In Dachau-Süd, the city council's decision to turn Alte Bayernwerkstrasse into a bicycle street with a “residents free” rule caused dissatisfaction. The citizens are taking a stand.
Dachau – Moosstrasse/Alte Bayernwerkstrasse has not yet been considered an accident hotspot in the city area. The interaction between drivers and cyclists was largely accident-free. Nevertheless, the city council agreed that the connection, which is valued by many commuters from Dachau-Süd to the Karlsfeld S-Bahn station, should be made safer for cycling. The goal: to create a convenient connection that might convince some drivers to leave their cars behind and switch to cycling in the future.
A clear majority decided in favor of setting up a bicycle lane
In order to achieve this, a clear majority in the city council's environment and traffic committee - in consultation with the police and the Karlsfeld municipality - decided to set up a bicycle street and exclude through traffic by only allowing residents of Moosstrasse and Alte Bayernwerkstrasse to pass (we reported). Traffic officer Volker C. Koch (SPD) thought this solution was great: Finally we have a “continuous and easy-to-drive connection between Dachau and Karlsfeld”! The fact that drivers from Dachau-Süd now have to take a detour of one and a half to two kilometers to get to their destination in Karlsfeld is “reasonable”.
But the ÜB/FDP city councilors in particular did not think so. In an application they have already called for the “residents free” regulation to be lifted. This means that a “connection between Dachau and Karlsfeld/Allach that has been well accepted and functioning for decades can no longer be used for motorized traffic”. The detour that commuters now have to take also contradicts “the CO2 savings that the cycle path is intended to achieve, among other things”.
Citizens' protest against bicycle street: Signature campaign wants to abolish access barriers for car commuters
In addition to this political resistance - which, given the majority in the city council, has little chance of success - there was also citizen protest. Led by Martin Dallmeier, a resident of Heideweg, a signature collection campaign started four weeks ago. Around 400 people, mainly from Dachau South, took part. Their demand: to lift the “residents free” regulation and thus the access ban for car commuters.
Martin Dallmeier calls himself the prototype of those harmed by this regulation. He says he has had his driver's license since 1988 and "I've been driving this road" since 1988. He emphasizes that he has never, not once, experienced an accident there! No wonder, because: “None of us who ride there are speeding or cutting cyclists!”
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There have also been protests against the cycle route in the Karlsfeld community. Residents there fought back and demanded additional signage.
Bicycle roads mean a detour of around two kilometers for drivers
The detour, which he now has to take from his apartment on Heideweg via Hermann-Stockmann- and Münchner-Straße and from the entrance to Karlsfeld to the S-Bahn station, means that he travels two kilometers further and 15 minutes longer every day. “I drive the route in a convoy, stopping at every traffic light. “It’s all exhaust fumes,” he complains. Dallmeier does not understand to what extent the new bicycle route is intended to promote the environment. He therefore finds the city council's decision to only drive residents on Moosstrasse and Bayernwerkstrasse "just crazy"! In addition, there are commercial businesses along Moosstrasse: there can be no question of quiet, undisturbed bicycle traffic anyway!
The list of signatures should be handed over to the mayor
He now wants to hand over all of these arguments as well as the 400 signature list to Mayor Florian Hartmann this afternoon (April 9th) at 3 p.m. together with his colleagues. And he is sure that more supporters will join in by the next meeting of the Environment and Transport Committee on April 23rd.
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Meanwhile, the police admit that they have not yet pursued the new regulation with great enthusiasm. “Sporadically,” says Christian Olschowsky, traffic expert for the Dachau police, “it is looked at,” but there are no “stand checks.” “Misconduct” has therefore not yet been identified.