Customers at Młociny Mall in Warsaw are stuck in the underground parking for over two hours, turning surrounding streets into a traffic jam during peak shopping time.
Underground Exit Bottleneck
Drivers report that the main choke point remains the exit from the mall’s underground parking to the intersection of Zgrupowania AK “Kampinos” and Książąt Mazowieckich near the tram depot. The congestion peaks as cars pour into the mall.
Readers describe hours of idling in the basement and severely poor ventilation. One driver wrote, “Parking level -2 blocked exit for 2 h. Air quality catastrophic.” Another noted, “Problem exiting from Mall, we moved only 30 m in 2 h.”
Spread to Main Roads
The blockage extends beyond the garages, disrupting traffic along Zgrupowania AK “Kampinos” and the avenue gen. Maria Wittek. This hampers movement for the tram‑bus loop, mall access, and residential ingress.
An October incident triggered multi‑hour delays, confirmed by driver accounts and reader-submitted photos, underscoring the issue’s persistence.
Recurring Autumn Gridlock
Problems have been known since December 2024 when full traffic signals were installed, causing complete gridlock during the pre‑holiday rush. Road staff promised corrections.
In February 2025, signals at the Książąt Mazowieckich and Zgrupowania AK “Kampinos” intersection were redesigned and reactivated, yet congestion recurs during peak shopping periods.
Authorities Blame Management, Not Signals
The City Roads Authority (ZDM) states that the issue stems from the management of the underground parking rather than the traffic lights. “The weekend event didn’t occur at the intersection but within the gallery garage. The problem lies in current parking management decisions and may repeat,” said spokesperson Jakub Dybalski.
ZDM added that nearby P&R parks experience no similar congestion and that the mall operator does not use the city’s occupancy information boards.
Mall’s Mitigation Efforts and Community Call for Action
In response to increasing difficulties, mall management opened all gates, waived parking fees temporarily, and requested police assistance with manual traffic control. They claim to be working on additional solutions and a comprehensive communication plan.
Residents and shoppers are urging rapid decisions before December’s peak season, arguing that the lighting system is unsuitable for the street’s capacity and that the gridlock also blocks daily home access via Zgrupowania AK “Kampinos.”
