Riga Municipality Launches Survey on Traffic Changes in Grīziņkalns

The Riga municipality has launched a survey asking residents, entrepreneurs, and other visitors of the Grīziņkalns neighborhood to evaluate the traffic organization changes introduced this spring. The survey is anonymous, takes only a few minutes to complete, and can be filled out multiple times from the same computer.

The changes, implemented in spring, include a reduction in parking spaces, introduction of paid parking, installation of a modal filter, and closure of Vārnu Street to through traffic. The aim was to improve traffic safety, reduce transit traffic, and create a safer, more comfortable environment for pedestrians and cyclists.

Many local residents objected to these changes. More than 2,000 signatures were collected on the "Manabalss.lv" initiative portal demanding their repeal. The initiative's author, Vjačeslavs Makarovs, told the city council that the changes lacked justification and impact assessment. He noted that closing Vārnu Street turned neighboring streets into transit routes for residents, and that emergency services—the Emergency Medical Service and the State Fire and Rescue Service—raised objections about the modal filter. Following these objections, the concrete barriers were removed and transit traffic was restricted only by road signs.

In May, the Riga City Council decided to refer the residents' collective application to the Department of External Space and Mobility for evaluation. The department has three months to report back to the council on possible solutions. The survey results will help assess how the changes have affected daily mobility and the neighborhood environment.