Administration ignores pedestrian protection: SPD raises the alarm in rush!

Administration ignores pedestrian protection: SPD raises the alarm in rush!

In the Eil district, a current communication of the administration ensures resentment among the citizens and the SPD. The application of the SPD parliamentary group leader Jutta Komorowski to increase pedestrian protection at the intersection of Bonner Strasse and Berger Straße was rejected. The administration sees the safe crossing for pedestrians as given. She argues that the confluence area is free of built -in and parked vehicles, which improve views of pedestrians. In addition, this assessment is based on a status report from 2023, which says that the speed of the vehicles is low due to the narrow roadway. Nevertheless, the SPD is disappointed with the slow processing of the application, which was submitted in June 2020.

Komorowski criticizes the late feedback as disrespectful towards the citizens and calls for a quick examination of all concerns. In August 2023, the SPD received information on the status, which, however, had not arrived on time. These delays have prompted the parliamentary group for further inquiries, whose answers are also long in coming. Another SPD representative, Pascal Pütz, criticizes the process and offers to solve the problem with simple measures such as color signaling.

Problem of visibility

citizens have also pointed out difficulties in the T-crossing, in which the cycle and footpath is separated from a green strip. In particular, the location of the cycle path, which is drawn on the road, could lead to dangerous situations. Here, road users often drive to the bike path and ignore pedestrians. Parking vehicles also contribute to the disability of the view in the intersection and increase the risk of accidents.

pedestrians represent the most frequently injured group in road traffic because they are unprotected road users and are particularly at risk. This applies in particular to children, the elderly and people restricted mobility. Studies show that many accidents happen in places where pedestrians have to cross the street. According to the German Road Safety Council, the safety of pedestrians can be significantly increased by an improved infrastructure and by changing behavior of all road users.

State political initiatives

In the federal traffic area, measures to improve traffic safety are also discussed. An expert hearing on a draft law of the Greens for the introduction of traffic safety zones took place on March 3, 2021 in the Paul Löbe-Haus in Berlin. The draft refers to the regulation of truck without turning safety systems in closed towns, with the aim of preventing collisions with unprotected road users. However, experts critically commented on this and point out considerable concerns.

Important measures to increase road safety for pedestrians are the introduction of secure crossing aids such as road dividers, traffic islands or crosswalks. Even today there is a need for road -proof solutions, especially of intersections and confluences. The implementation of these measures is necessary to improve the security for pedestrians and the entire foot traffic and to strive for a vision zero that aims at zero traffic fatalities. The pressure on the administration in Eil could help to tackle existing problems as quickly as possible and to find timely solutions.

The situation in Eil thus reflects a general problem that affects many cities: inadequate security for pedestrians and the need to prioritize infrastructure and security concepts. While a revision of existing guidelines appears indispensable, the SPD calls for a more active examination of the concerns of the citizens.