Begin boulevard in Tel Aviv – from a suburban highway to an urban boulevard

Abstract

This paper describes how Tel Aviv’s Central Business District (CBD) is centered around Begin Road. By 2020, this area is expected to increase 50% in employment and 40% in housing. Initial proposals for Begin Road sought to meet the increased demand for travel by increasing road capacity. In response, the Israel Ministry of transport mandated an alternative design, which would give priority to public transit and pedestrians. The requirements of the alternative plan were: create a street with positive and clear urban identity, provide accessibility and safety for pedestrians and bicycles, give real priority for public transportation, allow through-traffic and provide access to street frontages, including short term parking. Five alternatives were developed by the planning team. All of them were different versions of the “multi-way boulevard”. The “multi-way boulevard” creates a clear separation between a slow moving “pedestrian realm”, and fast movement in the “through-traffic realm.” A multi-disciplinary evaluation process, involving professionals from several disciplines, was used to select two alternatives for further study. Evaluators first ranked the different road uses. Then each design was evaluated to provide a score on the overall integration and performance for the road design. Despite differences in priority schemes given to bus transit, both of the preferred alternatives provide a good balance between through traffic, vehicular access to adjacent uses, public transportation, and pedestrian and bicycle movement. They also create a strong, memorable street attractive to its users, which will encourage new development in the area.