FLORENCE ZTL UPDATE

That measure is simply outrageous. I vote on Italian elections regularly (there is just one around the corner). Whenever a credible politician proposes banning ZTLs nationwide, I'll vote for him/her. I'm becoming a single-issue voter on this issue, since it it what enrages me most when I visit relatives in Italy, which I do several times per year. They should either pedestrianize streets they don't want traffic over, like they do throughout Europe, or allow any regular registered car to use the roads. I hate the mobility and transportation agency of Firenze a lot, though I have even more negative feelings for the one in Milano and its congestion charge.

Andre', My cousin, who lives within the ZTL, on the Ponte Vecchio, who also has a disabled plate which allows her to go and park where most people can only dream of, will join you in that effort. Most Florentines actually hate these measures simply because they feel everything the City Government does is to please tourists who come to the city for just a couple of days at the expense of Florentines who live there year round. I want you to know that A pedestrianized city center is very pleasant to tourists who can so walk freely and enjoy the magic of the city the way it looked centuries ago before cars were invented, but a big pain in the arse for those who live there day in and day out.
That's a big sacrifice for the rest of us who go there and just visit the place for a short time, if you ask me. Florentines deserve the Nobel prize for patience with tourists. I lived there so I know the pain to deal with all those restrictions. It was actually one of the reasons why my wife and I moved.

This is very helpful information to know. As to the opinions about ZTLs, I would argue that there are valid reasons for limiting traffice in Medieval era cities never meant for cars. Even with ZTLs, traffic in most Italian city centers is almost unbearable.

I lived in Milan(o) for a while, though on the outskirts. If they wanted to make some streets that need just local traffic that way, they could use bollards triggered by keys or RFID. Genova has several streets operating like that. This way, there is a physical barrier clearly defined and no through traffic. The problem I see with ZTLs in big cities is that the local "comune" tries to reduce car traffic without offering credible alternatives. I live in the Netherlands, there is no such things as ZTLs here, even in the canal perimeter of Amsterdam. But traffic is light. Why? There are reliable trams and subways which people can use in an efficient way to get around, so there is no need to restrict cars with good alternatives offered. Until very recently, Firenze had only buses, now there is a tramway. The outrageous part is that, when you read the "exceptions" to the ZTLs, they encompass almost everyone: those who work there, deliveries, teachers, parents with small kids, many public employees, hospital workers and visitors anytime etc. It is actually hard to get a grip of which locals are excluded from it, once you figure out the 7-page list of exceptions. In any case, there is one advantage of the new ZTL there: it work as a perimeter, a clearly defined one, so it is much easier for the tourist to avoid accidentally crossing into one. Before, you had tricky street corners leading into ZTLs and several zones. Now at least you have a large ZTL which you can easily check on your GPS.

Not only is there no credible alternatives, but even those that existed have been removed. The Tramway is only one line connecting the station to Scandicci.
But the bus lines that existed downtown have been removed as well because the Mayor didn't think the buses looked good passing next to the Duomo. So now there isn't even a bus that goes beyond the station. The lines that passed in the city center (i.e. the Duomo, since that's the only way to go through the city center for a big bus) now go all the way around. Basically to go to the Duomo or Piazza Signoria, you have to get off either at the station or in Piazza San Marco and walk 15 min. the rest of the way. Not so for the Mayor, who's is chauffeured in an armored limousine all the way in front of Palazzo Vecchio or wherever he needs to go.

Hello! Could one of you explain this a little better to me? We travel extensively by bus in Florence (never rent a car)so I don't really understand the ZTL. But when you mentioned the Duomo area I perked up my ears. For our month stay this summer we have reserved a flat on Via Dei Cerchi. So does this mean there are NO buses that run any closer to this street than S.M.N.? Is this a 24-hr restriction? I can sympathize with your feelings on catering to tourists. When we come to Florence, we stay for a month or two and try to live "like locals" and even during that very brief time I can see how the real locals can get frustrated with the influx of tourists who think they own the city for the whole 48 hours they are there. I don't act like that haha, but still I can see how my presence can interfere with your everyday comings and goings.

You can find a bus network map here: http://www.ataf.net/System/files/mappe/(ridotto)mappa110x100_ESEC.pdf Or go here and look for detailed maps per area: http://www.ataf.net/it/orari-e-percorsi/la-rete-atafeli-nea.aspx?idC=1123&LN=it-IT

Monique, you need to specify which bus you are looking for and where you are going. Yes regular buses can no longer pass through piazza Duomo and surrounding streets. There are however small electric Electrobuses (they're the size of a big van) that are allowed closer to where you are. As a matter of fact there is one that goes through near via della Condotta.
The closest main lines near via de Cerchi stop in Piazza Stazione, Piazza San Marco, Via de Benci, via Vecchietti, via Bufalini. But which ones of these locations are proper for you depends on where you want to go. Tell me where you want to go, and I'll tell you to which street you need to walk to catch the bus. My father was a Supervisor for ATAF (the city bus company), so I'm a pro at buses (although many lines have changed itinerary due to the Mayor's whims in 2011, when he pedestrianized the whole area and banned the buses too).

Thanks for the links! They are helpful. I was not looking for any specific bus. We engaged in missionary work so we find ourselves all over the city, with the bus and Tramvia. Whatever bus we took that day, we still usually end up at SMN, and then catch a bus will take us closer to our apartment (which is usually in the center). For example, last year, we stayed on Via del Ruote, and while there was no bus that took us right there (except for Bus 12 which stopped close on its return from Piazzale Michaelangelo), when we were tired or hot, we would hop a bus to Piazza Indepenzia, which saves us 3/4 of the trip. And yes, there was days when we would ride Bus 12 ALL the way across the river and back haha - why not? Based on what was said, it sounds like SMN will always be the end of the line for us (on this trip) and we need to be prepared to walk the rest of the way. After checking the links you sent, I see that the C2 electric bus does cross Via dei Cerchi. It's not that far from the station to our street, but it's good to know you have a Plan B when you're tired.