Even when it premiered during the IAA Mobility 2021 trade fair, it became apparent that it did not quite deliver what the trade fair organizers had promised. The “Blue Lane” should connect the exhibition center in Riem with the exhibition in the city center – coming from the A94 motorway via the Prinzregentenstraße in the direction of the center. It should be reserved for low-emission vehicles and vehicles occupied by at least three people.
However, other motorists also used the lane in the urban area, so that an acceleration effect for environmentally friendly means of transport could not really be determined. The police had stated from the start that they could not punish unauthorized use of the lane.
This year, the mobility department would like to get rid of the special lane at the second Munich edition of the IAA Mobility, even though it was part of the tender for the award of the motor show. Because the assessment by the authorities is not exactly positive. Traffic surveys on September 9 and 12, 2021 showed that the number of unauthorized users of the lane was higher than the authorized ones. On Prinzregentenstrasse, only 38 and 36 percent respectively used the Blue Lane legally, on Einsteinstrasse it was only 18 and 24 percent respectively.
On the A 94, the Blue Lane ran along the hard shoulder, which is why driveways had to be closed. This caused traffic jams on the detour route and additional emissions in the city area. According to Autobahn GmbH, the Blue Lane did not offer any appreciable time advantage. According to the mobility department, the preparation and support of the Blue Lane and the subsequent complaint management were so labor-intensive and time-consuming that other tasks had to be neglected. The conclusion of the authorities: there is no positive relationship between effort and income.
However, the mobility department does not rule out the possibility that in the future a special lane will be created for specially authorized vehicles, or even several. How this could work is still to be explored. Elsewhere, such traces have long been a reality. In order to be able to get used to it and to achieve a real benefit, such a project has to run and be evaluated over a longer period of time. The duration of an IAA, i.e. six days, is too short for that.
The space in front of the Feldherrnhalle should no longer be available for the IAA.
(Photo: imago images/Smith)
The economic department, on the other hand, does not believe in giving up the Blue Lane again. It indicates that it was one of the reasons that Munich got the IAA and that its reputation as a location is now in jeopardy. Because the city council has already modified the commitments for the open space, i.e. the publicly accessible exhibition in the center. Instead of the square in front of the Feldherrnhalle and parts of the Königsplatz, exhibitors should switch to Ludwigstrasse. If then the Max-Joseph-Platz should also be greened, as is currently being discussed, this could possibly no longer be used as a trade fair location.
This Wednesday, the administration wanted to submit the proposal to the city council’s mobility committee for a decision. But for now the topic will be postponed. SPD and Greens first want to talk to the organizers – these are the Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA) and Messe München. The VDA does not want to comment on the initiative of the mobility department for the time being. The association announced on Monday that they wanted to wait for the final decision of the city council.