Helsinki votes to ban cars from central station area while reviving tunnel debate

The Helsinki City Council has approved a plan to remove cars from the area surrounding the city’s central railway station, a decision that marks a significant shift in urban transport policy, reports Finnish public broadcaster Yle. The move was met with unusually broad consensus, including support from the traditionally car-friendly National Coalition Party (Kokoomus), which appeared to trade its backing for renewed discussion on a long-proposed central tunnel.

The council voted to pedestrianise Kaivokatu, the street directly in front of the station, in what was described as a “historic” decision. Notably absent from the debate was the typical political friction, with even the Finns Party—known for defending drivers’ interests—offering only muted opposition. The National Coalition Party, Helsinki’s largest political group, adopted a conciliatory tone, abandoning its past insistence that pedestrianisation should only proceed if paired with a new underground traffic tunnel.

Observers speculated that the party’s subdued stance stemmed from a strategic compromise. Several National Coalition councillors referenced the existing huoltotunneli (maintenance tunnel) running beneath the city centre from Kaisaniemi to Ruoholahti—a little-known route currently restricted to service vehicles. The tunnel’s potential expansion for general traffic has long been a priority for the party, and its inclusion in the city’s current strategic plan suggests it may now gain traction.

The question remains whether left-leaning parties, having secured the pedestrianisation of Kaivokatu, would continue to oppose tunnel expansion as fiercely as they did during former Mayor Jan Vapaavuori’s (National Coalition) tenure. Critics, however, warn that pre-negotiating major decisions through strategy documents risks reducing the council to a “rubber-stamp” body, undermining democratic debate—especially in a chamber with no formal opposition.

Mayor Juhana Sazonov acknowledged the decision’s significance but hinted at alternative outcomes had he acted unilaterally, Yle reported in a separate interview.