Pilot for new parking concept to start in spring

Erlangen is focusing on a forward-looking parking concept at Bohlenplatz. At its December meeting, the city council's environment, transport and planning committee decided to launch a pilot project for a period of six months in spring/summer 2025. The aim is to improve the parking situation in the city center through innovative measures.

Stationary traffic in the city center faces numerous challenges:

• the demand for parking space is high
• the lanes are often too narrow for the flow of traffic
• traffic safety is impaired by inappropriate stopping and parking
• parking space management is confusing
• tradesmen and care services find it difficult to find parking spaces close to their work.

What is the aim?

Against this background, new forms of parking space management are to be tested in a limited area around Bohlenplatz to improve the situation of stationary traffic. The measures developed with residents, businesses and other interested parties include the reduction and simplification of parking regulations. All parking spaces in the area can be used by

• residents with a resident parking permit and
• visitors with a parking permit.

This means that the existing parking spaces can be used more effectively. And drivers have a larger potential supply of parking spaces as well as the security of being able to use any free parking space in the area.

Delivery zones will be set up every 80 meters or so for safe loading and unloading and as parking facilities for tradesmen and care services. This has various advantages for private motorized traffic:

• Delivery traffic no longer has to stop on the road or sidewalk, which poses a safety risk for all road users. They can stop in the delivery zones to load and unload.
• Private individuals can also stop with their vehicle in the immediate vicinity of their home or the store where they have been shopping to load and unload or to get in and out. Due to the signage as a restricted no-stopping zone, the delivery zones can be used by tradesmen and care services for parking while they are working on site. However, they must have a special parking permit.
• In addition, the parking duration for metered parking will be reduced from three to two hours. This will allow a higher turnover rate for customers of the business.

Expansion to the entire city center in the event of a positive evaluation

The pilot project is scheduled to run for six months. It will be continuously assessed and evaluated. To this end, the utilization of the parking spaces and the distribution of resident and visitor parking spaces will be analyzed on a regular basis. If any disadvantages for the business or residents become apparent, the project will be adjusted accordingly. If the project is evaluated positively, the next step would be to extend it to the entire city center.