Stop cutting down trees along Aleja Jana Pawła II in Toruń

Toruń, 21 maja 2019

Społeczni Opiekunowie Drzew - Toruń
Pełnomocnik: Sylwester Jankowski
Janusza Kusocińskiego 2a/50
87-100 Toruń

Mikołaj Bogdanowicz
Wojewoda Kujawsko-Pomorski
85-950 Bydgoszcz
ul. Jagiellońska 3 

Michał Zaleski
Prezydent Miasta Torunia
ul. Wały Gen. Sikorskiego 8
87-100 Toruń

Piotr Całbecki
Marszałek Województwa
kujawsko-pomorskiego
ul. Plac Teatralny 2
87-100 Toruń

The municipality of Toruń starts to implement the second stage of the Bit City project, which allegedly aims to improve the effectiveness of the public transport. These days passengers enjoy shaded bus stops. The project implies cutting down more than 80 trees in the very heart of the city and replacing them with strips of asphalt.
Trees in urban areas have a complex role to play: they perform oxygen production, cast shadow, purify the air. How could the city attract more people to the public transport if we force them to wait in the direct sunlight at the bus stop filled with car exhausts?

Razing trees will cause substantial and irreversible damage to the natural environment and the cultural urban landscape of the city center of Toruń. In spite of tender specifications of the investment project planting new trees in such harsh, urban conditions (salinity, deficit of water, mechanical damage, underground infrastructure issues, low municipal spendings on maintenance of green areas in Toruń) would not compensate for environmental loss and would not make up for the environmental balance.

Botanical and dendrological research puts straight that in order to compensate for removal of just one healthy and mature tree it is necessary to plant 1000 (one thousand) young trees in the immediate surroundings. One mature tree in the vegetative stage emits into atmosphere 1800 liters of water daily. Losses caused by extractions of trees in the urban centers are enormous which determines many aspects of our life including aesthetics, tradition and health. Last but not least, as stated in the Constitution of Republic of Poland, the authorities and citizens are legally obliged to care for the environment, conservation of nature and ecological security (Art.68.4, Art.74.1, Art.74.2, Art.74.4, Art.86 Constitution RP). 

We appeal against granting authorisation to this particular road investment project in this form. We call for redesigning this specific part of the project, which would let the trees survive.

SPOŁECZNI OPIEKUNOWIE DRZEW - TORUŃ    Contact the author of the petition