CDU defends itself against bicycle road: downtown should remain car -friendly!

CDU defends itself against bicycle road: downtown should remain car -friendly!

The discussion about the traffic design in Achim is becoming increasingly hot. The local CDU chairman Jürgen Striedieck vehemently commented against the desired conversion of the street on the market square into a bicycle road. At a public session in the Hotel Gieschen on Tuesday evening, he emphasized the need to keep the city center accessible to drivers.

"Is it really realistic that everyone should only get into the city center by bike or cargo?" So Striedieck. These words were well received by the members of his city association and with a listener present who pointed out that most visitors to the weekly market and shops are older people who travel by car. The desire for a greater consideration of bicycle traffic and the creation of bicycle roads for traffic calming met with violent resistance.

fear of traffic and missing incentives

The concerns about the accessibility of the city center are obvious. Rüdiger Dürr, the honorary chairman, warned that the closure of streets like Asmusstrasse could endanger the attractiveness of the city center. The street on the market square, with its important facilities such as high school and retail stores, should not be primarily shown for cycling. These views illustrate fear that social and economic life in the city center could suffer.

In addition, Susann Heise, a local businesswoman, said that there is no incentives to lure people to the pedestrian zone at least on market days. She complained of the lack of attractive meeting points and special events that could enrich life in the city. Her suggestions ranged from the creation of cozy seating to improving the quality of stay through more green areas.

The high rental load in the Achim city center was also discussed. Heise stated that the expensive shop rents are hardly portable in times of a stagnating customer current, which leads to a variety of vacancies. "What helps a high rental claim if there are simply no customers who come?" she described. A possible approach to improve this situation could be the support in rental negotiations by the city, which was critically reflected by Striedieck, since previous attempts to fill vacancies through pop-up stores have failed.

"Achim should think about what it makes unique," stimulated Striedieck. He spoke of "premium products" and gave the example of a successful hi-fi business as a model. Events such as the Christmas market or the “Summertime” city festival could be another incentive to mobilize the residents in order to bring the city center to alive again.

also suggestive changes in the pedestrian zone came up. The CDU is committed to a broader, barrier -free pavement, which would be particularly advantageous for the disabled. One of the main concerns of Striedieck was to tackle the security concerns in the dark. He announced that the city administration asked for a return to the nightly lighting in order to convey a feeling of security to the citizens. This requirement was supported by several participants in the session who expressed their fear in the dark.

However, there was also contradiction. Stephan Warnken, assessor on the board, noted that the nightly lighting was not necessary, since at night people are rarely traveling in Achim and the city saves 80,000 euros annually in electricity costs. The controversy in this discussion show how diverse the opinions about the future orientation of road and urban planning in Achim.

Finally, it should be noted that the challenges that Achim is facing are multi -layered. It is important to find a compromise that meets both the needs of drivers and cyclists without endangering the attractiveness of the city center and strengthening the existing economic structures. The opinions of the citizens should flow into the planning in order to promote sustainable and lively urban development.