As part of the European Mobility Week 2020, PowerShift e.V., together with partner organisations, organised a transport and development policy bicycle tour. Global climate justice is also starting on Berlin's streets. Without a socially just and ecological transport transition, Berlin cannot be climate-friendly. We have examined with various experts what Berlin's traffic and climate have to do with each other and what future prospects there are.
Martin Jähnert from LobbyControl talked about the disproportionate and often non-transparent influence of the German automotive industry on climate and transport policy. A real mobility turnaround is more than just a drive turnaround. We also need to become more independent of the car from a raw material and development policy perspective. We do not simply need other cars, but in principle fewer cars – especially fewer SUVs – according to Merle Groneweg of PowerShift e.V. In many cases, the extraction of raw materials for car construction – regardless of the drive – is accompanied by serious human rights violations and environmental pollution.
So what can we do? With Peter Broytman from the Coordination Centre for Cycling for the State of Berlin, we talked about the future of cycling infrastructure in Berlin, especially about road safety and Vision Zero. Although a lot has already happened, there is a lack of safe bike paths in many places in Berlin. These are also necessary for the reorganisation of commercial transport in Berlin, as, according to Velogut, cargo bikes are becoming increasingly important and popular for the ‘last mile’ of deliveries. But not only the bicycle will play a greater role in more climate-friendly Berlin city traffic, but also a coupling of all mobility offers. In order to create an integrated mobility network from a confusing range of different providers, BVG is also working on solutions. With the Jelbi project, Michael Bartnik (BVG) presented us with a possibility of how this could work in the future.
Organiser: PowerShift e.V. and the Berlin Development Policy Council (BER), the General German Bicycle Club Berlin e.V. (ADFC Berlin), the Nature lovers Berlinand this ‘Berlin Roads for All!’ alliance
The bike tour was financially supported by ENGAGEMENT GLOBAL on behalf of the BMZ and the State of Berlin by the State Agency for Development Cooperation. The PowerShift e.V. work on the transport transition is carried out as part of the promoter programme "Developing Berlin – for a World" funded by ENGAGEMENT GLOBAL on behalf of the BMZ and the State of Berlin by the State Agency for Development Cooperation.
