Road Traffic Law: SPD Parliamentary Group Wants Cities for People Instead of Cars

With a surprising move, the SPD faction in the Bundestag has set a new impulse in the debate on a fundamental reform of traffic laws. Accordingly, there should finally be "equality for all road users," tweeted SPD MP Mathias Stein, deputy spokesperson of the AG Verkehr as well as rapporteur for traffic law and traffic safety of the SPD parliamentary group. "We need cities for people instead of cities for cars," he further stated, and was promptly quoted by Der Spiegel, which fundamentally addressed the topic.

Most important project of the legislative period in the field

In this regard, Stein recalls a central project that is actually anchored in the coalition agreement of the "traffic light coalition" and envisions a fundamental reform of traffic legislation, dating back to the Empire and in the form of the traffic regulations (StVO) installed by the Nazis in 1934. The so-called "ease of traffic flow" should be considered equally with the aspects of climate and environmental protection, as well as health and urban development. Under the keyword "Requirements and Perspectives for a Modern Traffic Act - More Competencies for Municipalities," the SPD faction is also holding a workshop in the Bundestag to bring the issue back to the political agenda.

So far, Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing from the FDP has been delaying a reform, as did his predecessors from the CSU, Andreas Scheuer, Alexander Dobrindt and Peter Ramsauer. Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) has also shown no greater ambitions so far, for example on the issue of speed limits or StVO reform, to pressure the FDP more or even use his directive authority for a forced mobility transition. However, Justice Minister Marco Buschmann also follows the FDP line and repeatedly spoke out against speed limits on highways. Now, the SPD faction is taking the initiative.

"Anyone in local town halls trying to create attractive cycling networks, safe footpaths and uniform speed limits quickly reaches limits. The current traffic law (StVG) prevents cities from shaping the traffic turn and adapting to the requirements of modern times with its focus on the fluidity of motor vehicle traffic and risk prevention. The SPD parliamentary group has therefore long been advocating for a reform of the traffic law. We want to turn cities for cars into cities for all," criticize SPD politicians Dorothee Martin, MdB spokesperson of the AG Verkehr of the SPD parliamentary group and Mathias Stein.

This legislative period offers the chance to make a big step forward. This is the most important project of this legislative period in the area of traffic law. With the partners in the coalition, it has been agreed in the coalition agreement to incorporate the goals of climate and environmental protection, health, and urban development into the traffic law to open up decision-making leeway for states and municipalities, the politicians further pressuring Wissing.

What's holding it back? Even the FGSV wants the paradigm shift

Before the StVG reform is on the agenda in the German Bundestag, a workshop is to discuss requirements and perspectives for a modern traffic law. The politicians refer to impulses from the metropolises of Copenhagen, Barcelona, and Vienna, which are considered pioneers of the traffic transition in Europe with their innovative concepts. Above all, cities and municipalities, but also a phalanx of environmental associations and educational institutions have long been pushing for a fundamental reform of traffic laws. Recently, even the Forschungsgesellschaft für Straßen- und Verkehrswesen (FGSV), the norm-setting body in traffic law matters, called for a paradigm shift.

Municipalities must prove "danger situation"

So far, it is difficult for municipalities to deviate from StVO standards, even though there are leeways. However, measures are often retracted by courts because individual "affected" parties file complaints, for example, when parking spaces disappear, the speed is reduced, or pop-up cycle lanes are designated. Bus acceleration lanes or car-free zones are often tried only experimentally at best. An initiative for nationwide city-wide 30 km/h speed limits, now supported by 300 cities, has so far found no resonance in the Ministry of Transport; nationwide regulations such as those in Spain are not possible. Usually, it must be individually proven that a "danger situation that significantly exceeds the general risk" exists. The current traffic law "gives more weight to the interest in mobility than to the interest in people's safety and health," the Federal Environment Agency (UBA) also complained.