Transportation ministry will invest NIS 1 billion in public transportation routes in Netanya

In the next five years, the Ministry of Transportation will invest about NIS 1 billion in the network of public transportation routes and bicycle paths in Netanya. This was announced by Minister of Transportation Merav Michaeli and Netanya Mayor Miriam Feierberg, after signing the agreement.
The project will be completed only in 2027. In the coming year, the Ministry of Transportation and the municipality will complete the preparation, and only then will the actual work begin. The Ministry of Transportation was proud today that Netanya will be the first city in Israel to offer maximum urban coverage of a network of preferred axes for public transportation and sustainable transportation, reaching the city's neighborhoods and surroundings, as the first swallow in the metropolitan transportation network promoted by Michaeli around the country.
However, the ministry has already carried out a similar project in Ashdod, which in 2011 surpassed 16 other cities in the country in a call issued by the ministry at the time. As part of the project, NIS 200 million was allocated to Ashdod, but a harsh report by the State Comptroller revealed that the agreement was signed only in 2014, and NIS 20 million was added to it in advance. By 2018, its budget exceeded NIS 291 million, and the plan has not really been fully implemented. The Ashdod municipality and the Ministry of Transportation are negligent in controlling the plan and its implementation, and the project is considered a failure.
The project in Netanya will include 27 kilometers of public transportation routes, upgraded stations, preference for traffic lights and an enforcement system. Eleven advanced transportation terminals will be built in Netanya and its surroundings - from Havatzelet in the north to Beit Yehoshua station in the south and Hasharon Junction in the east. In addition, 26 kilometers of bicycle paths will be established, which will include refreshment stations and dedicated facilities. 11 kilometers of bicycle paths will be built next to the outbuildings and in addition, the municipality will pave seven kilometers of tactical bicycle paths.
The ministry has promised that the public transport routes and cycle paths that will be paved in the city will be connected directly to demand centers including the train station, employment centers, educational institutions, health centers and recreation and leisure areas. Alongside them, refreshment stations will be set up for riders, facilities for tying bicycles, air inflating stations, fountains, shading and planting trees and more.
According to the plan, the public transportation system in the city will be increased by 50% and preference will be given to buses at intersections. Electronic enforcement cameras will be installed along the ramparts to ensure a clear road and free traffic for buses. The plan also includes shading sidewalks to encourage walking in the city. The transportation network, according to the plan, will be connected to a metropolitan traffic management center.
Minister Michaeli said this evening that "the agreement we brought today combines for the first time all arms of the ministry, from public transport, infrastructure, walking, cycling and through all relevant companies and bodies, and gives preference to public transport over private vehicles. I call on all heads of authorities to join the new initiative And be part of the change. "
Netanya Mayor Miriam Feierberg added that "the agreement will allow higher availability of public transportation and in the long run will also lay the groundwork for the next project that the Ministry of Transportation and Ayalon routes are working on, in cooperation with municipal officials and will include three light rail lines from Netanya and Netanya. "Paving Road 561, widening the 57th axis, a designated public transportation route from the Netanya employment area to the large parking lot of Hanna Vesa in Shefayim. All of these will provide a significant and genuine solution to the difficult transportation crisis plaguing the Sharon region."