29. November 2010

Green Party Politician Gives up - Frustrated about Hamburg Bureaucracy

GAL-Politiker gibt auf - Frustriert wegen Bürokratie

hamburgize.com / Stefan Warda
Confusing: Cycling allowed in Rotherbaum, district of Eimsbüttel
Bernd Achilles left the green fraction in the district of Eimsbüttel. For many years he was the spokesman for traffic policy of the fraction in Hamburg-Eimsbüttel. Traditionally the district of Eimsbüttel is more cycle-friendly than the Hamburg average. The green party was in coalition with the social-democrats for more than a decade. Many exemplary cycling projects were implemented in that time.

The retreat of Bernd Achilles points on the problems of traffic policy in Hamburg. Fighting for better cycling is extremely hard. In Hamburg parking lots still count more than safe cycling, at intersections cycle tracks are still built for pedestrians pushing bikes instead cycling, because cycle tracks suddenly end up, most politicians decide about cycle infrastructure from behind the windscreen, and cycling is damned to a matter of expendable leisure time. Cycling politicians with practical knowledge are still the absolutely exception.

Hamburg as upcoming European Green Capital cannot afford to do without politicians like Bernd Achilles. His retreat lets assume that something is wrong with cycle traffic and green policy in Hamburg.

Example for struggling for better cycling in Eimsbüttel: Authority bans cycling in winter



Examples for success under green participation in Eimsbüttel
Beispiele für Erfolge unter GAL-Beteiligung in Eimsbüttel


hamburgize.com / Stefan Warda
First places in Hamburg: Racks for good cycle parking on . . .
hamburgize.com / Stefan Warda
. . . part of the road lane (Hartungstraße, Bornstraße, Allendeplatz) . . .

hamburgize.com / Stefan Warda
. . . to offer easy cycle parking . . .

hamburgize.com / Stefan Warda
. . . on former car parking lots

hamburgize.com / Stefan Warda
Many years parking on the cycle track in Bundesstraße in front . . .

hamburgize.com / Stefan Warda
. . . of a school was a tradition. Cyclists switched onto the sidewalks . . .

hamburgize.com / Stefan Warda
. . . as long as the police refused to prevent cycle track from . . .

hamburgize.com / Stefan Warda

hamburgize.com / Stefan Warda
. . . illegal parking. A renewal of the popular cycle track and . . .

hamburgize.com / Stefan Warda
. . . protection against illegal parking were supported

hamburgize.com / Stefan Warda
The district of Eimsbüttel has more than average of the typical Hamburg cycle parking garages. Above average Eimsbüttel supported bicycle parking in these garages with special funding



Examples for failures under green participation in Eimsbüttel
Beispiele für Misserfolge unter GAL-Beteiligung in Eimsbüttel

hamburgize.com / Stefan Warda
Although the coalition in Eimsbüttel decided to change bad design of bus stops . . .


hamburgize.com / Stefan Warda
. . . at Frohmestraße, money was waste to renew them in old fashion style with unusable cycle tracks and extremely narrow sidewalks. These cycle tracks still have the obligation to be used
hamburgize.com / Stefan Warda
With renewal of Mittelweg cycle lanes were rejected to support more parking lots, but . . .

hamburgize.com / Stefan Warda
. . . cycling was allowed on sidewalks. The new signs are still confusing, cyclists could understand to cross street with red light
hamburgize.com / Stefan Warda
Request for speed limit of 30 km/h in Eppendorfer Weg was rejected

hamburgize.com / Stefan Warda
Disgrace: Asphalting of damaged cobble stones surface along a new cycle route was cancelled

hamburgize.com / Stefan Warda
Another disgrace: Cycle route proceeds straight across the main road, but cyclists cannot follow the route. They have to turn to the right. Traffic rules still are not coordinated with the official running of the cycle route
hamburgize.com / Stefan Warda
Cars dominate the street: Still no improvements for cyclists and pedestrians at Grindelallee




Read report in Eimsbüttler Wochenblatt: GAL-Experte schmeißt hin (03.11.2010)
Related to topic another report in Bergedorfer Zeitung: Zwischen Wunsch und Wirklichkeit (19.05.2010)

1 Kommentar:

  1. ... es ist ein Wahnsinn, wie unbeweglich es in der Politik zuzugehen scheint. Ich habe auch volles Verständnis für die Situation von besagtem Herrn Achilles und dessen Rücktritt, denn der Zeitungsartikel lässt ahnen, wie es ihm gegangen sein muss. Aber wie geht es nun weiter, wer übernimmt das Ressort, hoffentlich auch ein Fahrradfürsprecher. Es ist zum heulen, dass Innovationen für eine lebenswertere Stadt immer wieder von starren Strukturen und auch einzelnen Personen an den Schaltstellen ausgebremst werden. Es ist mir immer wieder rätselhaft, warum verkehrliche Umstrukturierungen in anderen Ländern, siehe DK und NL, weitestgehend reibungslos umgesetzt werden können während man sich hier weiterhin an der verkehrskonzeptionellen Steinzeit festhält.
    Mehr Flexibilität in den Köpfen der Menschen, mehr Visionen, mehr Mut zur Erneuerung.

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