tourism policy.
What is the document all about?
“The program was ready before the pandemic, but it had to be verified and adapted to the current situation. We hope that after the pandemic is over, we will start rebuilding tourism in our city, so as to regain its important role in the socio-economic life, not to overgrow the tourist function in the future, while increasing the quality of services and the quality of life of the inhabitants” – emphasized Elżbieta Kantor in the autumn, director of the Faculty of Tourism.
Like many documents of this type, it is full of clerical phrases and specific language. What is striking is the fact that it was only the shock in the form of a pandemic that forced Krakow’s authorities to look at the problems that residents have been reporting for years, such as depopulation of the center, which has been appropriated by tourists, or loud, drunken night-time “tourism“.
Krakow tourist statistics were on the rise (pre-pandemic times)
Krakow has always boasted about growing tourist statistics. In 2019, the city was visited by approximately 14 million people, including over 3 million foreign guests. At that time, tourists left PLN 7.5 billion in the city (compared to PLN 6.48 billion in 2018). Tourism in Krakow was primarily about quantity, not quality. What officials pay attention to in their study.
“The structure and development trends in the tourism market until 2019 and the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic indicate the need to change the approach to the development of tourism from quantitative to qualitative, without throwing inhabitants and space (especially cultural heritage) from a state of relative balance” – reads Krakow’s sustainable tourism for the years 2021-2028 ”.
The situation was analyzed before the pandemic. The authors point out that tourism is an important part of the city’s GDP, but not the dominant one. In 2016, tourism was responsible for 8% of the city’s entire GDP. It is estimated that tourism creates 29,000 jobs in Kraków permanent jobs, and at the peak it generates over 40 thousand. The share of the tourism economy in employment in the entire economy of Kraków exceeds 10%.
Mainly foreign tourists spend the night in Krakow
Mainly foreign tourists use the accommodation base in Krakow. In 2019, as much as 95.5% of them stayed in Krakow for at least one night. In the case of domestic tourists, it was 66.9%.
Rooms and apartments for rent offered as part of the global Booking or Airbnb portals, are very present in Krakow. The problem is that many of these short-term rental places are not officially reported anywhere. Which doesn’t mean they’re not reported. Nevertheless, it is difficult to determine their total number. However, in 2020, in the database of the Nicolaus Copernicus University in the records of facilities providing accommodation services, other than hotels and camping sites, in Krakow there were 1,646 facilities offering 32,181 beds, which is over 50% all accommodations in the city.
Short term rentals were also on the rise (pre-pandemic times)
A survey among residents from 2019 was also cited regarding their attitude to the increase in the number of short-term rental premises. Almost 80% agree with the opinion that short-term tourist rental allows residents to earn, and approx. 65% believes that it broadens the city’s accommodation offer. On the other hand, 50% agree that the development of such a lease is conflicting, and almost 60% state that it causes depopulation of districts and should be subject to interference by city authorities.
The growing role of business/congress tourism
The officials’ study also drew attention to the growing role of business and congress tourism. In 2019, the Krakow meetings industry took 48th place in the world and 29th in Europe. In 2019, 8,400 business meetings were held in Kraków, 78% of which were domestic. The largest share (over 2/3) was constituted by congresses and conferences, which were over 5.6 thousand. Corporate and incentive events were ranked second (over 2.6 thousand).
Krakow’s tourist offer, which enjoyed the greatest popularity until the pandemic, is the so-called city break (short weekend stay), congresses and conferences, religious tourism. The most competitive area of Krakow tourism is gastronomy, and the most attractive is medical tourism.
Types of tourists visiting Krakow
The program includes an interesting analysis of the “type” of tourists coming to Krakow, indicating which tourist is the most desirable. So far, three groups have been the most numerous: the purist of culture and art, the weekend conformist, and the banal hooligan. The last tourist is most often noticed by the resident – loud, often drunk, focused on cheap entertainment, not exploring the city.
Looking for Homo Consumens
From the city’s point of view, the most desirable tourist is the creative homo consumens. As we read in the study: He is not only a passive addressee of the offer created by the city but also acts as an active participant in the market and acts as its reviewer. Until now, however, this type of tourist was poorly present in Krakow.
The study focuses on the so-called night economy, where it was emphasized that the most desirable attractions should be sophisticated and advanced entertainment, which, based on the traditions of the city and its cultural potential, may generate significant income for municipal institutions. However, the dominant element of Krakow’s city nightlife is the so-called simple entertainment.
On this occasion, there is also a statement that “looking at the administrative decisions of the authorities as the only means of fighting the pathologies of nightlife is a naive approach”.
The study highlights the process of gentrification that affects the Old Town most acutely. It was emphasized that this process began there after 1989, but that it was not directly caused by tourism.
Recommendations for Krakow’s tourism policy
The plan for Krakow’s tourism for 2021-2028 contains a total of 9 recommendations for its implementation. Reconstruction of inbound tourism to the city is to take place, among others through:
increase in management efficiency,
integrated marketing communication,
support for the commercialization of the offer of local entrepreneurs,
mitigating conflicts of interest and values.
As we read in the study, “the challenge for Krakow in the process of rebuilding tourism is the management of the place, taking into account the commercialization of the offer, integrated marketing communication, mitigating conflicts between residents and visitors (or between various groups of competing service providers), regulation of access to selected zones considered to be tourism, and tools for acquiring financial resources, organizational structures, as well as skillful involvement of residents in the provision of services for visitors ”.
Restoring the tourism will take several years!
The tourism plan for 2021-2028 explicitly states that the collapse of tourist traffic due to Covid-19 is a huge risk for entrepreneurs in the form of a lack of revenues, costs, and debts. The study states that the process of restoring tourism will take several years.
Among the many recommended activities are:
Initiating and creating innovative package services based on the cultural and sports offer and events, taking into account all attractions and values of Krakow and Małopolska as well as premium products, including in cooperation with the Małopolska Tourist Organization.
Support for the development of public and private investments with a potential for the reception of tourist traffic and the ability to diversify.
Partnership of the local government with the tourism sector in the implementation of promotional activities on emission markets.
Cooperation with global booking portals in the field of knowledge exchange, promotion and respect for the city’s identity as a historical center.
Management of special areas and cultural parks in the spirit of sustainable spaces and services.
Supporting solutions that improve the quality of guide services, including in special areas.
Development of legislative solutions for the protection of the urban landscape with the participation of the tourism sector.
Jointly building a competitive congress offer of the city, its promotion and lobbying with the use of the most effective marketing tools, e.g. a congress package, the Polish Congress Ambassadors program.
Concentration and commercialization of unique events (including exhibitions, festivals, etc.) with a prestigious national and international rank.
Creation of a platform for information and commercialization of the offer of cultural institutions and events.
Engaging creative industries and non-tourism services.
Increasing the integration of tasks of other municipal institutions (Krakow Film Commission, Krakow Festival Office) with the tourism economy.
The preparation of the document was preceded by diagnostic analyzes. Research was also carried out on the attitudes and expectations of residents, and during the pandemic, an interview with entrepreneurs regarding their economic condition and proposals for measures to rebuild tourism in Krakow.
The communication revolution has reached Ulica Dietla. Now, as part of the Shield for Mobility, the rules of traffic organization are changing. Drivers will have fewer lanes, but there will be new parking spaces. Pedestrians can count on more space on the sidewalks. There are also roads for cyclists.
City Hall’s stand
“The renovation of Krakowska Street is coming to an end, along with the reconstruction of the intersection with Dietla Street. Taking advantage of the opportunity of reduced traffic in the area covered by the works, the Road Administration of the City of Krakow renovated Dietla Street. Completion of the above works is a good opportunity to comprehensively systematize the organization of traffic on this street” – explains Sebastian Kowal from the Krakow City Hall.
Introduced on ul. Dietl, new traffic organization solutions include freeing sidewalks from parked vehicles. “This will enable the comfort of walking and ensure social distance, which is so important in the current epidemiological situation” – emphasizes Sebastian Kowal.
Then and Now
So far, Ulica Dietla had 2 lanes in each direction. Now over 130 parking spaces will be designated on the outer lanes. They are to be built along their entire length, but additional turning lanes will appear instead of them at an appropriate distance in front of the intersections. There are also 3 kiss & ride (K&R) parking spaces for tourist buses in the vicinity of the Vistula boulevards, Kazimierz and Wawel, which is to reduce unnecessary access of coaches to the very center.
The remaining approx. 5 meters of the road on each side is shared by cars and cyclists. “The changes are made so that, as part of measures to improve the safety of all road users, the wide roadway does not encourage driving too fast, however, so that it is still comfortable and cyclists feel safe” – informs Sebastian Kowal. “Cyclists will be clearly marked with the way they move. At the same time, these changes, even with parallel parking on the road, will not restrict the passage of emergency vehicles”, he adds.
The first painted stripes of the Krakow Shield for Mobility appeared on the Grunwaldzki Bridge and Ulica Grzegórzecka and Wielopole. Public Transport Authority announced that the changes would be continued and now the time has come for Ulica Dietla. Currently, it is painted there, among others road for bicycles . On the Grunwaldzki Bridge, it was separated with separators and stakes, while on Dietla, a 2-wheeled path was painted on the road. For now, only on the side of Kazimierz, but the same changes will be introduced on the road leading to traffic from ul. Dietl to the Grunwaldzki Bridge.
Would this lead to blockades?!
“It should be noted that before the renovation of Krakowska Street, 24/7 lane parking was introduced on Dietla Street. This provided, in line with the expectations of local residents, parking spaces for them. The implemented solutions, despite the concerns of some skeptics, did not lead to the blockade of the street. At the same time, as part of the traffic organization, various solutions were tested for the duration of the works, aimed at streamlining road traffic, including improving the functioning of public transport, in particular trams, and, equally important, facilitating walking” – emphasizes Sebastian Kowal. “Therefore, changes in the target traffic organization are largely the result of experience and traffic observation. New solutions will offer residents the most effective use of the available space”.
The capacity of Ulica Dietla will improve turning off the traffic lights in almost all places. However, the new traffic organization adds the inability to travel by car straight between ul. Krakowska and Stradomska, in both directions.
The comprehensive implementation of all the new solutions at Ulica Dietla is scheduled for mid-September this year.
Citizen stand
Looking at the comments and discussion on the topic, it seems that the citizen of Krakow are split between liking the idea and totally dismissing it. Some say that the red stripes are quite vulgar and they do not blend in nicely with the historical architecture (which, IMHO, they are 100% right!), some state that having 1 lane (instead of 2) brings more traffic jams and more pollutions through the exhaust fumes… some mention that one lane will bring issues in case of emergencies (how can one yield the lane to the ambulance, firetrucks or the police?!)…
On another hand: more parking spaces! (and everyone loves that!) Mixed feelings but I think we need to see the lanes in action and see where that takes us… I, for one, wish more people would take bikes and public transport than using their own cars!
If you wish to read more, the article in PL language can be found here.
In September 2017, Massive Dynamic AG Polska (a branch of Massive Dynamic AG based in Switzerland) submitted a proposal to build an underground metro network for Krakow and the Krakow agglomeration for about 45 billion PLN on the basis of a public-private partnership. Its representatives resent the president of Krakow and his subordinate officials that for three years their actions have only discouraged the investor from actions that would largely solve transport problems in the capital of Małopolska and neighboring municipalities.
What would the project mean?
The undertaking would consist in the fact that Massive Dynamic AG will design, build and finance the metro network, then use it and earn money on it until the return on investment (analyzes have shown a return on the investment after 22 years), and then it will hand over the property to the city.
The concept proposed by Massive Dynamic AG assumed the construction of 5 metro lines with a total length of over 170 km (139 stations and 19 park & ride parking lots with a total capacity of about 6,100 parking spaces). It would be a subway network that would connect Krakow with the adjacent municipalities. 4 lines would run radially with a common point at the Main Railway Station, and 1 line would be a circumferential line.
The Numbers
It was noted that, according to preliminary arrangements with the provincial conservation authorities, the metro could run at a depth of at least 20 meters. The first 2 lines would be built within 3 years. The following ticket prices were adopted: tourists staying up to 3 days: 72-hour ticket – 54 PLN; tourists staying over 3 days: 7-day ticket – 74 PLN; students from outside the commune: monthly ticket – 82 PLN; students living in Krakow: monthly ticket – 65 PLN; people commuting to work from outside the commune: monthly ticket – 129 PLN; Krakow residents: monthly ticket – 92 PLN.
What happened?
The case was transferred to the Municipal Economy Department of the Krakow City Hall. “There, after the initial meeting, I was informed about the need to be patient. From the beginning of December 2017 to the end of March 2018, I was disposed of for all kinds of contacts with the Municipal Economy Department because of the lack of time for meetings regarding the metro” – admits Marcin Boroń, president of Massive Dynamic AG Polska.
In connection with the situation, in June 2018, Massive Dynamic AG submitted a petition to the Krakow City Council, in which it renewed its proposal to build the metro. As a result, there was finally a meeting with the management of the Municipal Economy Department, where president Marcin Boroń presented the concept of the metro to officials. He declared that the company had adequate financial resources and was in talks with companies involved in tunneling (Herrenknecht), rolling stock production (Siemens), and train traffic control systems.
Officials pointed out that a Study for Collision-Free Transport in Krakow is being developed, its effect may be the construction of the 1st metro line, therefore any works related to the construction of the metro line would have to be carried out in parallel and completely independent of the route of the metro in the eastern corridor analyzed in the Study West. Officials also pointed out that 3 metro lines were planned in the Krakow Development Study. The concept would, therefore, have to be adapted to this document or changed. The representatives of the city hall also expected more specific analyzes and documents confirming the investor’s financial capacity.
In October 2018, Massive Dynamic AG submitted to the office the preliminary analysis of the investment, and two months later it sent documents confirming the financial capacity. In order to read the documents sent, including agreements with foreign partners, the investor expected the city to sign a confidentiality agreement. The contract template was sent to the office at the end of 2018.
“After sending these documents, the Municipal Economy Department began to act very slowly. After many phone calls and messages sent by e-mail, a meeting with the vice-president of Krakow, Andrzej Kulig, was finally arranged on February 12, 2019, i.e. after more than 16 months from the moment our company submitted the proposal to build the metro“ – emphasizes President Marcin Boroń. “At the meeting attended by other representatives of the office, the scope of the project was initially discussed and it was agreed that a confidentiality agreement would be prepared. Later, the office again acted very sluggishly, in my opinion, so as to discourage us from further action in this matter”.
2019 & The Mayor of Krakow
In April 2019, Massive Dynamic filed a complaint against the work of the vice-president of Krakow, Andrzej Kulig, and the Municipal Economy Department. The Mayor of Krakow, Jacek Majchrowski, found it unfounded. In response, he recalled that the proposed solutions for the metro were not in line with the spatial development study for Kraków. The president also emphasized that although the president of Massive Dynamic Polska had sent documents confirming financial credibility, officials could not read their content, because they were secured with a password along with the information that they could be read after signing a confidentiality agreement.
The president also asked attention that the proposed routes of the metro lines should be verified by professional analyzes and forecasts of traffic, as well as the locations of transfer stations/nodes so that they do not conflict with the existing development. The president also noted that the city could not afford to cooperate with one entity selected without respecting the provisions related to public procurement.
Lack of interest…
“If it were an investment under a public-private partnership, the city could have prepared a tender and started a technical dialogue with our company” – says President Marcin Boroń. “We presented the general concept of the metro lines, which could be detailed at subsequent stages of the works to meet the city’s requirements. However, about PLN 20 million would be needed to conduct detailed analyzes. We could not afford such an expense without any agreements, especially non-disclosure agreements. It is difficult to imagine that without it, we would disclose all the financial secrets of our company to the office” – he adds.
Massive Dynamic AG also submitted complaints to the Krakow City Council and tried to present its vision to the councilors at the RMK session. “Until today, however, we have not obtained consent for it” – says President Marcin Boroń.
On the other hand, the chairman of the Krakow City Council, Dominik Jaśkowiec (PO councilor), informed Gazeta Krakowsa that he would look at the matter. “We have not recently invited guests to the meetings of the Krakow City Council due to the coronavirus pandemic. If epidemiological conditions make it possible, a presentation of the subway project could be organized in September” – explains Dominik Jaśkowiec.
Krakow voted in favor of having a metro line!
In May 2014, the inhabitants of Kraków voted in favor of building the metro in a referendum. In September 2018, the city signed an agreement with ILF Consulting Engineers Polska to develop a study for collision-free transport, including metro, for 9.4 million. The contract includes a deadline for the completion of the works by the end of 2019. Just before that date, the Krakow authorities informed that the document would not be prepared on time, as the proposals for the location of underground stops for the metro (planned on the Nowa Huta – city center – Bronowice route) were negatively assessed by the conservation authorities.
Initially, the Małopolska Voivodship Conservator of Monuments Monika Bogdanowska agreed only to the metro stop at the Nowaka-Jeziorański Square, so in the vicinity of the Main Railway Station. There was no consent for stops at the Mogilskie roundabout, the intersection of Dunajewskiego, Karmelicka and Podwale streets, and the square between Karmelicka and Dolnych Młynów streets, where there is now an above-ground parking lot and a municipal park is to be built. The contractors of the study proposed new solutions for the stops and the conservation authorities approved two of them: in the area of the Mogilskie roundabout and ul. Karmelicka, but with conditions. In the case of the Mogilskie roundabout, the recommendation was that the stop should not collide with the remains of the former fortification buildings.
Half a year ago, it seemed that both parties would be able to complete all the details efficiently and by the end of June this year, the authors of the study would be able to complete the necessary work. However, there are further delays and so far the Study has not been presented…
For more details on how the proposed 5 metro lines would look like, please do check the Gazeta Krakowska article and photos.
Yours truly,
The Twisted Red LadyBug bringing you the Krakow News
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