Road workers do not want to stand out once again – Kommersant

The authorities of Moscow and the Moscow region, Kommersant found out, are seeking the organization of dedicated lanes for public transport on the Moscow region sections of the federal highways M-5, M-7, M-8 and A-105. Earlier, Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin instructed to work out the issue. Rosavtodor resists, arguing that highways in their current form are not designed for leased lines, there is a high risk of traffic jams and, as a result, “social tension”.

The issue of organizing dedicated lanes on the federal highways M-5, M-7, M-8 and A-105 (access to Domodedovo), Kommersant found out, was discussed in April at a meeting of one of the working groups of the directorate of the Moscow transport hub. Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin instructed to work out the project in February, in the spring the head of the Moscow Region, Andrei Vorobyov, said that leased lines would definitely appear, but for this it was necessary to do “a lot of transport and technological work.” Recall that there are dedicated lanes for public transport in many cities of Russia. Most of them are in Moscow (134 sections with a length of more than 440 km). There are bands in Kazan, St. Petersburg, a number of cities in the Moscow region and other regions.

The initiators of the appearance of bus lanes on the federal highways of the capital region were the governments of Moscow and the Moscow region, told Kommersant in Rosavtodor. “Currently, the issue is being worked out,” confirmed “Kommersant” in the Department of Transport of Moscow. “Modeling and analysis of the traffic situation were carried out, taking into account the balance for all road users – urban transport passengers and motorists.” In the Moscow Region Ministry of Transport, Kommersant was told that in 2022 Moscow and the Moscow region “came to the conclusion” that it is necessary to introduce leased lines on the M-5, M-7 and M-8 as an experiment, since priority should be given to public transport. “More than twenty bus routes run along each route. There is a high passenger flow here and there are significant delays in the movement of public transport,” the department said. “There is no way to save passengers from traffic jams in other ways than organizing dedicated lanes.” The ministry expects that after the introduction of dedicated lines, buses in the morning and evening rush hours will go 20-40 minutes faster (depending on the route), there will be a “predictable” travel time to metro stations, due to which passenger traffic will also increase.

Rosavtodor is skeptical about the idea. They explained to Kommersant that the M-7 and M-8 were recently reconstructed according to projects that did not provide for dedicated lanes, and “their construction will inevitably lead to traffic jams, social tension and additional environmental stress.” A similar risk is also seen in the Moscow Region Ministry of Transport: “But since the organization of dedicated lines is an experiment, specialists will monitor and analyze the situation,” they say. “In the event of significant deterioration for personal transport, adjustments will be made to traffic management schemes.”

According to Rosavtodor, it is possible to design leased lines only after the opening of the M-12 Moscow-Kazan highway at the end of the year (it is able to remove part of the load from the M-7) and bypassing the Oktyabrsky village on the M-5 (now the route passes through this settlement, there congestion often occurs). As for the M-8, here, according to Rosavtodor, new side passages are needed. The feasibility study is “rational to entrust” to the Moscow Region authorities.

Rosavtodor also has a number of conceptual objections. They recalled that, according to the law on highways, “federal roads” connect, including Moscow, with the capitals of neighboring states, the capitals of subjects, but “ensuring transport accessibility” is a function of local roads and the road network of settlements. In addition, the agency believes that the arrangement of dedicated lines is an “ineffective solution” to improve public transport, which is no more than 1.5% of the total traffic flow: intersection of public transport routes with other traffic participants.

A Kommersant source familiar with the situation said that at one of the meetings, the Moscow Region authorities were asked to take the A-105 highway (now supervised by the Avtodor state company) on the balance sheet and independently solve all the problems of this road (including those associated with dense buildings along the highway ), but the region disagreed. It follows from the directorate’s materials that the leased line on the A-105 should be considered “in conjunction” with the “promising” reconstruction of the route until 2030. In 2014, we recall, the media reported on the possible expansion of this road. Kommersant did not find any actual projects or public procurements for the reconstruction of the A-105.

Andrey Mukhortikov, a member of the public council under the Ministry of Transport of the Moscow Region, believes that it is possible to create a lane on the A-105 due to a “slight widening” of the roadway, and on other routes – due to re-marking. “On the M-8 near the Moscow Ring Road and on the initial section of the M-5, the number of lanes is redundant, one of them can definitely be allocated,” explains Mr. Mukhortikov. “On the M-7, re-marking can narrow the existing lanes by adding another bus lane. With proper design, I don’t see any risks to traffic capacity and traffic safety.” Piotr Shkumatov, coordinator of the Blue Buckets movement, believes that the strip can only be made on the M-8. “There will be a collapse on the road to Domodedovo if there is only one lane left for traffic,” he says. “The situation will be saved in part by the fact that taxi drivers will leave for the leased line, but, obviously, it will become worse for the majority. I won’t even talk about the long-suffering M-7. M-5 is also in a state of permanent overload.

Ivan Buranov