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2nd Munich Mobility Congress: The shift in traffic is slowly gaining momentum

Fewer cars, many more bicycles, public transport at pre-corona levels: The mobility transition in Munich is gaining momentum, data shows initial changes in the car city away from the car. But the road is long, the resistance is great.

Against resistance, for the traffic transition: At the opening of the 2nd Munich Mobility Congress, Second Mayor Katrin Habenschaden sees the first effects, and Mobility Officer Georg Dunkel wants to continue the Mobility Strategy 2035 consistently - because it is without alternative. Changing nothing leads to a dead end. | Photo: MOR/DobnerAngermann
Against resistance, for the traffic transition: At the opening of the 2nd Munich Mobility Congress, Second Mayor Katrin Habenschaden sees the first effects, and Mobility Officer Georg Dunkel wants to continue the Mobility Strategy 2035 consistently - because it is without alternative. Changing nothing leads to a dead end. | Photo: MOR/DobnerAngermann
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The 2nd Munich Mobility Congress of the City of Munich started in anticipation of IAA Mobility 2023 and took stock of the transformation in traffic in the Bavarian capital. At the opening, Deputy Mayor Katrin Habenschaden presented new traffic data from the Mobility Department in the well-filled hall of the Old Town Hall. The figures show an initial trend away from car traffic towards more environmentally friendly modes of transport, such as bicycles. The first half of 2019 was compared with the first half of 2023 to largely avoid distorting effects of the corona pandemic.

During this time, the city's population increased by about two percent and the number of registered vehicles by about five percent. However, the average daily car traffic at the free measuring points (measured by detectors) in the city decreased by about five percent on average in the main road network. In contrast, bicycle traffic in the city area increased by about 30 percent in the same period (measurements at the bicycle counting points). In public transportation, the number of passengers has almost reached the pre-Corona level again.

“The traffic transition initiated by the City of Munich is bearing its first fruits. Bicycle traffic is booming, while the number of car journeys is declining despite the growing population. Also, the number of passengers in subways, buses, and trams has almost reached pre-Corona levels. However, there is no reason to celebrate yet, as we are still far from reaching our goals for the mobility mix," explained Deputy Mayor Katrin Habenschaden (Green Party), who expressed particular concern about the financing of public transport.

Nonetheless, the development is encouraging, as it shows that climate-friendly and space-saving modes of transport are gaining traction in Munich, and people are willing to switch. The task now is to turn the initial trend into a long-term development. The Isar metropolis aims to achieve this through a better public transport offer, safe cycling and pedestrian paths, a massive expansion of car sharing, and well-executed citizen participation. In this context, she cautioned, on a given occasion, not to torpedo scientifically backed and accompanied pilot projects during the trial phase and to have the courage and patience for experiments. The mobility transition is necessary and one must not give up when things get specific.

"A status quo will bring the city to a standstill. Nobody can want that," the politician warned.

Effective Quickly with Foot and Bike - and Much More Sharing

In the short term, the implementation of bicycle traffic measures from the Radentscheid Munich, especially the Old Town Bicycle Ring, as well as a forced sharing strategy including bike, scooter, and car sharing and prospectively also on-demand services with up to 200 mobility points in the city, should contribute, which should be multimodal. Use instead of own must become the motto. A bicycle logistics hub at Viehof is supposed to set the first accent in terms of more sustainable commercial traffic.

A city-suburb network as part of the MZM initiative (Mobile Future Munich) also gives her hope. It is also about more quality of life in the cities and the enhancement of public spaces, which is also without alternative in the context of the climate crisis.

"The traffic transition in Munich has the potential to become a success if we continue to consistently pursue the path we have taken," reaffirmed Habenschaden.

The mandate for a transport revolution has been issued by the city council

According to Mobility Advisor Georg Dunkel, the mobility department has received the mandate from the city council to implement the transport revolution. He announced that they want to take the transport revolution to a new level. The main goal is to achieve more space efficiency in traffic and accordingly prioritize the more space-efficient means of transport, namely walking ("the most basic form of mobility with the most vulnerable group"), cycling, public transport (ÖPNV), and sharing ("living without your own car is possible"). The main pillar must be public transport, flanked by cycling, walking, and sharing. Public space must be distributed more fairly, which is already an imperative for the urban climate and health.

Especially since the city of Munich is growing rapidly and the challenges of the climate crisis are becoming ever greater. A holistic approach to urban planning is needed here, keyword "sponge city". The Vision Zero, aiming for zero traffic fatalities, is also a pressing mandate that is achievable, as cities like Helsinki or Oslo show. The advisor acknowledged that technology plays an important role in digitization, but it is not a panacea.

"Continuing as usual is not an option. It leads to a dark dead end. The transport revolution is simply without alternative in the context of the climate crisis," Dunkel urged the involved parties to reach a fundamental consensus on the transformation.

Organizational restructuring needs time

Dunkel also asked for patience from all those active in the transport revolution, stating that the daily "planning and order practice" is complex: Quality and legal certainty take time, and there must also be a fundamental agreement among citizens. All of this initially requires a complete organizational restructuring in the newly established department and also "internal" willingness, as Dunkel expressed it. Nearly three years after the department's founding, the first changes in mobility behavior are now being seen.

"For me, this shows: We are on the right path with our Mobility Strategy 2035. We expect more detailed numbers in 2025 from the currently ongoing city-wide household survey. We hope not only for a continuation of this trend but also for insights into the exact background of the numbers, such as the effect of working from home," Dunkel explained.

The Mobility Advisor also referred to the outdated legal framework for road traffic at the federal level, which the municipality must adhere to but which is highly restrictive. Dunkel cited examples such as the issue of speed limit 30 or parking management, including the still heavily capped parking fees in Bavaria. Numerous lawsuits in courts are also delaying processes unnecessarily, which need to be much faster. Issues that need to be clarified include widespread and tolerated but actually prohibited half-sidewalk parking.

"The legal framework is by far not aligned with the challenges we face," Dunkel appealed.

The Mobility Advisor emphasized that this is not a policy against the car, but for the necessary change. An efficient road network is also needed for everyone who relies on a car and for commercial traffic.

"We don't want to ban private cars, but we want good alternatives. The big question is how much motorized individual traffic the city can handle," Dunkel formulated.

Referring to the heated debates on traffic policy in Munich, Dunkel cautioned that while it is important to hear differing opinions and thoroughly debate measures, it is also crucial to accept final decisions. Otherwise, trust in the administration and politics would be lost, a danger he currently sees, as Dunkel pointed out. The fears of change should be outweighed by the enthusiasm for change, and the positive aspects and opportunities should be more visible.

Public Transport as the Backbone

On the first day of the 2nd Munich Mobility Congress, there were also lectures on the topic "Public Transport as the Backbone of the Mobility Transition – Ambition and Reality" and a high-profile panel discussion at the Old Town Hall. Additionally, representatives of the nine civic projects presented their actions, which can currently be visited in the city districts, at the Transport Centre of the German Museum. During a bicycle safety check by the Mobility Department, one could have their bicycle inspected, show their knowledge in a mobility quiz, and receive advice on mobility topics at several information stands.

Workshops on Shared Mobility, Vision Zero, and Commercial Traffic

The 2nd Munich Mobility Congress runs until Tuesday, September 5th. On Monday, September 4th, in the morning at the Old Town Hall at Marienplatz, Stefanie Haaks (CEO of Kölner Verkehrs-Betriebe AG), Alexandra Reinagl (CEO of Wiener Linien), Andreas Barth (Deputy Chairman of Pro Bahn Regional Association Upper Bavaria), Ingo Wortmann (CEO of MVG and President of the German Association of Public Transport Companies), and Jörn Meier-Berberich (Partner dmo – digital mobility consultants) will discuss. In the afternoon, workshops on topics such as Shared Mobility, Vision Zero, Commercial Traffic, and more will take place at the Transport Centre.

On Tuesday, September 5th, the focus will be on "Innovation through Cooperation – Networks and Cooperations as Drivers of Sustainable Mobility in the Munich Region." At 9:30 AM, Mobility Commissioner Georg Dunkel will symbolically hand over the baton to Tobias Gröber from Messe München at the Transport Centre, thereby passing on to IAA Mobility, which starts immediately afterwards.

Translated automatically from German.
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