Instead of a new diesel driving ban, the Munich city council wants to introduce a 30 km/h speed limit on a section of the Middle Ring. This was decided on Wednesday by a narrow majority of the SPD and CSU/Free Voters. The new speed limit should apply between Dachauer Straße (Parkharfe Olympiapark) and Arnulfstraße (Donnersbergerbrücke). The speed limit is intended to reduce exhaust emissions on Landshuter Allee so that the limit value for nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), which has been exceeded for years, is met.
At the same time, the city council decided to take action against one point in the judgment of the Bavarian Administrative Court. The BayVGH had sentenced the city to comply with the limit values for NO₂ and insisted on new driving bans. The BayVGH ruled out an appeal. The city should now file a complaint against this non-admission of the appeal.
The SPD voted against its coalition partner, the Greens, who spoke out in favor of extending the existing zonal diesel driving ban to diesel vehicles with the Euro 5 emissions standard and thus followed the submission of environmental advisor Christine Kugler.
However, Mayor Dieter Reiter (SPD) restricted the decision on speed limit 30 with the addition “if this is legally possible”. He has announced that he will inquire informally with the legal supervision of the government of Upper Bavaria.
Both environmental officer Kugler and mobility officer Georg Dunkel had pointed out that a clear justification was needed for ordering a speed limit of 30 km/h on a so-called highway like the Middle Ring. That would be proof that driving at 30 km/h actually reduces emissions. But in Kugler’s opinion this is not the case, as studies have shown the opposite.