Israel's Planning Administration today announced that the National Infrastructure Committee has unanimously approved the last section of the M1 line north of the Metro mass transit project in the Greater Tel Aviv area. This means that all three lines of the entire Metro network have now been approved. The section of the plan approved today is the northern section of the M1 line, which was separated for approval from the central section due to objections from the Ra'anana and Kfar Saba municipalities.
The M1 line northern section comprises 28 kilometers with 20 stations, which will link Kfar Saba and Ra'anana to the center of the metropolitan region via Herzliya, Hod Hasharon and Ramat Hasharon.
Initial planning of the new route which extends the line eastwards, to Israel Railways eastern line, will be started by the Ministry of Transport in December 2025.
The change: Ra'anana West station will move
The committee's ruling after hearing objections allows opponents in Ra'anana to claim a victory. The Ra'anana West station will be relocated to provide a solution to the connection with the Israel Railways station and Loewenstein Hospital - Rehabilitation Center. However, claims by residents in one of Ra'anana's neighborhoods, who opposed the metro passing under their homes, on the grounds that the line did not serve the hospital, were rejected as part of the planning process. After significant political pressure was applied, a certain change was ultimately made to the original plan.
In addition, in a hearing in December 2023, the National Commission for Planning and Building decided on the issue of the depot, the location of which was opposed by the Kfar Saba municipality and the residents of its Yaroka neighborhood, and ruled it will remain in its current location near Kfar Saba, to prevent a significant delay in construction of the northern section of the Metro.
150 kilometers of tunnels and 109 stations
With approval of the plan today, initial planning of the largest and most complex transportation project ever in the State of Israel has been completed, including 150 kilometers of tunnels and 109 stations.
The Metro will be used by an estimated 450 million passengers per year (two million passengers per day). Now, with approval of the last section, the detailed planning phase of the entire metro system will begin.
Chairman of the National Planning Headquarters and Chairman of the Metropolitan Transport Authority, Rabbi Natan Elnatan said, "This is a historic day for the State of Israel. The State of Israel will join a number of countries with a quality mass transportation system. The Gush Dan (Greater Tel Aviv) metro system will change the face of the metropolis and significantly improve the lives of millions of residents. The Metro plans form the basis for urban development in the Tel Aviv metropolitan area."
Planning Administration CEO Rafi Elmaliach said, "The Planning Administration is working to promote a quality public transport network for the State of Israel. After the railway and light rail, we are today approving another tier in the mass transportation system - the Metro. This tier will complete an advanced, high-quality transportation network that will reduce traffic congestion in the Tel Aviv metropolitan area and improve the quality of life of residents. Alongside planning the Metro route, we are promoting a complementary move for the urban space of the metro stations (TAMA 70) that will combine housing, offices, commerce and leisure. We will begin the detailed planning phase that will bring us a step closer to building the network."
Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on December 30, 2024
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