Will the old city center of Leer, loved by many Groningen residents, become completely car-free? The coming weeks will provide something of an answer.
Then the main traffic artery in the city center, the Brunnenstrasse, is a prohibited area for cars. “From September 18 to October 10 and three weekends before that,” says spokesperson Edgar Behrendt of the city of Leer. “It is initially an experiment.”
Large supermarket on the edge
The old city center, with its centuries-old shop and residential buildings, is a showpiece of the East Frisian center that also attracts many Groningen residents. Stock up on groceries at the Multi Süd, the supermarket on the outskirts of Leer, and then visit the city center; This is what an afternoon of learning looks like for many Groningen residents.
The city center has a pedestrian zone but also a part where cars can still drive. “And we are investigating whether we can also get less car traffic there,” said Behrendt. “Hence this test in Brunnenstrasse. People who live there are allowed to come there with their cars, as are suppliers of shops at certain hours. But otherwise it’s for pedestrians. ”
Political parties
A better environment, a more attractive city center. These are things that city officials have in mind when conducting the experiment. “After the trial, the political parties in the city council will discuss the results,” Behrendt said. It will then also be decided whether the old Leer will permanently remain very car-free.
Klaas Weis, from and still living in Groningen, has been running a furniture store in Brunnenstrasse for 12 years. According to him, the street needs to be designed differently. “Make it so that it looks just like the pedestrian zone, that it connects to that zone. Then you create a city center that will definitely attract more people.”