In the capital, transport policy has become the scene of a political battle of faith. How much or little car traffic is wanted? In focus: Friedrichstrasse in Berlin Mitte.
Actually, it was always only about 500 meters of asphalt surface. But this relatively short stretch of street in the center of Berlin has become a bone of contention in politics over the years – and a creed. Are cars allowed here or not? That’s basically a simple question – but in politically heated Berlin it’s also an invitation to a culture war.
It started in late summer 2020. At the end of August, a section of the road was closed to cars. For the then red-green-red Berlin state government, this was a step away from the “car-friendly city”. More safety for pedestrians and cyclists should be created. And – since Friedrichstrasse is also a shopping street – more attractive for people who want to stroll and shop.
Shopping mile or thoroughfare?
At least here the misunderstandings began. After all, it is mainly tourists and the relatively small part of Berliners who can or want to afford it that go shopping on Friedrichstrasse. Until then, many locals knew Friedrichstrasse as one thing above all: a dead straight and practical thoroughfare on which the city center can be quickly driven behind.
Now there were only pedestrians and cyclists here – and there were more. In the months after the blockage, an evaluation of mobile phone data showed that the number of visitors to Friedrichstrasse had risen steadily – by around 65 percent in the end. So the concept of enlivening the shopping street seemed to be working. Successful urban planning, one might think. Something like that is a rarity in the perception of many Berliners. In terms of traffic, Friedrichstrasse was calm. Politically, however, the opposite had happened.
More customers, more resentment
Because while more and more walk-in customers were moving along Friedrichstrasse, the majority of Berliners apparently saw things very differently – and still do to this day. A survey commissioned by the “Berliner Zeitung” in February of this year showed that 52 percent of those questioned rejected the blocking of traffic, and 37 percent found it good. Split into groups of voters, there was only a solid majority for the car-free Friedrichstrasse among the Greens supporters: 85 percent were in favor, five percent against. On the left there was still a wafer-thin majority for the model project, but supporters of all other parties were mostly against it.
The model project had divided the Berliners. The mere fact that the vast majority of those surveyed have an opinion at all about a 500-meter-long asphalt surface can be seen as remarkable – after all, only a fraction of the capital city dwellers regularly visit this area – whether on foot, on a bike or in the city in the car.
At the end of November, Bettina Jarasch (centre), Senator for Transport at the time, rode her bike through the new bicycle lane on Charlottenstrasse between Unter den Linden and Leipziger Strasse to mark the opening.
“Street election campaign” with Friedrichstrasse
But Friedrichstrasse has long since become a symbol. Apparently, it decides how the capital’s transport policy should look in the future. The inner-city districts are home to a predominantly green-voting middle class that can get along well without a car. All around live those who usually don’t think much of it – and feel ignored.
The latter felt confirmed when the road was suddenly reopened to cars in October last year. The administrative court had ruled that the car-free model project had been illegally extended – by the Berlin Senate and the Mitte district. Within two weeks, the stop signs had to be removed and the road reopened to cars.
There was an election campaign in Berlin at the time, as the House of Representatives had to be re-occupied after a breakdown in elections. At the end of January, Bettina Jarasch, the Green Party’s top candidate and Senator for Transport, decided to have Friedrichstrasse closed again. This apparently happened without consulting the Governing Mayor Franziska Giffey from the SPD.
The result: the already divided government coalition was finally in shambles. Two weeks later the election was held. The winner was called the CDU. The city is now governed by Kai Wegner, together with the SPD as a junior partner.
New transport senator, new rule
The new traffic senator and Christian Democrat Manja Schreiner immediately announced that Friedrichstrasse would be open to cars again. And that is exactly what is happening now.
In autumn, a new decision will be made – once again – on how to proceed with Friedrichstrasse. In a participatory process with residents, an urban planning concept is to be developed “that takes into account the needs and interests of residents and tradespeople,” according to the current transport senator.
But the CDU woman may have reckoned without her political opponent. Because the southern part of Friedrichstraße is in Berlin-Kreuzberg. The Greens in particular have the say in the local district assembly. And they also have a new plan: At the southern end, Friedrichstrasse is to become a pedestrian zone “in the medium term”.
2023-07-01 15:01:49
#Transport #policy #Berlin #meters #culture #wars
