Traffic problems on Venusberg New car park for Uniklink
Bonn · Work has started on the new car park at the main entrance to the Bonn university hospital (Universitätsklinik). The medical director, Wolfgang Holzgreve continues to call for the construction of a cable car on the Venusberg.
While discussions are being held on the Venusberg about the official report on the current parking situation, which suggests abolishing 150 public parking spaces and introducing parking fees along with resident-only parking in the residential areas, the Uniklinikum Bonn were taking action. Next to the main entrance a new car park is being built for 500 cars. The hospital is financing the new car park with its own funds – an investment of seven million Euros.
The new multi-story car park called Parkhaus Mitte will be opened at the beginning of 2018, announced the hospital Chairman and Medical Director, Professor Wolfgang Holzgreve. In reality, there will be an additional 410 spaces because 90 previous spaces are being sacrificed to make way for the new car park building. In addition, the helicopter landing space on the site will be developed into car parking. “A new landing space for helicopters will be set up at the emergency centre.” This should be a better location for transporting patients than the current one.
These measures should further relieve the strained parking situation at the UKB but Holzgreve warns, “this is not a solution for the real heart of the problem.” Mobility needs to be considered in its entirety and not just the number of parking spaces. This means that, according to Holzgreve, 3000 of the 8000 employees use a Jobticket on public transport as well as car sharing opportunites and cycling to work. “But this is not enough to noticeably reduce the amount of private traffic on the Venusberg,” Holzgreve says.
Illegal parking at the hospital site and outside
Traffic studies assume that the number of cars coming daily to UKB will increase from 12,500 to 17,000 by 2025 and to 20,000 by 2030. This is because the number of outpatients has significantly risen in past years. “And there is no reason to believe that this trend will not continue.”
Holzgreve is convinced, “what would really help, would be the construction of a cable car on the Venusberg.” This would replace 1700 to 4000 car journeys on the Venusberg. “And I hope that a positive decision will be made about the cable car plans”. He is pleased that the Telekom and environmental groups support the idea.
The UKB is keeping out of the current discussions on whether resident-only parking in the residential areas and parking fees should be introduced and 150 spaces removed. It is also recognised that there are between 400 and 500 illegal parkers, half of whom are UKB employees and the other half are hospital visitors. “We can well imagine that it is burden on the residents of the Venusberg. And people also park illegally on our site”, says Holzgreve. But whether the recommendations from the report will be put into practice is something that the residents and the city with their political representatives will have to decide. (Original text: Rolf Kleinfeld, Translation: Caroline Payne)
