STEPS THAT MAKE A DIFFERENCE
The Steps That Make a Difference project connects the project activities of the projects Octopus with an attitude! with the activities Are There Any Awake? Choose Life! into a meaningful whole in order to have a more significant impact on vulnerable groups in traffic, on the one hand, and on traffic planning, which must include imperfections in the behavior of road users in traffic solutions, on the other.
Steps that make a difference in the area of the Zagreb Borongaj railway station
During 2022, four people died in the area of the Zagreb Borongaj railway station. Numerous educational campaigns and warnings are not enough, and in this regard, the SGI has proposed several solutions. In the National Road Safety Plan in the Republic of Croatia for the period from 2021 to 2030, the Ministry of Internal Affairs recognizes humans as the most responsible factor. And this through three levels of responsibility: the responsibility of road traffic participants, the responsibility of traffic creators or planners, and the responsibility of infrastructure managers.
This responsibility is best seen in the area of the Zagreb Borongaj railway station and the Trnava railway station. It is probably unusual to mention road traffic participants as responsible for railway accidents, but the fact is that to a lesser extent, the users of the Trnava railway station are railway passengers, railway workers, and even road vehicle drivers. Over 80% of these are citizens from the Donja Dubrava area who, as road traffic participants, need to get from point A to point B and on that occasion cross the railway line.
Education and prevention are not enough because citizens continue to engage in illegal and risky activities and endanger their lives and health. This is where the responsibility of the creators or traffic planners begins. It is necessary to recognize the position of the Zagreb Borongaj station for the eastern part of Zagreb. It stretches for 3 km and divides Donja Dubrava into two parts. On these 3 km there are underpasses at the Maksimir and Čulinec stops and a pedestrian crossing at Osječka Street. In all other places, pedestrians and cyclists manage to cross from one side of the railway to the other.
Few people would decide to walk 20 minutes longer to one side or the other to one of the underpasses. This leads to the creation of trespassing across the tracks throughout the station area. And this problem of the lack of a sufficient number of underpasses needs to be systematically solved.
It is important to look at the dynamics and intensity of traffic, whether rail, pedestrian and bicycle flows. Given that so far, improving traffic safety has been viewed through statistical data on accidents and fatalities and injuries.
When someone gets hurt, it is too late. Creation should be based on everyday behavior. In the area of the Trnava railway crossing and all other regular and irregular crossings in the area of the Zagreb Borongaj station, it is necessary to start determining the dynamics and intensity of traffic.
From how many trains pass and when they are the most numerous, to how many pedestrians, cyclists and moped drivers cross the Trnava railway crossing and how many of them commit traffic violations and why. High intensity includes over 75 trains in 24 hours and over 7,500 vehicles in 24 hours. That is why, in addition to traffic planners, it is necessary to involve psychologists. We have both nearby at the Borongaj Science and Education Campus.
Based on this data, they believe, the City of Zagreb should build an effective two-level solution. There is also the National Road Safety Plan that addresses the black spots, and the crossing from one side of Donja Dubrava to the other in Trnava is covered by area 8 of the NPSCP – Active traffic users (pedestrians and cyclists).
If someone says that there are not enough financial resources, we can only say that Matija Mandić from KONG ICT presented an interesting fact at the Road Safety Conference: one fatality in traffic costs the Republic of Croatia 10 million kuna. This year alone, 4 people died in the area of the Zagreb Borongaj station.
During the implementation of the project “Octopus with an attitude – Steps that make a difference”, the following attitude was often heard from local residents and councillors of the Donja Dubrava municipal district: “People have been dying here for more than 50 years, it’s nothing new!”
SGI therefore supports and proposes:
- Identifying road traffic participants who are injured in the area of railway infrastructure
- Involving traffic designers and psychologists in solving the problem of crossing the residents of Donja Dubrava from one side of the railway to the other and solving the black spot in the area of the Trnava railway station
- Building an infrastructure solution in two levels
- Let’s transform Trnava from a place of injuries on the railway into a place of life, socializing and innovative solutions
“Steps that make a difference” & an attitude that stands out from the crowd – Borongaj Student Campus
“The area of the Borongaj Student Campus Urban Development Plan is located in the eastern part of the City of Zagreb in the Peščenica – Žitnjak district. It covers an area of approximately 85 ha. The area of the scientific and educational Campus is located between the consolidated urban districts of Maksimira and Ravnica to the north, the Žitnjak industrial zone to the west and south, and unconsolidated residential settlements to the east. Outside its boundary, very different suburban and urban structures can be seen – without any established functional or design relationships. The campus is located on the central city axis in the east-west direction, and therefore has an extremely favourable geo-traffic position thanks to the immediate proximity of the railway line to the north, and the planned extension of Ulica grada Vukovara to the south of the area.
On the way to the student campus in Borongaj, if we come from the north, we are inevitably greeted by a railway line that we have to cross if we want to get to the campus. The line that once connected suburban areas with the city, today in the middle of the settlement, becomes a problem and a challenge, how and from where to get to the other side to the campus properly and quickly. On the west side is the Maksimir railway station, on the east side the Trnava railway station, which are about 2km apart. Almost in the middle and vertically in the south direction is the Campus, and on the north side of the line is the ZET stop. Today’s generations of students love every free minute and often hunt for a lecture or a bus to return home at the last minute. In doing so, they choose the shortest route vertically to the south through overgrown and vast undergrowth and a beaten dirt road. Guided by curiosity, we walked along this path in order to understand the charms of traffic risk by using a trespassing, unauthorized railway crossing. In the 15 minutes it takes from the bus stop, through the “trespassing” to the back entrance to the Campus, we met several students who confirmed that they spend their entire studies this way because it is the shortest for them…
The existence of the problem was determined based on statistics from the field of railway safety, but also on everyday encounters with situations where people walk and cross the railway line. For this reason, a preliminary research and analysis of the section of the railway from Podsused to Sesvete was conducted. A count of unauthorized crossings of the railway line at the trespassing towards the Borongaj student campus was conducted. The result is devastating and as such motivated us to act.
The Borongaj campus includes approximately 4,500 students from various faculties: the Faculty of Transport Sciences, the Faculty of Education and Rehabilitation, Croatian Studies and the Faculty of Economics. If only 10% of students decide to take the risk of using the trespassing, we are talking about a figure of 450 students.
Implementation of the Project
Project: “A STEP THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE & AN ATTITUDE THAT STANDS OUT FROM THE OTHERS” – Educational and preventive concept on a safe and healthy lifestyle in traffic for students of the Borongaj Campus, consisting of three parts:
- Educational and preventive actions in traffic
- Educational and preventive actions for all students of the Borongaj Campus and nearby elementary schools on the topic of safety and a healthy life in traffic (basic traffic postulates, compliance with traffic rules, “a healthy mind in a healthy body”, creating good habits, acquiring new knowledge, traffic culture and correcting risky behavior)
- “Educational trail – “A STEP THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE & AN ATTITUDE THAT STANDS OUT FROM THE OTHERS” (route / path from the Trnava stop leading to the student Campus, a 15-minute walk)
– Informative, educational, and preventive messages on a healthy lifestyle, proper and necessary behavior in traffic, especially near the railway, and creating good habits
- Involving citizens in project activities and informing the public – citizens of the city of Zagreb will be informed about the project through promotional announcements and statements to the media: before, during and after the actions, at the opening of the “Educational Trail”, through weekly communication via social networks and the web during the duration of the project
- Involving volunteers in project activities – swarming of users of trespassing during peak hours, exam periods, communication / sharing educational and promotional materials during preventive actions, designing messages about safe and healthy living and education / Workshops / Info corner.
School for Life – Video identity of HSS (2020)
In Zagreb’s Trnava, a fun workshop has sprung up on the path between the ŽCP and Resnik, which children from the neighbourhood, as well as adults, can colour. The illustration is coloured with chalk and thus colourfully decorates the path until the next rain, which washes away the colouring book and colours and prepares it for a new wave of painting.
The work is signed by an academic painter and street art artists. The work is a bit childish, but that was the idea, to get closer to children and young people who cross the railway every day. The numbers are not negligible, that the campus includes 4,500 students and that 128 primary school students from Resnik attend the ‘M.J. Zagorka’ primary school, which is located on the other side of the railway. This work was created precisely because of them.
Through proactive activities, we want to inform and educate students about traffic as such, about traffic rules that are a necessity and a prerequisite for safety, and to prevent unwanted risky behavior and accidents.
Our goal is to warn about critical behaviors and the risks of such behavior, to motivate, initiate and encourage the achievement and active participation in the community and the creation of a safer and healthier traffic environment, socially acceptable behavior of users and traffic participants, reducing the number of accidents, injuries and fatalities, striving for ‘0 accidents’, raising the level of traffic culture, creating positive attitudes about traffic, building mutual tolerance, changing acquired negative attitudes, developing solidarity, human and ethical relationships and awareness of the need to preserve human health and life and developing awareness of environmental protection”, the Institute explains.
Incidentally, near this crossing, unfortunately, accidents are frequent. Four young people were recently killed.
The Story of Hendrix
When we mention the name Hendrix, the first association is that we are talking about the famous guitarist Jimi Hendrix. This story has a connection with the musical genius. Before we tell the story, we would like to thank the company Skira, which supported us with the introductory video. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkAtvnXGKM8)
When we talk about bridges, we are talking about structures that connect shores and people. They have a primarily political and social function, but also aesthetic value. Some stand out for their beauty, some for their size, and some for their interesting stories.
Railway bridges attract people the most with their beauty and accessibility.
Technical data about the Hendrix Bridge
The official name of the bridge is the New Railway Bridge. The old single-track bridge was built in 1862 and was located a few meters upstream from the current one. It was the first railway bridge over the Sava. At that time, the railway bridge was the largest and most complex structure in Croatia. The new, double-track bridge was built at the end of 1939.
Today, there are 8 bridges on the main river course in the city area. The railway bridge is in the middle, close to all major roads and in a residential area. It is close to public transport, sports, and night clubs. It is located in a place full of people both day and night.
The bridge type is an arch bridge with the famous Langer beam. The material is steel with clips. The total length is 306 m, width 9 m, the largest span is 135 m. The traffic frequency is an average of 100 trains per day. The colour is green.
Name
The official name of the bridge is the New Railway Bridge. Because it is almost on the site of the old bridge that was only a few meters upstream. Nobody uses that name. I’m even sure that few people even know it. They usually call it the Railway Bridge, the Green Bridge because of its colour, or the Hendrix Bridge after the famous graffiti. During the Universiade in 1987, a guy hanging from the bridge wrote the name of his favourite guitarist for the first time.
He had no idea that his graffiti would mark the bridge forever. The local government and Croatian Railways didn’t like the graffiti because it represented “devastation” and decided to remove it. Repaint it green. After a few days, a new Hendrix graffiti appeared in the same place. The local government didn’t want to ignore the problem and painted the name over again.
After a few days, you guessed it, the graffiti was back in the same place. So the local government started fighting the graffiti artist and the local community. They even hired a security guard to protect the bridge from people, but not to protect people from the bridge.
The constant writing of graffiti on the bridge led to the name being recognized by the local population. The initiative of the local community to rename the bridge Hendrix has been going on for 26 years.
This conflict between the local government and the community led to a large number of people walking and climbing on the bridge, that is, risky behavior on the bridge.
A building with a special aura
The Hendrix Bridge is a building with a special aura. It attracts almost everyone:
– It is part of a tourist tour
– It was sung in a song by the famous band Vatra, in the verse “on top of Hendrix Bridge…”
– Graffiti artists have painted various variations of the Hendrix Bridge graffiti around the city
– It has been photographed more than a million times, even to the point of being dangerous for the photographer himself
– Under the bridge, a sculptor created a stone sculpture called Vodan
– A young artist created Hendrix jewellery
– Famous brands have made many advertisements
– It is on the label of 2 domestic craft beers
Youtube SGI video
At the top of the bridge, we found risky behavior. The track should be for rail traffic only, but it is not. There is always some curious exhibitionist eager for a challenge. Under the bridge, there are many outdoor activities, sports and cultural events. The most famous are the Green River Festival and the Hendrix Half Marathon.
This is a key part of where and how it is possible to combine the attractiveness and uniqueness of the Hendrix Bridge with improving traffic safety and reducing risky behavior.
The Vision Zero approach recognizes errors in human behavior and seeks effective safety solutions. We at the SGI also recognize risky behavior on the Hendrix Bridge and have decided to act before new accidents occur.
Problem
In addition to its beauty, the Hendrix Bridge also attracts risky behavior. The number of classic train accidents is small, but the bridge is known for suicides and challenges by young people. About 10 people climb or walk on the bridge annually, either individually or in groups.
Access is simple. There is no fence. There is a path. It only takes a few steps to reach the path near the bridge. Two more steps and you will find yourself on the bridge. There is a warning and prohibition sign, but it has been destroyed.
Railway bridges are similar to all other bridges, but they also hide dangerous moments:
– there is no space / path for pedestrians
– the train is wider than the track itself
– there is electricity and there is a high risk of electrocution
– the bridge has buckles and is not stable for walking
– when the train reaches the bridge, it creates vibrations and there is a high risk of falling from the top of the bridge.
In 2018, there was a fatal accident, and a lamppost can be seen near the fence. 🙁
Young, but not so smart
This short video clip shows one of the worst examples of risky behavior on a bridge, and can be found on YouTube:
Youtube video young people on hendrix
Risk behavior is not only a problem for people who like challenges. We present the testimony of a train driver who encountered a group of children walking on the bridge. For him, it was a stressful situation. At the last second, he stopped the train.
When train no. 961 arrived in front of the bridge, the train driver noticed a group of children walking on the bridge, which is why he immediately started braking. After the train stopped, the group of children moved away from the bridge. After making sure that the track was passable, the train driver continued driving.
The young man in the picture can celebrate his second birthday today, and he took two years of my life – said the train driver. (November 13, 2020)
Lack of statistical data
There are no public statistics on extraordinary events or suicides on the bridge from the local government, railways or the Ministry of Internal Affairs. There are only media releases and communication from the local community on social networks indicating risky behavior and deaths on the bridge.
When we type Hendrix Bridge into Google search engine – we get a lot of different topics of posts – from explanations of the connection between the bridge and the Hendrix name, initiatives to rename the bridge, posts about climbing, walking, risks, TikTok challenges, accidents, deaths, attempted suicide, Hendrix half marathon…
There is also a page that “supports” climbers and gives them instructions on how and where to get to the top the fastest and what equipment (shoes) to use.
We also found safety angels (residents) who call the police every time they climb or walk. Imagine if safety on the bridge depended on the empathy of a neighbour on the balcony or a woman in a shop by the bridge.
Some of the SGI solutions are related to activities under the bridge
– Info boards with qR code with rules of conduct and warning about the dangers of risky behavior
– Education
– New educational and promotional material for all residents, especially for young people
– Cooperation with graffiti artists, creating a new space for graffiti on the walls under the bridges
– Painting the bridge buckles can restore the bridge to its former glory
– Motivational cards / focus on cultivating healthy activities
– Through sports and steps that make a difference in traffic and rail safety
This year, we held lectures about the Hendrix Bridge at 3 universities. We distributed educational leaflets and motivational cards with some of the best quotes from Jimi Hendrix to students. The essence of the card is that when we face a challenge or negativity, we read a quote that positively motivates us, shifts our focus to what is important and helps us solve the problem or challenge.
You can keep the card in your bag, wallet, give it to a friend or as a bookmark…
We also participated in the Hendrix Half Marathon with our octopus mascot with an attitude and steps that make a difference!
The music for the promotional videos was made by our friend and SGI member Mario Dautović. Thanks Mario!
Finally, I have one question for you. Do any of you run races? What distances do you run? Join us next year in the race and create healthy and safe steps under the Hendrix Bridge.
Trespad
This year, we presented The Story of Hendrix at the TRESPAD (Trespassing & Suicide Prevention) event, as part of the ILCAD 2023 conference in Warsaw.
