Concept against traffic and parking chaos in Garmisch-Partenkirchen: Has the winter campaign died for this year?

It was supposed to be a test: With the winter season campaign, GaPa-Tourismus, BZB and OK Ski World Cup wanted to rectify parking problems and traffic jams.

But as it currently stands, the concept will no longer work this year.

Garmisch-Partenkirchen

- It was clear from the start: the schedule is ambitious.

At the end of July, Michael Gerber, Managing Director of GaPa-Tourismus GmbH, presented the rough concept for a winter season campaign to the Garmisch-Partenkirchner Marktgemeinderat.

Only five months later, in December, the test phase should start until February.

Associated with parking bans, hotel shuttles, snow buses and parking fees in order to equalize the traffic rush and its consequences.

Even then, skepticism was widespread as to whether these plans could be implemented so quickly.

The doubts seem to be coming true.

“I would see it that way,” says Mayor Elisabeth Koch (CSU), “that the campaign is off the table.” At least for this winter.

Actually, the initiators - in addition to GaPa tourism, are the Bayerische Zugspitzbahn (BZB) and the Organizing Committee (OK) Ski World Cup - should have presented a final concept at the September meeting of the municipal council.

Instead, the item was simply removed from the agenda.

Gerber argued at the time that they wanted to wait for the World Ski Championships to be awarded on October 3rd.

And with that, we clarified the question of whether spectators are allowed to attend the World Cup races in 2021.

As things stand, says Peter Fischer, they are taking place without an audience.

In other words: no parking problems without fans.

But it is precisely these that prompted the OC boss to get the campaign off the ground.

Thus "we are out of the number".

At least for this winter.

Mayor Koch: Develop the concept in peace

On Thursday, the topic will come up again in the municipal council.

Before that, tourism boss Gerber does not want to comment on the state of affairs, as he had reported about an employee.

Klaus Schanda, Marketing Director at BZB, is also holding back, but offers to talk to all initiators afterwards.

An indication that the plan for this year is failing can be derived from a press release from the mountain railway company.

With regard to the start of the season in the ski areas, it is said that in terms of visitor management and parking fees at the usual parking spaces, everything will remain the same - which contradicts the content of the campaign presented in July.

Even the local association (OV) of Bündnis90 / Grüne speculated recently at its meeting about the current situation and further action.

Dr.

Rainer Steinbrecher informed those present about his level of knowledge.

When asked why the campaign was taken off the agenda, he was told that the actors were not able to present a viable concept before the World Cup decision.

Philipp Golka, the new OV spokesman, also claims to have heard from Gerber that the schedule was ambitious from the start.

In a vote in October, Golka revealed his information, the concept could no longer be used in the 2020/2021 season.

Dr.

Stephan Thiel.

At that time, the parliamentary group leader had already applied to the local council to postpone the campaign to next year and to work on it in peace.

His proposal failed.

"Now it has been more or less accepted," he said with a smile.

Because, to the best of his knowledge, the concept has not died, but should be pursued.

Thiel and his colleagues would like to get involved in the discussion - "whether that's what you want is another question".

Koch continues to give credit to those responsible for taking the initiative.

According to her, short-term measures should be implemented in the coming months.

"We then have to work on it and calmly think about something useful," says the town hall chief.

A concept that takes the locals into account.

As the local politicians had demanded in July.