The Committee for National Infrastructures (Hotal) approved the last section of the metro plan in Gush Dan, and this will include the compromise proposal regarding the Ra’anana West station, which will be located between the heavy rail station (Israel Railway) and Beit Levinstein, thus making it more accessible for the patients there. The committee announced yesterday (Monday).
The M1 metro layout, which should connect most areas of Gush Dan to Tel Aviv, has been in the planning for many years, and is expected to be the largest and most expensive metro line in Gush Dan. Its southern part is expected to start with two branches, one in Lod and the other in Rehovot, and connect to Tel Aviv. Its northern part, which will connect Tel Aviv to the Sharon cities, will also split into two branches: The southern one will connect to Hod Hasharon and Kfar Saba, and the northern one to Herzliya and Ra’anana.
Due to many controversies surrounding the routes of the northern section, it was decided in 2022 to split the approval process and work on the route into two different projects in the northern and southern sections, in order to start moving forward with the southern section, which was defined until Gilit, while the northern section remains in dispute. The southern part was approved in May of that year.
The main controversy in the northern route of the line was around the Ra’anana West station, and the issue of its proximity to the Levinstein house: with the publication of the initial plan outline of the line, about 250 objections were submitted to Vatel, of which about 89 revolved around the Ra’anana West station, which is only one of over 20 stations.
Originally, the station was supposed to be located next to the existing Ra’anana West train station, thus allowing a convenient transition between the lanes. However, the municipality of Ra’anana and the IDF Disabled People’s Organization protested, claiming that in such a situation, Beit Levinstein, the largest rehabilitation center in Israel, would be located 1,200 meters away from the station, a distance too difficult for those injured in rehabilitation. The municipality of Herzliya opposed the proposal to move the station to Beit Levinstein, on the grounds that the proximity to the train is important, and also because this will make the station less relevant for the residents of the eastern neighborhoods in Herzliya, which are expected to house tens of thousands of residents in the near future.
Mass transportation expert Amiram Strolov drafted two compromise proposals: the proposal that was rejected outright was the construction of another station. In the second proposal, which was finally accepted, he proposed to move the metro station about 450 meters closer to Beit Lewinstein, and to build a conveyor belt for the remaining 800 meters, so that both the train and Beit Lewinstein would be at a reasonable distance from the new station. The Ra’anana municipality and the Nachi Chahal organization welcomed the compromise proposal, while the Herzliya municipality strongly opposed it.
The last row was in a discussion held about two months ago, in the capacity of researcher Thelma Dochen. During the discussion it seemed to some of those involved that the investigator was leaning in favor of the compromise proposal, but her conclusions were not published. Now, in a final way, the hotel has accepted the positions of the organization Nachi Chahal and the municipality of Ra’anana.
Now after the approval, the NATA company will begin to coordinate the issuance of permits with the National Licensing Authority in the Planning Directorate, both for early works to promote availability and for the benefit of relocating infrastructure. The length of the M1 North section is approximately 28 km, and 20 stations are planned to connect Kfar Saba And Ra’anana to the center of the metropolis, through Herzliya, Hod Hasharon and Ramat Hasharon.
The committee also decided on the location of the depot station, and determined that it should be left in its current location near Kfar Saba, and not near the castle, in order to avoid a significant delay in the construction of the northern section of the metro.
Chairman of the National Planning Headquarters and Chairman of the Hotel, Rabbi Natan Alantan: “This is a historic day for the State of Israel. The State of Israel joins the ranks of countries with a quality mass transportation system. The metro system of Gush Dan 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 metropolis.”
Director General of the Planning Directorate, Rafi Elmaleh: “The Planning Directorate is working to promote a quality public transportation system in the State of Israel. After the heavy rail and the light rail, today we approve another layer in the mass transportation system – the metro. This tier will complete an advanced and high-quality transportation network that will reduce traffic congestion in the Tel Aviv metropolis and improve the quality of life of the residents. Alongside the planning of the metro route, we are promoting a complementary move to the urban space of the metro stations (TMA 70) that will combine residences, employment, commerce and leisure. We will begin the detailed planning phase that will bring us another step closer to establishing the system.”
