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Psychological and Social Problems of Traffic in Historical Centres of City Tadeusz Rotter Transport Psychology Unit of Jagiellonian University, Cracow - Poland

1. Introduction In Middle Ages , the conditions of travelling in Europe were be very hard. Most of roads were be adapted only for using horses or prymitive vehicles. In old cities, narrow, dirty and dusty streets very effectively limited the moblity of inhabitants. In the first period of municipal transport , people used even ordinary wooden carts. Slowly , slowly, municipal transport used more comfortable omnibuses. which were drown by horses. Old buildings and prymitive infrastructure of old town were constructed as very solid. In result , we can observe very serious conflict between very distinguish but difficult environment of old centers and very modern vehicles , which were trying to come through old quarters of the city. As usually , we can meet two groups of the people tied with such conflict. The first, there are inhabitants , who want to save the oryginal charming shape of old town, to the second group join car owners and lovers of modern trends in urbanization. In many countries , the activity of the first groups is supported very effectively by green movements . The second group usually is looking for help to the lobby of producers of cars and petrol, owners of travel offices etc. The general situations of the organization of traffic in old centers is the effect of the permanent battle between these opposite groups.

2. The reconstruction old towns in Polish cities 2.1. Two ways of reconstruction old towns in Poland After II World War bigger part of area of Poland was distroyed . The Warsaw capital of Poland was completely ruined. Polish Government started with the national programme of reconstruction of the Country. These efforts influenced the development of transport , too. Slowly Polish motoring industry began to produce popular cars , which were very expensive and in the first period, were be delivered only for leaders of rivalry in work and other very important persons. The process of reconstruction of old towns in Polish cities had beeen organized practically on two different ways: • when the center of city was completely distroyed, the architects designed new modern quarter with wide streets, new infrastructure and typical houses . Full recostructions of old town took place rather seldom only in extraordinary situation (for ex. Warsaw old fortress and old town);

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• when the center of city was untouched , the proces of reconstruction of old town was

very slow and tied with very serious costs .The reconstrucion of center was very difficult and very limited. It was continued for a long time -many years Cracow, who was practically non distroyed in the war time, belongs to that second cathegory. The city - former capital of Poland had a long history and it is one of most monumental cities in Poland. Beautiful , charming old town with hugh Market Square greatest in Europe, is absolutely difficult for optymalization of traffic. Narrow streets, crossing with limited area and very poor possibility of parking of cars - there are basic problems of existency of vehicles in that part of city. In the period between 1960 - 1970 the surface of Market Square in Cracow was seriously reconstructed and all tram and buses lines were be removed from that place. Practically - the central zone has no any line of public transport. It discrease the mobility of inhabitants , because they have not only public transport and possibility of parking theirs cars in central zone. The nostalgia for tram line on Market Square influences the request of inhabitants to come backing of old tram on the Market. Now , it is only exhibit from Museum of Municipal Engineering in Cracow. In that situation , every lines of municipal transport arrounding the central zone through streets of the First Municipal Ring. It is a main reason of overloading of the First Ring. 2.2. Main goals of politics of transport in center of Cracow What the local authority in Cracow are thinking about the traffic in the Old Town? Generally , they do not like a using cars in center and they give a priority for municipal transport. It does not suprise , because , similar trend we can observe in many Europian cities. But the new politics is realized only by system of orders and limites, without using another solution - construction of new transit routes or underground parks and tunnels , which need a seriouse financial support. All power of municipal finance direct to reconstruction of main streets , connecting area of the First Ring and area of Second Ring. In programmes of the development of central area we can see the plan of adaptation of main streets mainly for pedestrians and trams, eventually municipal buses. The privat car will be intruder , occasionally following the tram or bus with the shyness . The politics of discrimination of privat cars in center is difficult for social acceptance from two reasons: • the network of municipal transport is not comfortable for using instead privat cars; • in Cracow District ,we have 750 000 inhabitants and 300 000 privat cars. It means that in average , each statistical family has their own car. The politics of local Authority is coming against needs of car owners, but they are a powerful social group. As we say, the plans of Local Authority in Cracow forecast only one way connecting the historical center of city with the center of each quarter Basically that street could be used by public transport, Cars and small lorries had to use that way only on the secon position , when the street is free .

3. Freedom of traffic in historical center 3.1. Problems of using cars by residents of closed zonas Results of investigations show , that numbers of places for car parks in arrounding of historical center is too small. The center has no underground parks or garages, too. We

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can observe that cars occupy all free places , where parking of cars is forbidden or free: in green areas , squares, pedestrian passages etc. From the second hands, the arrangement of architectural shape of historical streets is sometime very uncomfortable for inhabitants. For example - stone and metalic posts or similar elemments limitted posibility to transport into houses : heavy furniture, coal fo heating ,and even the action of first Aid Ambulance and Firemen.. Small number of car parks is unconvenient for people , who want to buy something in shops on historical streets. Many owners of shopes , pubs, markets etc. reported about such problems of parking cars of their clients. We can observe the lack of special ways for delivery of goods for shopping , and therefore , the work of suppliers must be organized early morning or in deep nighttime. 3.2. Dramatic time for inhabitants - reconstruction of historical street The reconstruction of historical part of center of city is sometime very long and very complex. It means for ex. the change of underground infrastructure ; water and gas pipes , electric cables, canals etc. The surface of the street must be removed. The process of reconstruction could be long and uncomfortable. We could divide it to three parts: 1. Before reconstruction . In this phase we can observe serious need for information.The inhabitants want to know all about the scope of reconstruction, designing of their street, organization of traffic in future and about benefits for residents (the calm of traffic, modern infrastructure etc.) 2. Time of work. After beginning of the reconstruction, the life of residents should be horrible. The level of safety of traffic for persons and vehicles comes down . Bad conditions of delivery of gods to shops and restaurants, pubs etc. causes fatal economical situation of these enterprises. Many long breaks in delivery electric energy, water, gas and central heating make serious trouble. In addition , noise of working maschines and dust creates the picture of horror. 3. Adaptation for new. When the reconstruction will be finish, the new organization of traffic could change the life and the customs of residents. New view of their street (photo) could give them more possibility of relax or living in calm . But the new rules of traffic need adaptation in using car, delivery of gods for shops and offices etc. We can see , that the information plays very important role in creating the positive social attitudes of inhabitants. Our research show that most of them ( about 82% respondents) want the reconstruction , because they know about fatal quality of the muninicipal infrastructure.The serious noise of vehicles on bad surface and tracks of trams, many defects of electricity, gas and water installations give a strong motivation to agreement for even serious and uncomfortable process of the reconstruction. By the way, people want to improvement of conditions of moving for vulnerable users and children ( 43% of respondents) and bicyclists ( 37.7% of respondents).

4. Traffic safety in historical center

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4.1. The role of municipal transport Results of our research show that 68% of inhabitants of Cracow used the municipal transport and about 64% interest in improvement of that branch. One of significant factors tied with that kind of transportation is a serious level of noise. In narrow streets , the noise of heavy vehicles - buses and trams is especially difficult to acceptance. In historical Karmelicka street in Cracow , the municipal transport took part in about 15% of traffic (buses only 3% ) but the level of noise reach to 70 dB . Therefore the decisions about using modern trams and using only small buses in the night service were right. About 41% our respondents complained for noise , but 58% report about their problems with air pollutions in Cracow. The reconstruction of historical street make the level of traffic safety much lower. After reconstruction trams , vehicles and pedestrians must coexist on that same surface . Similarly as in residential zones , people walking on area of lines of urban transport. We observe , that pedestrians completely ignored red signal on the traffic lights on the crossing inside the area of historical streets. Many accidents were caused by pedestrians , who had running into a trams from behind parking cars or another trams . Probably, after reconstruction, the boarder between the surface and sidewalking of street became „unvisible” for pedestrians. 4.2. Fidelity of reconstruction In most cases , designers ,who prepare the process of reconstruction of old streets , want to come back to primary picture of it We observe a main trend coming to reconstruct the maximal number of old details. It touches such elements as : the shape of old fortress and walls, old tramways, old-fashion lamps , banches etc. But we are living in the new reality , and these details not at all adapted to new conditions. I think that style of reconstruction must be filfull with such rational limittes . In area of Karmelicka street we could find two situation , where the reconstruction increase level of traffic safety. The first is a marked shape of the Shoemakers Gate , which several hundred years ago existed in that place . Unfortunately the reconstructed bases of that Gate has the position between two stops of municipal transport with the service in that same direction. The crowd of travellers , who waiting for trams , are standing in very nerrow and dangerous place , with high level of risk of the collision pedestrian - vehicles . The designer had possibility to project that shape smaller or put in another place. The project gaves the chance to make the structure of municipal transport more safety by organizing only one common stop for both tram lines. But that possibility was not realized The second problem is a kind of pavement stones.There are very rough as an old hand made traditional pieces of pavements. In that situation tradition is not good thing ,because even small rain or snow make the pavement very slippery mainly for pedestrians and for vehicles ,too . Similar problems make old non-used .track for narrow-gage trams, which discovered on time of reconstruction of Cobbler Street.

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5. Conclusion The reconstruction of old historical centers of cities there is the processs ,which restored the glory of old towns. It became be popular in many Europian countries. But that process cannot ignore basic needs of inhabitants and limittes the standard of their life. Sometime, the level of traffic safety coming down , too. The reasons of it are following: • It is mainly the conseqence of lack of separation between pedestrians and vehicles.The common area gives the possibility of traffic conflicts. • Limitted traffic in these zonas encouraged pedestrians to breaking law and to create dangerous situations . • The quality of pavements ought to be adequate not only for tradition but for traffic safety. • The process of reconstruction of historical street must be support by full and valuable information. It is necessary for confidence of inhabitants and their acceptance of many troubles , tied with that works. • It necessary to improve the situation of shops , restaurants and other small businesses in time of reconstruction, because the limit of traffic leads to their bancruitment.

References 1. Grzesik Sylwia - Psychosocioligal characteristics of attitudes of inhabitants of Cracow in problems of reconstruction and development of street network of Cracow city” (in Polish), Transport Psychology Unit of Jagiellonian University, Cracow 1997 2. Rotter Tadeusz. - Psychological aspects of evaluation of reneval streets in historical center of city (in Polish) - reports of Conference „Engineering Problems of Reneval of Old Town Quarters of City” - Cracow 1998

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