Mittelstrasse in Potsdam’s Dutch Quarter is to become a pedestrian zone Photo: picture alliance/dpa/dpa-Zentral
By Michael Sauerbier
The city of palaces wants to drive cars out of the city! After the recently decided doubling of the parking fees in Potsdam, 500 parking spaces will soon be eliminated.
By 2024, the area around Potsdam’s pedestrian zone is to become car-free – “gradually and with citizen participation”. That’s what the SPD, Greens and Left Party decided in 2019. Residents and business people have now discussed this in two workshops with the city planners.
The result: Mittelstrasse in the Dutch quarter, which is popular with tourists, the northern Dortustrasse with its cafés, bars, pubs and restaurants, and the square at Jägertor are to become pedestrian zones. Around 500 parking spaces are to be eliminated there and on Lindenstrasse and Gutenbergstrasse at Bassinplatz.
There are still 1300 parking spaces in Potsdam City. But also three large multi-storey car parks, which are only half used. This should change with the elimination of street parking from 2023. The parking garage prices are no more expensive than at the roadside.
In autumn, the city parliament is to decide on clearing the parking lot. The majority there has red-red-green.
