© dpa
The Berlin Senate Department for Transport has given the green light for a further five cycle paths after a further review.
As Senator Manja Schreiner (CDU) announced on Monday, Hansastraße (Pankow), Grellstraße (Pankow), Köpenicker Landstraße-Baumschulenweg-Bulgarische Straße northern part (Treptow-Köpenick), Hermannstraße (Neukölln) and the crossing Hellersdorfer Straße connection Ernst-Bloch-Straße (Marzahn-Hellersdorf) will get a cycle path. In part, there are minor changes to the plans, for example in the traffic light circuits. The projects Roedernallee (Reinickendorf) and Blankenfelder Chaussee (Pankow), however, will not be realised for the time being. New planning is necessary here.
A few weeks ago, Berlin's transport senator announced that plans for certain cycle paths, some of which are already under construction, and the usefulness of certain projects would be reviewed, not least with regard to the elimination of car parking spaces. The results of a second tranche of cycle paths are now available, after the results of a first round of testing were published at the beginning of July. Both tranches taken together, eleven cycle paths along main roads can now be completed, seven will not be built for the time being.
"And this is not the end of the tests, more cycle paths will follow soon," Schreiner explained. "In the process, our experts will take an equal look at all road users. Pedestrians, cyclists, public transport and individual traffic." The top priority is and remains road safety - it has the highest priority in the assessment of roads. "Vision Zero, i.e. the avoidance of traffic fatalities, is the central mission."
The almost completed cycle path in Ollenhauerstraße in Reinickendorf did not fall under Schreiner's moratorium, according to earlier statements by the traffic administration, but in its light it was subjected to another review by the district office. On Monday, the district and traffic administration now officially announced that it would be "opened promptly". Since it was built on the previous parking lane for cars, they will be allowed to park on one of the two lanes in the evening and at night. The compromise had already become known last week.