Early-July roundup: the tourist line 0 with heritage cars returns for the weekends, single tickets can be bought in advance in the apps, and lines 53, 811 and 524 change routes from 6 July. Plus 23 million zł for the Grobla waterfront with water tram stops, Budimex picked to build the Mierzyn bypass, and a GUS study suggesting over 427 thousand people live in Szczecin.
Early July brought a series of concrete announcements from the city offices: a heritage tram returns to the tracks, single tickets can finally be bought in advance in the mobile apps, and the city signed a contract for a new waterfront on the Oder. Add to that a second attempt at choosing the contractor for the Mierzyn bypass and surprising data on how many people actually live in Szczecin. We gather current announcements in our news section.
The heritage tram returns for the weekends. Line 0 starts on 4 July
From Saturday 4 July until 30 August, every weekend the tourist line 0 takes to the streets, operated by historic high-floor cars (the roster includes 167H, 216H, 293H and 343H, with different sets on different days). Departures from the Potulicka loop at 13:40, 15:00, 16:20 and 17:40. The circular route runs through Brama Portowa Square, Żołnierza Polskiego Square, past the former shipyard, along Wyszyńskiego Street, Zwycięstwa Square, Kościuszki Square, Bohaterów Warszawy Avenue, Grunwaldzki Square and Rodła Square, 16 stops in total, including by the Philharmonic and the Chrobry Embankment. Tickets are sold by a conductor on board: 5 zł regular, 3.70 zł reduced. Over the long August weekend (14 to 16 August) extra departures start from 11:00. It is one of the most pleasant summer attractions in town; ideas for the rest of the weekend are in our weekend roundup and the events calendar.
Buy a single ticket in advance. New app rules from 1 July
ZDiTM has changed how single tickets work in the mobile apps. Until now a ticket had to be bought only after boarding; from 1 July you can have it purchased in advance: at home, at the stop, whenever. After boarding a tram or bus you activate the ticket in the app by entering the vehicle's fleet number or scanning the QR code on the sticker above the doors. Once activated, a time-based ticket stays valid when you change to another vehicle, as long as its time has not run out. Two things to remember: you must activate immediately after boarding, and during an inspection both purchase and activation are blocked, so buying a ticket at the sight of an inspector is too late. The change does not apply to season tickets. More transport topics in our transport section.
Detours and new stops: route changes from 6 July
Summer roadworks translate into changes across the network:
- from 6 July, due to the reconstruction of Powstańców Wielkopolskich Avenue, lines 53 and 811 change their routes, and from the night of 6 to 7 July so does night line 524. Towards the Pomorzany Dobrzyńska loop, buses will run via Orawska Street, Powstańców Wielkopolskich Avenue and Budziszyńska Street; the Legnicka and Frysztacka stops on Frysztacka Street disappear, replaced by Częstochowska and a new Frysztacka stop along the avenue, while in the opposite direction the Ruska stop is withdrawn;
- since 1 July line 85 has been running on an altered route, as Krzemienna Street is closed between Sąsiedzka and Metalowa;
- further route corrections (including line 72) are tied to the construction of the S10 expressway;
- on Saturday evening, 4 July, short-term disruptions are possible in the centre during the video mapping show on the city hall facade, one of the attractions of the city birthday we covered earlier.
23 million for the waterfront at Grobla Street. The water tram gets new stops
On 29 June the city and the regional government signed a funding agreement for developing the Oder waterfront at Grobla Street in Golęcino, in the northern part of the city. Regional EU funds (the European Funds for Western Pomerania 2021-2027 programme) will provide 9.4 million zł, with a total cost of around 23 million zł. The scope includes reinforcing the embankment, dredging, a boat slipway, floating docks with water tram stops, moorings for small vessels and a promenade with street furniture, all fully accessible for people with disabilities. The project will run in a design-and-build formula from July 2026 to June 2029. The agreement was signed by regional board member Bogdan Jaroszewicz and deputy mayor Michał Przepiera. We wrote about the water tram plans in our Łasztownia update, and we follow other city projects in the investments section.
Mierzyn bypass: contractor chosen for the second time
GDDKiA has settled the tender for the Mierzyn bypass on national road 10 once again. This time the best offer came from Budimex, worth around 153.4 million zł. The first decision from February, won by the Spanish company Rubau, collapsed after an appeal and a National Appeals Chamber ruling ordering a re-examination of the bids. If the tender review goes smoothly, the contract should be signed in the third quarter of this year. Construction itself will take about 22 months excluding winter breaks, so drivers should use the new road (4.6 km, partly within Szczecin's city limits) in the first half of 2029. For the western estates and the Dobra municipality it is a key piece of the puzzle together with Szczecin's Western Bypass.
How many of us are there really? GUS counted "traces of life"
According to official residency records, Szczecin had just under 384 thousand inhabitants at the end of 2025. An experimental GUS study based on so-called traces of life, that is, the activity of people with a PESEL number in the social insurance, health fund and education registers, indicates that over 427 thousand people actually live here. The statistics office stresses that this is experimental, not official, but a gap of more than 40 thousand shows the scale of undercounting: among others, residents without formal registration and foreigners whom the previous statistics did not see. For the city it is an argument in discussions about subsidies and planning services, from transport to schools.
From the region: district roads and money for culture
The Marshal's Office signed agreements with four more districts to co-finance repairs of district roads. Money is also flowing to cultural institutions: the Koszalin Philharmonic received 650 thousand zł for concerts and a new grand piano, and the Koszalin narrow-gauge railway 200 thousand zł for track repairs. Earlier decisions of the city and regional offices are gathered in our June roundup.
We review the official bulletins and ZDiTM announcements as they appear. If you are planning your weekend, check the events calendar and our daily ideas in the events section.