Tempo 30: Wartenberg joins the initiative

Created: 04/30/2022, 19:00

By: Markus Schwarzkugler

Tempo 30 is currently not legally on Obere Hauptstrasse in Wartenberg, at least according to the majority of the market council.

© Klaus Kuhn

Wartenberg joins an initiative that wants to give municipalities more power to set speed limits such as 30 km/h.

That was what the Greens had asked for.

Wartenberg – The topic was recently discussed several times in the Wartenberg market council committees, but according to the majority, the legal basis for 30 km/h on Obere Hauptstrasse is simply missing.

However, the Greens do not want to leave it at that and have now applied to join an initiative.

This calls on the federal government across party lines and federal states to give the municipalities more room for maneuver when ordering 30 km/h in town.

The councils voted 14:4 to join the initiative.

It has the unwieldy name "Cities worth living in through appropriate speeds - a new municipal initiative for more city-friendly transport".

It's not just about cities.

130 cities and communities are currently on board, according to Dominik Rutz (Green Party) Freising and Moosburg as well.

His parliamentary colleague Martina Scheyhing, who presented the application, named Augsburg and Aachen as further examples.

According to Scheyhing, the initiative was founded by several German cities in July 2021.

Lower speeds could contribute to achieving urban, traffic and environmental goals in terms of a better quality of life.

As Scheyhing also noted, road traffic law places narrow limits on local authorities.

The designation of speed limits is only allowed if concrete dangers can be proven - and only for certain road sections.

The initiative sees the traffic light coalition agreement as an opportunity to change the legal framework.

The local authorities could best assess the situation on site.

Joining the initiative would be free for the community.

Scheyhing recalled that the majority of the council, including the mayor, was actually in favor of 30 km/h on Obere Hauptstraße, but had rejected the Greens' corresponding application (citing the legal situation).

Mayor Christian Pröbst gave the Greens a thumbs-up.

"It wouldn't be a disgrace if we went there.

The legal framework is the problem at the moment,” he said.

2. Mayor Carla Marx (Neue Mitte) confessed that she was torn because rural regions should not be over-regulated.

As a rule, you cannot drive faster than 30 km/h on Obere Hauptstraße.

"Everything is regulated now, and that's a good thing," Rutz contradicted her.

Currently, 50 km/h would apply.