His strong opposition to the technical environmental study relating to the “Evangelismos” station of the metro line 4 was expressed by Athens Mayor Haris Doukas, in a letter to the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport.
According to what he says, the proposal of HELLENIC METRO SA provides for the occupation of much of his part Rizari Park and the one -way Rizari Street for constructive needs and the Municipal Authority stresses that this will have serious environmental and traffic impacts in the city center, while the study is alleged to be ignoring a decision by the Council of State, which requires a thorough examination of the potential sacrifice of the park.
At the same time, the Municipality of Athens argues that the proposed traffic regulation is expected to cause congestion on key axes of the capital, such as Vasilissis Sofia Avenue and Vasileos Konstantinou Avenue, further burdening the area already pressured, while the region is already in place.
The Municipality of Athens calls for the rejection of the proposed TEPEM and the examination of the alternative solution to the station, which implies neither the destruction of green nor the occupation of Rizari Street.
Finally, he calls on the ministry not to take any action before the municipality submitted details.
The full text of the letter was published by the Municipality of Athens and states:
“From what we have been informed, the technical environmental study of the” Evangelismos “station of the Athens Line 4 has been deposited in your address by” HELLENIC METRO SA “for approval, which provides for the occupation and destruction of the largest part of the Rizari Park and the occupation of Rizari Park.
TEPEM does not adequately ensure the protection of the Rizari Park itself and in addition requires the occupation of the road and the restriction (one -way) of traffic on Rizari Street. Even on this regulation, no. 74103/05.05.2025 document of the Department of Road Infrastructure (D13) of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, which reflects the agreement of your service.
On the two specific issues we have to point out the following:
1. A. On the proposed Solving TEP, which, as has been judged by the Council of State, must be thoroughly studied by the issue of the sacrifice of the Park, as this has not been examined in the EIA of the project, we note that our municipality fully disagrees with its agreement with its agreement with its consent to its consent to Park, but not even the occupation of Rizari Street.
b. More specifically, with the proposed TEPEM – for which we expressly reserve to come back with detailed observations and comments on its content – the original design requirement of the projects is substantially unchanged, during their auctioning by HELLENIC METRO SA in the and 1,446 m2 on Rizari Street, ie a total area of ​​6,263 m2.
C. The submitted TEPEM does not fully comply with the requirements of the Council of State Decision No. 2274/2023, in terms of its essential point, which has a crisis of “… as far as possible protecting the Rizari Park with a thorough exploration of the potential for the potential of the potential. According to Decision 2274/2023 of the Council of State (see p. 23), “… as shown by the relevant annex of affected bourgeois greenery (vegetation of construction sites) the number of trees and shrubs or other ornamental plants affected during the construction phase is quite significant …”.
2. A. The above solution of the one -way Rizari Street will have serious and adverse consequences for our municipality and especially for the center of Athens, as Rizari Street is the only possibility of rising and descent from the Pagrati area, as well as from Vasileos Avenue to Vasileos Avenue. Consequently, this traffic is added to the already existing problems that have arisen within the Municipality of Athens from the construction of the subway stations.
b. The consequence of the above, many roads of downtown Athens will be burdened, resulting in a permanent traffic jam at key points of the Center, as is also stated in no. 8355/15.04.2025 OASA document, stating that “… these changes are estimated to have a transport impact (delays, etc.) in the wider area and emphasize that OASA will not be liable for this”. The above will result in the degradation of the quality of life and the daily lives of hundreds of thousands of Athens, workers and tourists, and the degradation of the urban environment itself.
C. In addition, the occupation of Rizari Street and the challenge of a permanent traffic jam in this area also poses risks to public health and safety, as there are many hospitals in the region, which regularly on call and serve emergencies. Also, as unfortunately noted in other METRO construction sites, it does not ensure that its vehicles are certain, as well as firefighting vehicles.
3. In view of the above, in this letter, the Municipality of Athens requests, in order to come back with new details:
(a) Reject the “HELLENIC METRO SA” TEPEM, which implies an unfavorable impact on Rizari Park, the region’s traffic and the wider Athens downtown and the living conditions of residents, workers, visitors and tourists.
(b) The alternative solution to the station is accepted, which implies neither the sacrifice of the Rizaris Park, nor the occupation of Rizari Street.
(c) Do not take any action of accepting the submitted TEPEM before submitting details. “
Source: Skai
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