Cycle road across town

Created: 07/06/2022, 11:05 am

By: Peter Schiebel

The sign is clear: A bicycle street is initially for cyclists (and e-scooter drivers).

Cars and motorcycles are only allowed to drive there with this addition.

It is also installed in Herrsching.

© archive

Almost exactly one year to the day after the fundamental decision to introduce a long cycle path through Herrsching, the municipal council has now also decided on the implementation concept.

Cyclists then have priority over motorists.

Herrsching

– It was already decided a year ago: In July 2021, the Herrsching municipal council voted in favor of turning Summerstrasse, Rudolf-Hanauer-Strasse and Madeleine-Ruoff-Strasse into bicycle streets.

The how is now clear.

Against six votes from the ranks of the CSU and FDP, the municipal council approved the implementation concept from the office of planner Dr.

Ralph Kaulen.

In the course of the next few months, Herrsching will have a 1.4-kilometre-long, continuous cycle route from Rieder Strasse/junction with Madeleine-Ruoff-Strasse in the north to Summerstrasse/junction with Mühlfelder Strasse in the south.

A maximum speed of 30 km/h applies on the roads, bicycles and e-scooters have priority, but cars and motorcycles are permitted with an additional sign.

The public transport bus route will also continue to run via Summerstrasse.

The city council decided on this a year ago.

The transport department at the Starnberg District Office has no objections to this plan and the cycle lanes.

“Motorized traffic can be expected to do this because there are parallel roads along the entire route that can be used without restrictions.

Through traffic can be expected to use other roads," said an email from the end of March.

The district authority sees the highest potential for conflict between bus traffic and cyclists on Summerstrasse.

"But since Tempo 30 has already been ordered, the obstructions for public transport and the time delays should be limited."

Traffic planner Kaulen would like to keep the redesign as low as possible, also with a view to costs.

For this reason, he refrains from conspicuous red markings, for example.

Instead, the cycle lane should have continuous white border markings and large bicycle pictograms at regular intervals.

At the junctions, signs indicate the beginning and end of the cycle lane, and markings such as stop lines and shark teeth are also planned.

The entrance areas are also to be narrowed and provided with red and white beacons.

"It will be a very simple, plain design," said Kaulen, putting the cost at around 80,000 euros.

Nothing else will change on the roads themselves.

The parking lots were retained, as was the bus stop.

"Nothing changes compared to the status quo," said the planner.

A crossing of Rieder Straße in the direction of the Realschule will not be implemented.

His office checked that, but: "We would have to do a complete conversion," said Kaulen.

Since it is still possible to build an underpass under the railway line, he did not pursue the crossing any further.

"We are very happy," said Christiane Gruber (BGH).

This connection is a very good alternative to the lake promenade, especially for everyday cyclists and groups of cyclists.

The traffic department in the district office also expects “a significant increase in cycling on this route” once the Herrsching high school is in operation.

On the other hand, Roland Lübeck (CSU), who sees a danger point in the interaction between bicycle and bus traffic on Summerstraße, was cautious.

Meanwhile, Wolfgang Schneider (SPD) used the discussion for two appeals.

From the bus driver's point of view, he would like drivers to drive a little more with foresight - "then we wouldn't have any problems at all," he said.

And in general he appealed: "A child can come out of every garden door at any time." Dodging over the sidewalk is therefore far too dangerous and simply an impossibility.

After the decision, the administration is now starting the tender, said Mayor Christian Schiller afterwards to the Starnberger Merkur.

He hopes that the redesign will work this year.

"The biggest problem right now is getting a marking company."