Permanent regulations

• Sign-posting
• Stops and stations
• Light-signal systems and traffic signal facilities
• Special bus lanes

The purpose of sign-posting is to help the vehicle driver to reach destinations quickly on optimal routes without using further technical aids. It is hierarchically structured and leads from main to secondary destinations. The Traffic Management decides on the complete route signing of Berlin and its planning for the urban roads.

The route signing contributes to safety and the improvement of the traffic flow, and helps to reduce spontaneous driving manoeuvres or changes of direction. With the help of sign-posting traffic is directed via efficient roads thus resulting in a distribution of traffic, and protecting residential areas against through traffic.
For that purpose the route signing has to be definite, clear and easy to understand. The indicated destinations have to be generally known. They will continuously be repeated at all decision points until they are reached.

The number of indicated destinations is limited as too many destinations would make the signposts confusing.
The type size depends on the driven speeds. The signposts have to be established and dimensioned in such a way that on the one hand they don’t affect the cityscape too much, and on the other hand ensure the possibility for the vehicle traffic to get into the correct lane in time.
Destinations that can be reached by the motorway are described by a blue base colour. A yellow base colour describes important destinations which cannot be reached via the motorway when using that routing. White signposts lead to intra-local destinations which are of considerable importance for transport as well as to parking spaces and parking garages. Brown-coloured signposts indicate important destinations for tourists.

With the help of pictograms destinations can be more easily identified. The pictogram indicating the centre is already used on the federal motorways A 113 and A 100. It will still take some time until it will be immediately recognised by the car drivers.

Passengers using public transport modes can reach the bus or railway mainly by foot, whereas user-friendliness is the determining factor for the safe and comfortable reaching of the stopping points. The Berlin Traffic Control is permanently working to improve the position and the area of stops, e. g. by moving the bus and tram stops if necessary, removing obstacles on footways and at stopping points, creating possibilities for crossings and adapting pedestrian lights, by creating additional accesses, and by simplifying the route guidance to the S-Bahn and U-Bahn as well as to the regional trains. This also includes the measures for accessibility and guidance systems for blind people.

New light-signal systems have to be ordered by the Berlin Traffic Management whereas the impetus can be given by different parties. In addition to the Traffic Management itself possible locations can be proposed also by stakeholders, initiatives, schools, the borough offices and the Senate Department for Urban Mobility, Transport, Climate Action and the Environment. The Traffic Management then consults the competent borough office about the possible locations – and if buses and trams are concerned – also the BVG. After the decision is made the new traffic light will be included in the construction programme by the Traffic Management – according to its priority and the availability of budgetary resources.

The traffic control also is responsible for the operation of traffic lights. Particularly the green signal phases of traffic lights are continuously a matter for public discussions. Have you ever wondered why a small secondary road has such a long green signal phase although there are hardly any vehicles? Green signal phases for secondary roads which seem to be too long are often a side effect. The broader the major roads the longer the time that has to be allocated to pedestrians to cross the street. This has some benefit for the car drivers in the secondary roads as the traffic on the major road has to wait anyway.

Similarly, there’s often the feeling that the green signal phases on big roads are too short. Every pedestrian who starts moving with an average walking speed when the traffic light turns green, should be able to safely cross the street. This is ensured by a “time buffer” after the traffic light has turned red, i. e. an extension of the green phase until pedestrians have crossed the road. There will not be a green phase for the motor vehicle traffic until this extension time is over. As this extension of the green phase is very long on wide roads, the actual green phase has to be shorter. For that reason people with impaired mobility and elderly people possibly should wait for the beginning of the green phase. So they can take advantage of the maximum of time for crossing.