From the BZ editorial team
Climate activists from the group “Sand in the Gears” have set up a temporary bicycle lane in Neukölln.
They painted a section of Sonnenallee with orange-red lime paint and bicycle symbols on Wednesday night, the police said on Wednesday.
According to initial findings, the members of the group set up warning cones on one of the lanes and converted it into a cycle lane about 100 meters long with the paint. Passersby noticed the action on the street and alerted the police.
The newly created illegal “bicycle path” ran from the S-Bahn station Köllnische Heide to the intersection between Sonnenallee and Krebsgang.
The emergency services met three people with safety vests on site and determined their personal details. A complaint of property damage was filed against them. The state security police are investigating.
Planned cycle paths put to the test
According to the group, the action was a reaction to the so-called “cycle path stop” by Transport Senator Manja Schreiner (CDU). Shortly after the beginning of her term of office, the senator temporarily stopped numerous cycle path projects in the districts in order to have the projects checked.
On Monday it was announced that a total of eleven cycle paths along main roads will be completed. However, seven will not be built for the time being – among them the Roedernallee in Reinickendorf and the Blankenfelder Chaussee in Pankow. This causes heavy criticism.
The German Environmental Aid (DUH) now claims that “at least four other cycle paths are on hold, although they should be completed this year and funding is threatening to expire.” This resulted in a query from the districts.
Are affected:
► Beusselstrasse in Mitte
► Thielallee in Steglitz-Zehlendorf
► Filandastrasse/Neue Filandastrasse in Steglitz-Zehlendorf
► the B96a between Dörpfeldstraße and Fennstraße in Treptow-Köpenick.
A spokeswoman for the “Sand in the Gears” group explains: “There is only one thing that can be done now: build cycle paths yourself and show how easy it is.”