Welcome to our information page on „Move35“!
What is it about?
The year 2023 was the hottest since weather records began. Floods, droughts, and heatwaves are consequences of the man-made climate catastrophe. In June 2019, the city of Marburg declared a climate emergency. In order to achieve the goal of climate neutrality by 2035, as decided by the city council, the mobility concept MoVe35 was developed with the participation of many people, municipal committees, and organizations. Over several years, goals such as safe mobility, accessibility of the city, environmental protection, and a change in traffic habits were established.
There have been heated debates in recent months, particularly about the goal of reducing car traffic, which has caused uncertainty and concerns among some citizens. However, faced with the looming climate catastrophe, city councillors from all parties agree that comprehensive changes in mobility are necessary, as traffic and mobility are the main contributors to the climate-damaging gas CO2. Many people want better mobility and quality of life in our city! The residents of Marburg should be encouraged by MoVe35 to reduce climate-damaging emissions by reducing car traffic. Improved public life, good accessibility, safe streets, and a good offer of public transport are goals supported by most residents of Marburg. More space for trees, a green city, and everyone can enjoy peace and clean air!
"Are you in favor of continuing to pursue the goal of halving car traffic in favor of other forms of transportation use as part of MoVe35?" We say YES!
FAQ's
"If MoVe35 comes into effect, will I no longer be able to drive into the city by car?"
There will be no prohibition regulations. Everyone can still decide for themselves how they want to travel to the city. The goal of MoVe35 is to create attractive alternatives - and thus reduce the share of motorized individual traffic in total traffic volume. Measures such as a half-hourly schedule for city buses from the outer city districts, a denser network of cycle paths, and a new railway stop "Marburg-Mitte" should make it easier in the future to refrain from using the car for trips to the city more often. Because it is clear: If we want to seriously combat climate change, it is imperative that the emission of climate-damaging gases be drastically reduced.
"Will parking spaces be reduced with MoVe35?"
Yes, that's true - at least partially. One of the measures that will come with MoVe35 is indeed the reduction of parking spaces, especially in those areas where cars take up disproportionately large amounts of road space. However, the parking spaces are not supposed to disappear completely, but rather to be increasingly converted into parking garages. These can be used for city visits on weekends, but also for daily resident parking, which is increasingly to be shifted to neighborhood parking garages. In this case, you probably have to walk a few meters further to your own car - but it will still be protected from wind and weather in the neighborhood garage in the future. Not a bad point considering the increasingly frequent storms due to climate change, right? The freed-up space should then be used, for example, to plant shade-giving trees for a more climate-adapted city, to create play areas for children, to set up Nextbike stations, or to allow more outdoor space for gastronomy. In other words, the quality of stay at these places will noticeably increase.
"Will older people have problems getting to the doctor with MoVe35?"
Of course, older and people in need of assistance will continue to easily reach medical and other care facilities. A reduction in parking spaces directly in front of medical practices is not up for discussion. In general, many practices in Marburg - especially specialist practices - are often located in larger building complexes (for example, the health center at Krekel or the Erlenringcenter), which often have their own (underground) garage or a larger parking lot. Many people who can no longer drive or do not want to drive themselves already take the bus to their doctors today - and they will be able to do so even more reliably and frequently in the future.
"Will businesses die out with MoVe35?"
Many people argue that with every parking space lost in front of a business, fewer customers will automatically come. They underestimate how much the quality of stay in front of the shops also determines whether you go shopping or not. Where you can perhaps drink a coffee in the green before or after, have a chat in front of the shop door, or let your children play carefree, you prefer to shop more often. These assessments are supported by various scientific studies that show that in traffic-calmed city centers, sales have even increased compared to before in many cities. Also, current examples in Marburg - such as Bahnhofsstraße or Ketzerbach - show that parking reductions do not necessarily lead to widespread shop closures. Besides, even today, residents of Marburg are proportionately more likely to walk for inner-city destinations than to drive.
"Do only cyclists benefit from MoVe35?"
Wrong! Everyone benefits from MoVe35. Better air quality, more recreational areas, rental bikes throughout the city, more space and comfort for cyclists and pedestrians, fewer traffic jams due to less traffic, bus service from early to late at closer intervals - each of us benefits in everyday life from these and other aspects of MoVe35. No matter whether you want to come home safely by bus late at night after visiting a pub, want to have a coffee in the traffic-calmed Südviertel, drive through the congestion-free Ketzerbach by car after work, rush to the lecture hall with Nextbike, push the stroller more safely through the city, or ride your bike to the Niederweimarer See - we all benefit from MoVe35!
Bildquelle: Colville-Andersen - Flickr: A Short History of Traffic Engineering, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=32335346