Express bike lane in Bonn Politicians discuss the environmental impact on the Viktoriabrücke

The CDU and FDP have now made proposals in the wrangling for an east-west express bike lane. As an alternative, the fast-track bike lane could pass through the centre of Bonn.

 Stock photo.

Stock photo.

Foto: dpa/Federico Gambarini

In the struggle for an express bike lane from east to west, the CDU and FDP have now made suggestions as to how it could alternatively be routed through the centre of Bonn. CDU planning spokesman Bernd Moll told the GA that environmental impacts on the Viktoriabrücke bridge were not a taboo subject for his parliamentary group.

The proposal for an alternative route by the CDU and FDP clearly surprised their Green alliance partner. In any case, Green planning expert Hartwig Lohmeyer showed no reluctance to discuss the matter again in his own parliamentary group during the meeting of the planning committee on Wednesday evening, although the Greens basically wanted to continue to maintain a cycle path alongside the motorway. Lohmeyer supported Moll’s proposal to refer the issue to the city council without a vote, because the CDU politician admitted: “The proposal is hastily put together, but we wanted to set a countermotion to the proposal of the left-wing fraction.”

The left-wing faction wants to retain the cycle expressway on “the millipede”

Background: The left-wing parliamentary group has applied to retain a fast cycle path on the millipede. The millipede is the part of the A565 between Endenich and Bonn-Nord, which is to be rebuilt and extended to three lanes in each direction from the end of 2021. As reported, politicians had the idea to build a cycle path along the motorway between Endenicher Ei and Nordbrücke as part of the expansion. But for economic reasons, the state sees no chance for a cycle path on the motorway section.

Since the NRW State Roads Authority will soon begin the planning approval procedure for the millipede, the Left has proposed to retain the cycle path and to examine whether the City of Bonn can take action against the planning approval procedure. “If the project is ditched and the start of construction is not adhered to, it will have devastating consequences for Bonn”, warned Moll. After all, he said, the millipede is a major traffic artery. The consequences for Bonn’s inner city are unimaginable. “We must finally consider the fact that unfortunately, there will not be an express cycle path on this route”, said Moll. The suggestion that the city should in a timely manner examine the possibility of an expressway for cyclists from the Nordbrücke in the direction of Kaiser-Karl-Ring and from there over the Viktoriabrücke bridge via Endenicher Straße towards Duisdorf and Bornheim was strictly rejected by the Left. "This can only be a cycle path," said David Rupp.

Speaking on behalf of the SPD, Gabriel Kunze said that his parliamentary group definitely saw the need for a six-lane widening of the A565 between Endenich and Bonn-North. However, by 2027 when the construction should be complete, the legal situation will certainly have changed, not least for climatic and traffic reasons. Therefore, the SPD demanded that the administration should check before completion whether the third lane could not then be used as an environmental lane, for example for express buses.

(Original text; Lisa Inhoffen, translation John Chandler)

Meistgelesen
Neueste Artikel
Zum Thema
Aus dem Ressort