Israel's High-Speed Lane Project Faces Criticism for Safety and Accessibility Flaws

Israel's ambitious NIS 8 billion "Fast Lane" project, designed to encourage drivers to leave their cars at large parking facilities and use shuttle services into Tel Aviv, is facing significant criticism for numerous operational failures. While the Ministry of Transportation and its implementing company, Netivei Ayalon, aim to alleviate traffic congestion, the project has been marred by issues affecting public transportation users and, tragically, motorcyclists.

New "Park and Ride" facilities, including a 3,500-vehicle lot in Rishon LeZion that opened recently, are intended to complement existing ones in Shapirim and Shefayim. These lots are serviced by frequent electric shuttles to key employment, education, and leisure areas in Tel Aviv and Ramat Gan. However, the new facilities, particularly those along Ayalon Highway, are struggling to reach their potential due to several shortcomings.

Public transportation users have been negatively impacted, as the project prioritized private car users over bus passengers. The installation of low, yellow bollards intended to block private cars from the Fast Lanes has also obstructed access for several bus lines originating from Rishon LeZion and Bat Yam, forcing them to use less efficient routes and adding significant travel time. Furthermore, there is a lack of public transportation connections to the new parking facilities themselves, even in Shefayim, where thousands of passengers pass daily.

The project also suffers from a lack of service on Fridays, despite significant traffic and parking demand in Tel Aviv on that day. Max Morogovsky, Chairman of the "Transportation on Our Way" association, criticized the prioritization of private vehicles and the limited access for buses, stating that "to enjoy the new infrastructure, the passenger must own a private car." He urged Netivei Ayalon and the Ministry of Transportation to rectify these flaws and ensure equal standing for public transport users.

Most alarmingly, the project has been linked to fatalities among motorcyclists and scooter riders. The decision by Netivei Ayalon to ban two-wheeled vehicles from the Fast Lanes, despite allowing them on the Jerusalem Fast Lane, has forced riders into congested private car lanes where they face dangers from other vehicles and the lane-dividing bollards. Two individuals have already died in the northern section of the lane, and the danger has now extended to the southern part. Despite these tragic incidents, Netivei Ayalon maintains that the bollards are standard international practice and that no safety issues have been documented in global literature, while also stating that two-wheeled vehicles are prohibited from the lanes.