By PEGGY CIDOR
When all is said and done, the question of whether the city has gained anything from this huge project must be asked and answered candidly. One could say that in a few years, when the light rail is functioning and residents are able to move about freely under comfortable conditions, there will be less bitterness.And the physical aspect of the city will be much improved. Jerusalem definitely warranted the kind of facelift the project is bringing about. All the heavy infrastructures have been changed and replaced for the first time in more than 50 years. Phone, electricity cables, water pipes and anything that could ensure that the physical functioning of the city is upgraded to the 21st century was done in the two years that preceded the roadwork and would not have been done – due to lack of money – if not for this project.The building of malls and plazas along Jaffa Road when the work is completed will give the city center a totally different look.Another positive outcome is the restoration and new construction linked to some of the oldest buildings on Jaffa Road, such as the Saidoff House project on Rehov Haturim, not far from Mahaneh Yehuda – not to mention the market area itself with the dismantling of old buildings, many of which have been remodeled. True, this is another very upscale residential project, but it will be one of the most beautiful in the downtown area.Along the major roads, the beautiful street lamps and plazas will probably attract more aesthetic store windows.None of that could have happened without a deep rethinking of the mass transportation issue, and positive results are already beginning to appear.
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