There would be a thousand more important things than beautifying places that are popular with tourists.
In recent days, Gergely Karácsony has announced the start of a number of prestige projects in Budapest to launch his local government campaign, which he would finance from European Union funds. However, the development of the Nagykörút and Clark Ádám tér is an investment that the capital has already announced once, but the visual plans have now been brought up again, with the municipal election approaching.
Regarding the announcement of the improvements, Dávid Vitézy, the former general manager of BKK, also spoke, who said that the conditions of forty years ago often prevail in Budapest's major transport hubs.
According to Vitézy, there have been advances in some locations in recent decades, but there is a lot of work to be done around the major transport hubs of the outer districts, which is why, according to the expert, there would be a thousand more important things to do than the renovation of the square next to Sikló, which is popular with tourists, because the majority of Budapest lives outside the boulevard, and the beautification of Clark Ádám tér at the base of Buda Castle is not among the top 100 most important public space problems in the capital.
He added: the public areas are in a deplorable condition, the roads are full of potholes and puddles, barrier-free access has not been implemented on the metro lines, but countless other tasks could be listed that the capital should devote much more to than prestige investments.
One of Karácsony's plans is the renovation of Clark Ádám tér, which was already announced by István Tarlós and Gergely Karácsony himself over the years. The mayor first shared visual plans for Clark Ádám Square in May 2023, then he announced an investment with the same content as the current one, but the development ultimately remained on the planning table.
However, now, with increasingly unfavorable public opinion polls and the approach of the local government election, the mayor, following consultation with the mayor of the 1st district, Márta V. Naszályi, announced the renovation of Clark Ádám tér, in which a larger area will be available for pedestrians, and there will be significantly more green space , and conditions for cycling may also improve.
The mayor said that the square's now iconic roundabout would remain, but it would be smaller than the current one, and a plant bed reminiscent of the rose window of the Mátyás Church would be created in the middle.
According to the plans, the renovation of Clark Ádám Square can be realized with the co-financing of the European Union, as an additional part of the Operational Program for Territorial and Territorial Development.
Also as the launch of the local government election campaign, Karácsony announced the renovation and complex renewal of the Great Boulevard, the aim of which is to restore the boulevard's by now worn-out appeal and vibrant cultural and commercial life.
The problem with the project just announced, also financed by the European Union, is that the mayor already announced it in 2021.
In 2021, Gergely Karácsony came up with plans according to which the Budapest municipality would transform the Nagyköruta from a city highway into a green, livable, yet vibrant urban axis. According to the Népszava 2021 article, the planning process already started in 2020, as part of which they first wanted to define acceptable goals for the majority of city residents.
However, Gergely Karácsony later announced again that he wants to turn Nagykörút into a green, livable city district, and the planning of the development will begin this year.
Ferenc Karsay, the mayor of Budafok-Tétény, turned to the mayors of Soroksár, Ferenc Bese and Borbély Lénárd of Csepel, with the proposal to send a joint letter to the Minister of Construction and Transport.
In the letter, they ask Minister János Lázár that those traveling on the M0 bridge from Budafok-Tétény to settlements on the other side of the Danube do not have to pay tolls. Those who only want to cross the M0 bridge in southern Budapest with their car pay full price, just like those who go around half the capital on the ring road. According to the current rules, those who only travel to the other side of the Danube must also pay a toll, that is, they only use the M0 bridge as a crossing.
In addition to the toll, the fact that the capital led by Gergely Karácsony is unable to decide on the fate of the new crossing, the Galvani bridge, makes it difficult for people living in South Buda to travel.
According to the ideas, this bridge would be closer to South Budapest, not to mention it would make traffic much easier for the entire capital city. The government, on the other hand, cannot provide the funds for this until the capital decides on the details of the bridge construction, until the matter of the investment is put to sleep.
Cover photo: Gergely Karácsony and Márta V. Naszályi at Ádám Clark Square
Source: Facebook/Gergely Kárácsony
