Friedrichstrasse is reserved for cars: Greens lose again

Friedrichstrasse is reserved for cars: Greens lose again

in the Fulda city center, Friedrichstrasse remains open for car traffic for the time being. A new attempt by the Greens, supported by the SPD to convert the prominent road into a pedestrian zone, failed on Tuesday evening in the city's construction committee. The majority of the CDU and the FDP voted against the application, despite many years of demands by the Greens, who have been pursuing this initiative for over 30 years.

The city councilor Ernst Sporer commented on the subject and emphasized that continuous topic is important, because Friedrichstrasse is regularly closed to events such as the Christmas market and the street festival. According to the Greens application, a comprehensive redesign of the road would also be necessary to take into account the needs of pedestrians and accessibility.

The challenges of a redesign

It was suggested to remove bollards and parking spaces to expand the space for social activities. Another goal would be to inaugurate Friedrichstrasse as a pedestrian zone on the occasion of the Hessentag 2026. City building council Daniel Schreiner, however, said that the redesign could only be implemented if there was a clear political decision.

carpenter also pointed out the renovation requirement of the street. The exchange of paving stones is planned, but this can only begin in the coming spring due to delivery delays. Despite the rejection of the application, Sporer was optimistic and noticed an increasing openness of the CDU on this topic.

He received support from Dr. Thomas Bobke from the SPD, which underlined that temporary closures have already been successfully carried out during the summer months. Nevertheless, the CDU and the FDP continued to stick to its negative attitude. Peter Bleuel from the CDU emphasized the importance of promoting the dialogue with the local entrepreneurs, which have so far mostly been skeptical about the idea of a pedestrian zone.

The debate about the future of Friedrichstrasse will continue to accompany the city councilor in the future, and while short -term decisions could be made, the long -term desire for a car -free zone remains a controversial topic. For interested readers, further information on the backgrounds and developments in this area here available.