Zadar Closes Part of the Peninsula for Storm, New Traffic Regime Tested
Due to a concert at the Forum on August 4, only residents and authorized vehicles will be allowed past Lančana Vrata, and Mayor Erlić also announces a long-term traffic study.
Due to a concert at the Forum on August 4, only residents and authorized vehicles will be allowed past Lančana Vrata, and Mayor Erlić also announces a long-term traffic study.
The summer tourist season on Zadar's Peninsula brings well-known traffic challenges once again this year. The historic city center, designed centuries before cars, is increasingly struggling to cope with the pressure of modern traffic, and the key issue has again come to the forefront of political debate. At the City Council's Question Time session held on August 1, 2026, councilors warned of growing congestion, and the mayor announced the first concrete steps.
City councilor Marin Pijaca highlighted the dramatic situation on Ulica Zadarskog mira, the section between the Forum and Zadar's waterfront. According to him, continuous pedestrian crossings are causing vehicle queues that stretch all the way to the Arsenal, with virtually no traffic regulation in place at that location.
"There are massive jams. Peninsula residents have contacted me to warn about this issue. We should consider installing pedestrian traffic lights or at least hiring a traffic warden, a 'Bobby,' for the rest of the summer. Pedestrians keep crossing the road without stopping; the flow is extremely heavy, and especially in the evening, many don't even look to see if vehicles are coming," Pijaca warned, as reported by eZadar.
Mayor Šime Erlić responded to the initiative, acknowledging that this is one of the biggest traffic challenges during the summer months. "I spoke about this topic in the media yesterday as well. We are witnessing that the Peninsula, at the heart of the tourist season, has a huge number of guests and vehicles. There's a real gridlock on the road. It's summer, people are out for a stroll, and this stretch along the waterfront is one of the busiest," Erlić said.
The mayor underscored the seriousness of the situation with a concrete figure. "It's becoming increasingly difficult to accommodate such a volume of vehicles on the Peninsula. We have situations where 20 or even 30 vehicles compete for a single parking spot. This is a serious challenge, which is why we are working with the Faculty of Transport to develop a traffic study, a detailed analysis to find long-term solutions," he emphasized.
The first major change on the ground will happen in just a few days. Due to a concert on the Forum ahead of Victory and Homeland Thanksgiving Day, where a large number of visitors is expected, part of the Peninsula will be closed to traffic on August 4, 2026.
"We already know that August 4 will bring massive crowds. That's why we will close that part of the Peninsula to traffic. We will inform citizens in advance that from Lančana Vrata onward, only Peninsula residents and authorized vehicles will be allowed. Essentially, on weekends or when we know in advance there will be a large concentration of people, that section of road will become a pedestrian zone. Other cities, like Poreč, already do this," Erlić announced.
The discussion on Peninsula traffic also touched on the issue of illegal parking. Councilor Hrvoje Marić announced that the City, due to numerous complaints from citizens, plans to expand the operation of Scan Car vehicles, particularly on Ulica Franje Petrića. He stressed that the primary goal is not enforcement.
"Pedestrian safety is our top priority. Our aim is not to penalize vehicles but to ensure pedestrians can pass normally. Scan Car will be introduced wherever the need arises," Marić said.
