Urbach in the pedestrian traffic check: Safer and more attractive for pedestrians?

Urbach in the pedestrian traffic check: Safer and more attractive for pedestrians?

A foot traffic check is currently being carried out in Urbach with the aim of assessing the city's pedestrian friendliness. The initiative was launched by the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Transport and focuses on improving the safety and attractiveness of walking. This particularly affects children, seniors and people with mobility restrictions. Zvw.de reports that pedestrians on Schlossstrasse often have to move onto the street because parking on both sides of the street makes it difficult for them to walk.

Mayor Martina Fehrlen emphasizes the importance of user-friendly sidewalk design that must meet all users - including the needs of strollers and walkers. This concern is reflected in the planned workshops and inspections that are part of the program. The first workshop serves to raise awareness and planning, while the second workshop focuses on the evaluation and discussion of the collected data. This information is expanded upon in two inspections in which typical routes are analyzed for accessibility and safety.

Gradual improvement of the infrastructure

State Secretary Elke Zimmer emphasizes that safe sidewalks for pedestrian traffic are essential. In order to get closer to these goals, the foot traffic check is accompanied by the specialist office Planersocietät, while the costs are borne by the state. In addition to Urbach, a total of 14 other municipalities were selected for the program, which means Baden-Württemberg is recognized as a pioneer in the promotion of pedestrian traffic. Since the program started in 2015, 120 municipalities have already taken part, which underlines the importance of this topic. Urbach.de provides further information on these developments.

The Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport (BMDV) has launched a national walking strategy, which also aims to strengthen walking as a component of sustainable mobility. The strategy includes, among other things, the expansion of barrier-free infrastructure and the improvement of traffic safety. The focus is on environmental aspects, such as reducing emissions and noise, as well as health benefits, such as promoting fitness through regular walking. Allied Mobility also emphasizes that the challenges faced by people with mobility limitations must receive particular attention.

These measures and strategies aim to make walking not only more attractive, but also more barrier-free. It is crucial that in the future there will be increased investment in expanding and improving infrastructural conditions to ensure inclusive mobility for all people.