The Planned Kiezblock on Auguststraße – Disadvantages for:

Children:
The previously quiet Gipsstraße, with its narrow sidewalk, is home to the Kastanienbaum Elementary School and a playground. Since Auguststraße is planned to be closed off with additional bollards, the one-way restriction on Gipsstraße is set to be lifted, redirecting traffic past the school and playground towards Rosenthaler Straße. This will increase traffic volume and endanger children’s safety.

Elderly and Mobility-Impaired People:
Their needs are not adequately considered, as many rely on cars. Cycling on Tucholsky- or Linienstraße is simply not an option for many of them, and having to drive long detours in their own neighborhood feels alienating.

Hospitals and Fire Services:
The management of St. Hedwig Hospital informed us that they had already expressed their concerns in writing to the Mitte District Office in April regarding the Kiezblock and bollards, highlighting a “significant threat to service provision.” To date, no response has been received. The hospital handles up to 120 trips per day from emergency vehicles and supply deliveries and considers the planned measures a serious restriction on their operations.

Freelancers, Care Services, Taxis, Craftspeople, Commuters:
Their mobility is restricted – longer travel times and detours are often unavoidable, meaning extra effort, increased traffic, and additional use of time and resources.

Business Owners:
In other Berlin districts, Kiezblocks and bollards have led to business closures. Retailers near the bollards at Tucholsky-/Auguststraße, including two boutiques and a flower shop, have reported revenue losses of 30-40 percent. Many customers who previously stopped briefly by car no longer visit, and space for deliveries is limited.

Kiezblock supporters often rely on studies that pertain to different mobility structures and are not directly comparable to the situation in Berlin. It’s unfortunate that the concerns of those who keep Berlin running with jobs and taxes are not adequately considered.

Pedestrians:
Traffic lights and crosswalks are not permitted on designated bike streets. Bicycles and e-bikes often speed along these routes. Particularly at the Auguststraße/Tucholskystraße intersection, where bollards encourage even faster speeds, pedestrians are often left at a disadvantage.

Additionally:

Public transport is unreliable and unsafe.
According to the district office, we should all switch to cycling or public transportation. Yet, Berlin’s public transit system (BVG) has been in the headlines for all the wrong reasons: BVG faces staff and train shortages, leading to overcrowded carriages and waiting times of up to 30 minutes. Some routes are no longer in service. The passengers’ association describes it as a full-blown BVG crisis.

At the same time, crime in Berlin’s public transport is at its highest level in the past decade. On average, there were over ten violent incidents per day in subways, trams, buses, and stations last year, with a total of 28,000 offenses.

Ideologically driven transport policy by the Green Party overlooks residents’ needs.
After the Green Party’s car-free Friedrichstraße initiative failed and they were voted out at the state level, they are now trying to push their ideologically motivated transport policies into side streets, working closely with the cycling activists of Changing Cities. This tight collaboration with specific lobbying groups raises questions about neutrality. External interests should not be placed above the concerns of local residents. We therefore call on Berlin’s district offices to immediately end their collaboration with Changing Cities.

With our online petition, we aim to make a statement, giving space to voices that have not been heard. Please join us, sign, and share our petition.

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