Road Traffic Law & Speed Limit 30: The Reform Turns into a Mini-Reform

In the reform of road traffic law and the road traffic regulations (StVO) crucial for implementation, it is becoming increasingly clear that there will still be too little room for municipalities to enact a traffic transition. The proposal for the StVO, which has now been presented and approved by the cabinet, shows that in addition to the new criteria of climate and environment, health, and urban development, it is still the "safety and ease" of (auto) traffic that remains influential. Municipalities remain "still strapped into a tight corset," criticizes Michael Müller-Gönnert of the alternative Verkehrsclub Deutschland (VCD) in an interview with Spiegel. The two drafts must still be passed separately by the Bundesrat in November. In addition to speed limit 30, the package also includes the following measures:

• independent bus lanes
• lanes for electric and fuel cell vehicles, limited for testing until the end of 2028
• loading zones for delivery vehicles
• resident parking zones can be set up prophylactically if there is a threat of parking shortages

The general speed limit of 30 km/h demanded by many experts is not even up for debate, and the easier imposition of the 30 km/h limit is likely to remain a wishful thinking for municipalities. So far, the fluidity of traffic took priority here, with exceptions only allowed around kindergartens or nursing homes, i.e., to mitigate danger spots. Now, there are supposed to be just a few more exceptions, such as near playgrounds, pedestrian crossings, and heavily trafficked school routes. Municipalities will also be allowed to create link closures in 30 km/h zones up to 500 meters instead of the previous 300 meters. The speed limit of 30 km/h on main roads must still be justified by a special danger situation. Municipalities would still have their hands tied, the VCD criticizes, if they wanted to introduce a 30 km/h limit for greater traffic safety even outside these exceptional situations.