Court gives cyclists advantages
It took the Hanover Administrative Court more than four months to write its verdict on the conflict over Fahrradstrasse in Kleefelder Strasse (Zoo). As expected, however, the written version is tough – and has possible consequences for the city of Hanover. In essence, it says that a bicycle road must actually bring advantages for bicycle traffic.
In August, the court heard the lawsuit by Klaus-Peter Schmidt-Vogt against the traffic regulation in the residential street in the zoo district on site. Cars are parked there on the street, so that in many places there is not even space for cyclists to continue driving when cars meet. It certainly doesn’t work what bicycle roads should be there for: that bicycle traffic is given priority and that cyclists can, for example, ride side by side.
The court writes in the current judgment that this does not correspond to the purpose that the legislature grants a bicycle street.
Bollards and local traffic
As an example, the judgment cites that dying, parked cars are disappearing from the street. In addition, only residents are allowed to drive their cars on the street at all. In order to prevent through traffic and crawl traffic, the city should put up bollards at certain points. This has already happened in Edenstrasse in the corresponding eastern part of the city.
The city has had the written judgment since December 22nd. Spokeswoman Michaela Steigerwald says it is currently being examined. “Only after the examination can something be said about whether the judgment can be accepted in this way or whether an application for approval of the appeal should be submitted to the OVG Lüneburg.” Could result from the judgment, says Steigerwald.
Two dozen bicycle streets
Hanover has set up more than two dozen bicycle lanes, but in almost all cases it has allowed motorized traffic without restrictions – there have been numerous criticisms of this. In the Große Barlinge in the southern part of the city, for example, the street has been specially converted into a bicycle street. With oncoming traffic and cyclists, avoid the safe asphalt on a bumpy gutter and threaten to collide with the mirrors of parked cars.
In addition, the usable traffic area of the Große Barlinge is so narrow that cyclists often get off. It will be decided in the coming months whether the city will rebuild all bicycle streets or take action against the judgment.
From Conrad von Meding