The City of Florence has announced that traffic circulation will change in the Oltrarno in late September 2016.
Oltrarno as captured by Deborah Guber of The Independent Traveler
Half of borgo San Jacopo will become pedestrianized, while the direction of traffic is set to change. To cross the city from east to west, authorized vehicles will access the centre through the electronic gateway in via dei Bardi before continuing along via dei Barbadori and turning right into via dei Ramaglianti. Vehicles will only be able to turn left onto borgo San Jacopo in the direction of piazza Antinori: the City will install a chain preventing access to the Ponte Vecchio, although cars will still be able to reach Garage Lungarno.
To cross Florence from west to east, cars with permission arriving from via Santo Spirito or via Maggio will be able to bypass the Ponte Vecchio toward San Niccolò by taking via dello Sprone. Upon reaching piazza della Passera a new electronic gateway will be installed by the Comune along the second part of via dello Sprone. Those without permission to access the city centre will be obliged to turn right onto via Toscanella.
Speaking to local newspaper Corriere Fiorentino, city councillor for traffic Stefano Giorgetti commented, “We have discussed these changes to circulation with residents, craftspeople and traders, fulfilling many of their requests and, if it doesn’t work, we will make further adjustments.”
The new traffic circulation was already intended to be in force but has been delayed due to the works to refresh lungarno Torrigiani in wake of the sinkhole on May 25, 2016.
