Berlin: Charlottenstraße becomes a bicycle lane
To compensate for the restoration of car traffic on nearby Friedrichstraße, the capital will open Charlottenstraße for bicycle traffic tomorrow. Future changes as part of a broader mobility plan for Berlin's inner city are also not yet ruled out, he said.
Following the decision of the administrative court on the illegality of the closure, the entire Friedrichstraße will be reopened to car traffic tomorrow. Due to the loss of the pedestrian zone and the cycle lanes, cyclists will lose their right of way - which they can, however, find again nearby for the foreseeable future. Part of Charlottenstraße, namely the section between Leipziger Straße and Unter den Linden, will become a bicycle lane with immediate effect.
Traffic for cars, motorbikes and lorries will still be free there for residents only. Bicycles will be allowed to set the speed and the entire roadway will be made available for this purpose. However, a maximum speed of 30 kilometres per hour will be set on the route to ensure that motorised traffic adapts to the new regulations. Charlottenstrasse is therefore now a necessary alternative for cyclists, who are now no longer allowed to travel undisturbed by vehicles on the boulevard. According to transport senator Bettina Jarasch (Greens), it is of enormous importance "that this cycle route can be opened on time". The road is part of the bicycle priority network that the city is currently working on at full speed - with the aim of giving Berlin a "safe solution for cycling".
For this very reason, the capital is still working on a "legally secure, well-considered justification for the final redesignation of Friedrichstraße". The establishment of a pedestrian zone with bicycle lanes remains in the mind of the traffic administration. A project that, according to Jarasch, could actually take place next year. At the same time, many changes could be made to the city's traffic routes in the future. Several bicycle lanes and an expanded public transport network are just some of the items on the agenda for creating a safe, clean and mobile Berlin. Stricter entry regulations for the environmental zone within the ring road - in the name of climate protection and the farewell to combustion engines - could also not be ruled out.