The Munich Transport Company (MVG)’s plans for a tram to Johanneskirchen S-Bahn station are not well received by local residents. As they made clear at an MVG information session in July, they fear noise and doubt the traffic benefits of the project. In addition, 149 trees have to be felled, 89 of which fall under the tree protection regulations. The Munich public utilities want to start this on October 1st.
Now the CSU state parliament member Robert Brannekämper is also campaigning against the construction of the tram. Together with the lawyer Benno Ziegler, who represents residents on Freischützstrasse, he wants to stop the project at the last minute. In a letter, Brannekämper asks the President of the Government of Upper Bavaria, Konrad Schober, to intervene quickly.
According to MVG plans, the tram should be rolling by the end of 2025; the planning approval process is currently ongoing. For lawyer Ziegler, the case is clear: As long as the building permit has not yet been issued, no trees should be felled. He refers to a judgment of the Federal Administrative Court of February 9, 2012 (ref. 9 VR 2/12)which prohibited premature felling of trees during a road construction project in Berlin.
The critics also complain that the future tram and bus stop is much further away from the S-Bahn station than the current bus stop. In addition, the nearby railway line was not taken into account when calculating the noise pollution.
The MVG admits that it has already been determined that the noise report is incorrect and will therefore be revised. The new version is then the basis for noise compensation.
Otherwise, the MVG contradicts the tram opponents. The extension of the footpath is offset by a saving in bus travel time of two to three minutes, as bus route 50 can also use the future tram turning loop. The transfer time is therefore not extended.
As far as the relocation of the division is concerned, this does not require approval. The building permit from the government of Upper Bavaria is only necessary for track construction. The tree felling has been approved by the responsible authorities.