The city of Munich has assigned three pop-up cycle paths as permanent lanes - this is intended to protect cyclists in traffic.
An automobile club sued against it, but the administrative court ruled: The cycle paths are allowed to stay.
The traffic situation in Munich is getting worse
The city has therefore installed new cycle paths, some of which are used as a permanent solution
An automobile club sued against it, but the administrative court is now strengthening the rights of cyclists
Muscle wins against motor: The administrative court has strengthened the rights of Munich cyclists and dismissed a lawsuit by the Mobil automobile club in Germany.
Its chairman Michael Haberland wanted to defend himself against pop-up strips that the city designated as permanent cycle paths.
But the judges decided: the cyclists stay on track!
The trial concerned the new cycle paths along Elisen-, Theresien- and Rosenheimer Straße.
Haberland criticized residents and dealers “suffocating in traffic jams”.
In some cases, drivers on Elisenstrasse would even need seven traffic lights
to get to their destination.
The cycle paths had such a “massive impact” that “the functionality of this street as a road for motorists was switched off”.
Munich: According to the judgment, cyclists need "special protection"
In 2020, the city turned individual lanes of large streets into temporary cycle paths.
In March it was decided to reserve some routes permanently for cyclists.
Mobil in Germany sees this as a violation of the road traffic regulations.
The court saw it differently: the city was allowed to convert pop-up cycle paths on the three busy streets into permanent cycle routes, according to the verdict.
Reason: Due to the large number of cars that are on the road, the city can assume that cyclists need special protection and their own lane.
A clear announcement!
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Michael Haberland, head of the Automobilcub Mobil, before the administrative court in Bayerstrasse
© Sigi Jantz
“The safety of cycling on these three road sections outweighs the interests of individuals.
The verdict confirms that we are on the right track with traffic safety work in Munich, ”says mobility officer Georg Dunkel.
The SPD / Volt parliamentary group and the green-pink parliamentary group also welcomed yesterday's judgment.
Traffic in Munich: In Theresienstraße, the proportion of cyclists rose by 260 percent
The city had presented clear figures in court.
Accordingly, there are now 49 percent more cyclists on Elisenstrasse than in 2018. The growth in Theresienstraße is even more drastic: here, bicycle traffic has increased by a total of 260 percent since 2013.
Currently, 1,311 cyclists ride through Theresienstraße within four hours.
The city is planning 40 more cycle paths.
"Thousands of parking spaces will be eliminated as a result," fears Haberland.
The court made it clear that it was within the discretion of the city to decide whether it wanted to give cyclists or drivers more space.
The city council has "already decided on structural solutions" for two further pop-up cycle paths, according to the mobility department.