Is car no longer king in Berlin?
A new “pedestrian law” has been passed in Berlin, with the aim of shifting the priority away from cars, and further towards vulnerable road users.
At the end of January, Berlin’s state parliament passed a so-called pedestrian law — an amendment to a 2018 law that focused on improving traffic safety for cyclists. Both were the first of their kind in Germany, according to DW – a German news broadcaster.
The new requirements include: longer green lights for pedestrians, safer routes to school, more pedestrian crossings and more benches for older people and others in need of a rest along their route; curbs are to be lowered to make them more wheelchair accessible; construction sites will need to ensure that pedestrians and cyclists can safely navigate around them; and city authorities are supposed to crack down harder on illegal parking and dangerous driving.
ETSC says the modal priority in urban areas should put pedestrians and cyclists first, followed by public transport and then private motor vehicles.