Once a week, ex-rulers Eberhard Diepgen (CDU) and Walter Momper (SPD) discuss topics that move the capital in the BZ Berlin. Today we are talking about the cycle paths of the capital.
Eberhard Diepgen: Yes, otherwise nothing fits together
As a cyclist or car driver and also as a pedestrian and user of local public transport in Berlin, you quickly get the impression that too many cooks spoil the broth when it comes to transport policy.
Of course, there are guidelines with the Mobility Act and also cycle path planning. But when it comes to implementation, clear city-wide priorities and common design ideas are missing. You can see that in the differences in the design of the cycle paths, which do not always follow the local conditions and all too often put the interests of the various groups of road users on the sidelines.
Then there are wide and empty bike lanes alongside congested roads. Cyclists who are in a hurry endanger pedestrians on sidewalks and cars emitting unnecessarily much climate-damaging carbon dioxide when looking for a parking space.
The new transport senator has slowed down the construction of new cycle paths. She wants to bring order to the system and – following the election promise – not only do justice to the bicycle but also to other road users and the necessary commercial traffic with its need for parking spaces.
Efficient cycle paths across the city of Berlin and in its immediate vicinity cannot be the result of regional or even considerations of individual neighborhoods.
That has to be planned and built for the whole of Berlin. Districts can only be responsible for clearly defined areas, connected to traffic-calmed zones or play streets.
The transport connection of newly created residential areas with several thousand inhabitants and the associated infrastructure must also be planned under the responsibility of the Senate. The expansion of cycle paths in Berlin is thus linked to the administrative reform advocated by all parties.
Quickly building a cycle path without city-wide coordination can lead to undesirable developments that are very difficult to correct later.
Walter Momper: Yes, standardization would make sense
The Senate has stopped planning new Berlin cycle paths in the city for a week. The Senate wants to see whether vehicle lanes and parking spaces really need to be destroyed or whether there are alternatives.
This review makes sense, especially since there is no uniform concept for the creation of new cycle paths in the street area. Each district sets different priorities, sometimes the bike lane is in the middle of the street, sometimes on the side. There are bike lanes that have been polled off, others are only laid out with dashed lines on the asphalt, others are marked in colour, and still others are laid out next to the sidewalk.
This diversity is now to be unified. First of all, that is correct. Of course, the Senate also wants to know how many parking spaces and lanes will be lost as a result. After all, that’s what it’s all about: additional cycle lanes at the expense of parking spaces and at the expense of car lanes.
For example, the new bicycle lanes have always been built to a width of more than two meters – each time at the expense of the width of the car lane. If, on the other hand, a car lane could be obtained by narrowing the bicycle lanes, this would benefit both participants.
A standardization of the newly created cycle paths would also be good. The question is whether there really is a need for bike paths that have been cleared of bollards. It is probably also sufficient if they are laid out with dashed lines on the asphalt and marked in colour. Therefore, a review by the head office is indicated.
And finally, standardization of cycle paths is also necessary. And the Senate shares responsibility for new cycle paths, together with the districts.