Green Party Politician Gives up - Frustrated about Hamburg Bureaucracy

GAL-Politiker gibt auf - Frustriert wegen Bürokratie

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

First places in Hamburg: Racks for good cycle parking on . . .

. . . part of the road lane (Hartungstraße, Bornstraße, Allendeplatz) . . .

. . . to offer easy cycle parking . . .

. . . on former car parking lots

Many years parking on the cycle track in Bundesstraße in front . . .

. . . of a school was a tradition. Cyclists switched onto the sidewalks . . .

. . . as long as the police refused to prevent cycle track from . . .

. . . illegal parking. A renewal of the popular cycle track and . . .

. . . protection against illegal parking were supported

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

Although the coalition in Eimsbüttel decided to change bad design of bus stops . . .

. . . 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

With renewal of Mittelweg cycle lanes were rejected to support more parking lots, but . . .

. . . cycling was allowed on sidewalks. The new signs are still confusing, cyclists could understand to cross street with red light

Request for speed limit of 30 km/h in Eppendorfer Weg was rejected

Disgrace: Asphalting of damaged cobble stones surface along a new cycle route was cancelled

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

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)