The Au-Haidhausen District Committee (BA) has cleared the way for the controversial testing of a pedestrian zone on Weißenburger Straße. With a large majority, the committee approved a concept from the town hall, according to which car traffic between Weißenburger and Pariser Platz should be blocked for a year. The test phase is expected to start at the end of June, says BA chairman Jörg Spengler (Greens). He is convinced that a “good solution for all sides” has been found with the concept that has now been decided.
The plans for an extension of the existing pedestrian zone between Rosenheimer and Weißenburger Platz have sparked controversial debates in Haidhausen. Above all, business people in the district’s most important shopping mile rejected a car-free street in front of their shops – for fear of rising rents and a loss of parking spaces. In contrast, a number of residents who joined forces in the “Haidhausen for All” initiative spoke out vehemently in favor of traffic calming.
According to the concept, bicycles should remain allowed on Weißenburger Straße. According to the BA decision, delivery traffic should be permitted there on weekdays from 10:30 p.m. to 12:45 p.m. Outside this period, businesses and residents need an access permit, which, according to Spengler, they receive for an administration fee of 15 euros. “We have come a long way to accommodate the business people,” says the BA boss. “I think this is a good solution for retailers.” The test phase is accompanied by a comprehensive study that will, among other things, examine the additional traffic burden on the surrounding streets.
Nothing structurally will be changed for the one-year pilot test on Weißenburger Straße. Rather, the shopping mile should be made more attractive with plant troughs, seating and bicycle racks. After a year, the road will be restored to its old condition and opened to cars. The city council will then decide, based on the experiences and study results, whether the shopping street between Weißenburger and Pariser Platz will become a permanent pedestrian zone.