A speed limit rarely comes alone - now 50 km/h on Berlin's roads again?
Transport Senator Manja Schreiner (CDU) recently proposed lifting the speed limit on many main roads in Berlin. This is a departure from the previous regulation, according to which a speed limit of 30 km/h applies on 34 main roads. The speed limit was introduced a few years ago to improve air quality and is now to be largely lifted now that this goal has been achieved.
According to Schreiner, the limit values applicable in Berlin have been adhered to for four years. She sees this as the success of more than twenty years of clean air planning. In addition, the last diesel driving bans had already been lifted in 2022. However, the senator emphasised that the speed limit will only be lifted where road safety permits. In places such as schools, daycare centres and care facilities, the 30 km/h speed limit will continue to apply.
However, there are some main roads on which a 30 km/h speed limit will continue to apply for reasons of air pollution control. These include Badstraße, Mehringdamm, Müllerstraße, Residenzstraße, Schönholzer Straße, Sonnenallee and Spandauer Damm.
However, the proposal to abolish the speed limit was met with criticism, particularly from the Berlin branch of the German Federation for the Protection of Nature and the Environment (BUND). It welcomed the fact that the Senate administration did not follow the CDU parliamentary group, which wanted to reintroduce the 50 km/h speed limit on several main roads without review. However, they criticised the Senate for not taking into account that not only are the EU limit values for air pollutants too high according to the World Health Organisation, but that noise and accident figures have also steadily increased in the growing city in recent years.
The decision to lift the speed limit is controversial, as the impact on the environment, road safety and noise levels must be taken into account. While improving air quality is an important step, critics warn that a higher speed limit could lead to more noise and accidents.
It remains to be seen what the final decision will be and what impact it will have on road traffic and the environment in Berlin. Although there will certainly be adjustments, many hope that a balanced solution will be found that takes into account both the environment and the safety of road users. Public participation on the draft clean air plan began on 12 February and will provide further insight into public opinion on the issue.
Overall, this proposal shows that environmental protection and traffic management must go hand in hand in order to both improve the quality of life of citizens and protect the environment. It is a clear example of how important it is to take both aspects into account when making decisions about urban infrastructure.