Berlin: New mobility law for less traffic

The amendment of the mobility law for the capital is long overdue. The parties of the red-green-red coalition had to argue for almost one and a half years to find a suitability over the text of the law. Now it seems that the time has finally come. Today, the SPD, the Greens and the Left are to decide on the continuation of the mobility law. This is primarily about increased regulation and reduction of car traffic, with the aim of creating more space for alternative forms of mobility as well as for commercial vehicle traffic. 

"The share of motorised individual traffic in the total traffic volume is to be consistently reduced in order to use the limited public space in a more city-friendly and effective way," the united draft of the mobility law states. Accordingly, both "less parking space for motor vehicles" and "less space for moving traffic" are to be allocated. In favour of walking, cycling and public transport - but also for reasons of road safety - these will be "gradually reduced" and increasingly converted into cycle paths and bus lanes. At the same time, parking spaces are also to be eliminated in favour of delivery zones. For in addition to a greener transformation of traffic on the streets, the planned measures are primarily seen as a means of promoting commercial traffic.  

Suppliers and refuse collectors, for example, find it increasingly difficult to get around in the dense city traffic and to park their vehicles for short periods of time. For this purpose, loading and delivery zones are to be created "to a sufficient extent and within reach of the businesses to be supplied" - the draft states. In this way, commercial traffic is to be given clear priority over individual car traffic and thus be able to flow efficiently in the long term. In addition, the law provides for further restrictions for Berlin. For example, "inflow metering" is to regulate the amount of cars and structural measures using bollards are also to be used to prevent through-traffic in neighbourhoods. Whether the introduction of stricter and extended environmental zones will also be considered in this context is not clear at the moment, he said.  

"This is a huge step," stated Antje Kapek, transport policy spokesperson of the Green parliamentary group. While it was easier for the parties in the Senate to agree on the promotion of commercial transport, the text sections on the new mobility caused conflicts within the coalition, especially between the SPD and the Greens. A formulation that prohibits a chargeable dosage of traffic - for example through the city tolls envisaged by the Greens - is now said to have brought the discussion to an end. Only after Easter, with a newly constituted parliament, will the new mobility law probably bear its first fruits.