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Compromise on the cycle route: Schwäbisch Gmünd on the home stretch!
Important developments on the Klarenbergstrasse bicycle route in Schwäbisch Gmünd: Citizens' meeting, costs and referendum on October 12, 2025.
Compromise on the cycle route: Schwäbisch Gmünd on the home stretch!
Something is happening in Schwäbisch Gmünd – the planned cycle route on Klarenbergstrasse is taking shape. At a three-hour meeting on Thursday evening, various actors, including representatives of the citizens' initiative “Sicher ins Städtle” and Mayor Richard Arnold, met to find a compromise. The aim of the conversation was to avoid a referendum that would burden the city with around 130,000 euros Rem newspaper reported.
Kevin Kärcher, one of the people involved in the citizens' initiative, said he was positive about the exchange, but emphasized that many points still need to be clarified. It is clear that there is consensus about the planning in two sections: on the one hand, Untere Zeiselbergstrasse and, on the other, Klarenbergstrasse between Mozartstrasse and the junction with Gutenbergstrasse. However, implementation depends on funding from the state and federal government.
Financial aspects and referendum
The city is facing a financial challenge. For the first section of the cycle route, personal contributions of 266,260 euros are due, for the second section it is 171,690 euros. Martin Bläse, CDU city councilor, confirmed that despite progress, some questions still remain unanswered. On July 23rd, the local council has the opportunity to set the course for Klarenbergstrasse - the last date for a possible compromise.
The mood remains tense, especially since the referendum to establish a continuous bicycle lane, which will be voted on on October 12, 2025 based on 3,264 signatures collected, cannot be ignored. This also comes from a report by Gmünder daily post out. A vote that reaches the majority of those eligible to vote binds the local council to the result.
The importance of citizen participation
The importance of citizen participation in such processes is shown not only by the example of Schwäbisch Gmünd, but also by the general challenges in the participatory approach. Transparent communication is required right from the planning phase in order to enable real participation. The associated concept envisages involving various target groups and providing information about all relevant information at an early stage so that citizens can actively participate in the decisions, as on the website of Future sustainable mobility was presented.
The planned cycle route could not only offer an environmentally friendly mobility alternative, but also promote coexistence in Schwäbisch Gmünd. Whether and how citizens' ideas and political decisions can be reconciled remains to be seen. What is certain is that the process continues and the coming weeks will be crucial.