Nippes: Pedestrians in danger! Bürgersteige too narrow for safe ways

Nippes: Pedestrians in danger! Bürgersteige too narrow for safe ways

Nippes, Deutschland - The street is a place of life for many, but this does not always apply to pedestrians in Nippes. Lately, worries about the sidewalks are increasing there. A current application by the Green Group and the Gut & climate friends in the district council of Nippes over the width of the sidewalks hits waves. In one session, it was unanimously decided to carry out an inventory of the sidewalk widths and to check where the parking of cars could be prohibited on sidewalks in the future. A clear plan that wants to take on the needs of pedestrians. But not everyone is convinced of it.

As reported by the Cologne Stadt-Anzeiger, the sidewalks in the Nippeser center are often narrower than the required minimum widths of two meters, ideally even 2.50 meters. This grievance ensures difficulties, especially for wheelchair users and parents with strollers. Deniz Ertin from the Greens refers to the basics of the foot traffic check and suggests enlarging sidewalks where it turns out that they are too narrow. However, the approval is not undivided, according to Christoph Schmitz (CDU) concerns about the loss of parking spaces, while Henning Meier (SPD) addresses the high compaction in nipples.

parking or walking?

The heated debate shows how opposite the interests are. On the one hand, the need for safe walks for children and the elderly, on the other the discussion about the parking lot system. Inga Feuser from the Gut & Klimaf Kreunde sums it up: Here an unjust division is done in favor of car traffic. In their view, an upgrading of the sidewalks is urgently required to meet the requirements of pedestrians.

According to Geh-recht.de, sidewalks must be freely accessible for walking. The road traffic regulations (§ 25 (1) StVO) also determine that parking of cars is prohibited on sidewalks. The legally required minimum widths of two to 2.50 meters are not only recommendations, but also serve the safety and comfort of pedestrians. One should not forget that aids such as wheelchairs and strollers also need space, which makes it clear how important suitable dimensions are.

The way to the solution

The topic is not new and has increased more and more in recent years. Stvo2go shows in his regulations that the different usage expectations must be taken into account when designing sidewalks. This assessment will be a decisive factor in the planned measures of the city of Nippes. The idea of ​​putting people at the center of traffic planning is also supported by district mayor Diana Siebert (Greens). In her opinion, Nippes should be a place for people and not for cars.

With suggestions for new neighborhood park houses, such as at the Nippeser valley, the allotment garden system Boltensternstrasse or the Kaufhof parking lot, the decision-makers show alternatives. But there should not be a general solution that Daniel Hanna (CDU) addressed. The fact is, it takes a balanced plan to meet the needs of all road users - because there should be space for everyone on our sidewalks.