Two important referendums are in the works. The goal of the Berlin autofrei initiative is to stop prioritising private cars in the city centre, while the Volksbegehren Berlin werbefrei hopes to end outdoor digital advertising. Both matters are to be decided by way of referendum on September 20, and both are struggling to collect enough signatures for the referendums to even take place.
The goal of the Berlin autofrei alliance is to limit private car journeys within the ring to a maximum of twelve per person per year (with an exception for disabled people and commercial/delivery traffic, among others), significantly calming down the inner city and taking back a lot of the public space we cede to motorised traffic. In order for a referendum on the matter to take place, they need to collect 174,000 signatures by May 8. As only 46,200 people have signed the motion to date (of which around 15% are invalid signatures), they will be intensifying their efforts by organising a “Democracy Festival”. Together with Volksbegehren Berlin werbefrei, they will collect signatures at Tempelhof Feld this Saturday (April 18) starting at 2pm. They’ll also be setting up more signature collection points across the city this weekend and next.
Those with mixed feelings about the idea of limiting the amount of space we cede to automobiles may be interested in a recent report by Tagesspiegel on the effects of repurposing parking spots to public space in Kreuzberg’s Graeferkiez. In the neighbourhood, where 712 parking spaces have been repurposed since 2023, 9% of residents got rid of their cars as a result. People are happy about the changes.
Tagesspiegel’s report, based on a recent poll among residents, states that 56% of those who live in the kiez are satisfied with parking spots being repurposed to green areas and public spaces. Only one in five are unhappy about it. Increased child-friendliness of the area, as well as fewer rental bikes and scooters left in the middle of the sidewalk, were cited among the main reasons for the positive responses.
The takeaway is clear: limiting driver privileges is beneficial for those who live in the neighbourhood. Ideas about what parking spots could be converted to are plentiful: little gardens, recreational areas. Considering the fact that the real estate costs of one such spot are ridiculously cheap (inner-city parking costs only €20.40 for a two-year permit), the financial aspect of making these areas more people-friendly should not be too big of a barrier.
Those who just want to drive through those neighborhoods as fast as possible may of course be somewhat less enthusiastic about autofrei initiatives. The same goes for those who insist on driving their car everywhere instead of taking advantage of Berlin’s world-acclaimed public transport network or simply riding their bike. In either case, for lovers and haters of cars to stand off in a referendum in September, the Berlin autofrei initiative needs to get over a hundred thousand more signatures within three weeks – so this weekend would be a good time for supporters to go try and catch them.
