The traffic calming of the station forecourt in Regensburg means considerable stress for bus drivers. Now the city has reacted.
Regensburg - It is "a bit painful". Klaus Rappert, SPD spokesman for the planning committee of the Regensburg city council, already admits this. Nevertheless, the decision is unavoidable.
Closure for buses lifted: previous traffic routing is a "stressful situation" for drivers
In the future, the station forecourt, which is currently completely traffic-calmed, is to be reopened for bus traffic – on one lane. In doing so, the city of Regensburg is drawing the consequences of the experience gained since the complete closure of the square and the necessary change in traffic routing, including for buses, about one and a half years ago.
Since then, the encounter traffic for buses in the narrow western Albertstraße (at the Milchschwammerl) has been a "stressful situation" for the drivers, Rappert explains his approval of this solution. There is a "problem area" there, according to the draft resolution.
Single-lane traffic clearance for buses: Cheapest and most practicable solution
However, if one follows the investigations of the urban planners, the single-lane traffic opening on the forecourt, which has now been decided, is the most practicable and cost-effective solution to improve the current situation.
An expansion of the Albertstraße had also been examined, according to the administrative template. However, this is expensive, trees may be affected, and this also runs counter to the plans for the Central Bus Station (ZOB) (the construction of which, however, has been postponed indefinitely for cost reasons).
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Due to traffic clearance: No ground artwork in front of the main station
In the case of this central bus station directly at the main station, if it ever comes, buses would also have to run in the area, according to Mayor Gertrud Maltz-Schwarzfischer. "They can't fly."
The planned ground artwork, which should have been realized in front of the main station, falls victim to the opening to traffic. "The colors could not withstand a regular load on bus traffic," according to the bill. Although this is "super-super-shame", according to planning officer Christine Schimpfermann, it is called "super-super-shame", but it cannot be changed.
Out of traffic: station environment to be improved
Currently, the city is negotiating with the artist about compensation or relocation of the artwork as "compensation". With further "small targeted interventions", however, the station environment is to be upgraded elsewhere – in the "ideal case" this will even happen this year.
Bicycle parking facilities, "tree planting troughs in pop colors" financed with EU subsidies, a beautification of the green spaces around the main train station, a "use" of St. Peter's Church by creative people in consultation with street workers, police and DrugStop, are the ideas of the urban planners.
Station forecourt: Greens praise improvements, but...
Across all political groups, there is praise for the planned improvements. Even from the Greens, who reject the bill in the end. They would have liked to see a structural barrier or traffic light on the occasion of the release for bus traffic in order to prevent car traffic from (illegally) using the bus lane.
However, an amendment to this effect is rejected – it is based on the law-abiding nature of the majority of motorists.
"Incredibility", "chaos": CSU criticizes the situation at the main train station
The representatives of the CSU parliamentary group are consistently dissatisfied with the situation at the station and also with the draft resolution. Their boss Jürgen Eberwein had already stated in the past that they found all this – especially the closure for through traffic – terrible. Only for reasons of "coalition discipline" did the CSU not intervene against it.
A similar picture was presented at this meeting by committee members Michael Lehner and Bernadette Dechant. The situation at the main station is "unbelievable," said Lehner. He was in favor of releasing the forecourt "at any time for car traffic". Regensburg is "the only major city" that is causing "complete chaos" at its main train station, according to the Regensburg CSU chief. And even before the bill comes to the vote, he and Dechant leave the hall.
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When will the new bus station in Regensburg arrive?
Meanwhile, it remains unclear when the final ZOB will come. City councillor Christian Janele even believes that the current interim solution at Ernst-Reuter-Platz, the interim central bus station, or IZOB for short, will remain much longer than initially planned.
The I in IZOB should therefore be deleted. "The temporary solution will stand longer than we can possibly imagine." Ten or 15 years, predicts the CSB city council.
The outgoing planning officer Schimpfermann warns against this. The IZOB is already at its breaking point and will not be able to withstand future requirements.
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