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Standstill in the barrier-free stop expansion in Düsseldorf-Eller!
On October 29, 2023, citizens and politicians in Eller discussed the standstill in the barrier-free expansion of stops.
Standstill in the barrier-free stop expansion in Düsseldorf-Eller!
On October 29, 2023, an information event took place in the Schützenhaus Eller, attended by Ralf Hansen, the second chairman of IndividuEller, and the district mayor Dagmar von Dahlen. The topic of the evening was the standstill in the planning for the barrier-free expansion of six stops along Zeppelinstrasse and Gumbertstrasse. The frustration over the lack of progress invites reflection, especially when you look at the stops affected: These include the U75 and 701 at Schlesische Straße, Am Hackenbruch, Jägerstraße, D-Eller Mitte S, Alt Eller and Vennhauser Allee.
A central concern of the event was the need for elevated platforms that were 95 cm high and at least 60 m long. These are necessary to ensure barrier-free entry and exit. The city of Düsseldorf is obliged by a number of laws to provide barrier-free access to local public transport. This includes, among others, the National Equal Opportunity Act for Persons with Disabilities, the Passenger Transport Act, the General Equal Treatment Act, the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the EU Directive 2019/882 on accessibility requirements, such as Düsseldorf Current reported.
Challenges in implementation
A major problem in implementing barrier-free stops is the cramped street conditions. In addition, both high-floor and low-floor railways must be taken into account, which makes planning even more difficult. Various expansion options examined only brought disadvantages. Both a tunnel solution and the lowering of the track routes fail due to the high costs. At the same time, the preferred solution with elevated platforms is encountering resistance from residents who express concerns about the fragmentation of Gumbertstrasse and fear possible negative effects on retail.
There is also a controversial discussion about the weighting of project costs in comparison to other criteria. Dagmar von Dahlen suggested making compromises and not making every stop barrier-free. This could potentially speed up planning, which was an urgent wish expressed by participants at the end of the event. In addition, a variant with partially raised platforms was discussed in order to better meet the needs of citizens.
At a time when many cities are focusing on accessibility, it is to be hoped that planning in Düsseldorf will soon gain momentum. After all, citizens deserve easy access to public transport - and this should be achieved as quickly as possible in the interests of everyone involved.