Minutes of the citizens' meeting Altstadt/Zentrum on June 13, 23

Lord Mayor Dr. Florian Janik welcomes the citizens present to the citizens' assembly Altstadt/Zentrum and then refers to the general, usual rules.
Furthermore, the Lord Mayor welcomes the members of the City Council and the employees of the city administration, introduces those present on the podium and explains their respective areas of responsibility.
Furthermore, Lord Mayor Dr. Florian Janik reports that, according to the provisions of the municipal code (Art. 18 GO), the recommendations and concerns of the citizens must be dealt with within three months by the City Council, the committee or, in the case of ongoing matters, by the administration, depending on the responsibility.
At 8:05 pm, he gives the floor to the citizens for their concerns and motions.

1. littering of the Bürgermeistersteg at mountain time

What will the City of Erlangen do about the littering of the Bürgermeistersteg during the mountain season in the coming years?

Lord Mayor, Dr. Janik:
The City of Erlangen has already curbed this problem this year by banning music on the Bürgermeistersteg. Several measures are planned for next year. First of all, various youth associations and the district advisory council will be asked to assess the situation and possible solutions. The problem of littering will be counteracted with information and appropriate infrastructure (garbage cans, toilets) on site. The police also carry out preventative patrols. The playgrounds are also physically or structurally separated from the leisure area of the Bürgermeistersteg. However, it is not possible to completely stop young people from partying, especially during the Bergkirchweih. We appeal to the tolerance of local residents.

2. expansion of seating in the city center

It is hoped that the quality of life in the city center will be improved by providing more comfortable and more seating. Seating with wooden backrests is suggested, as the metal benches are not considered comfortable. The model of flexible seating in Neustädter Kirchplatz is cited as a positive example.

Lord Mayor, Dr. Janik:
Mettal benches are now being installed instead of wooden benches, as they are much more durable and less prone to vandalism. Plastic benches are not an alternative either, as they are difficult to restore in the event of vandalism. The installation of new seating often leads to conflicts with store owners. However, the city of Erlangen has a list with suggestions as to where additional benches should be installed. The Senior Citizens' Advisory Council is also involved. It cannot be clarified why the new benches on the Schwabach face the Hupfla wall and not the Schwabach. The question will be clarified with the relevant authority and answered subsequently.

3. pigeon feeding ban

The pigeon problem in the Hugenottenplatz area is increasing and the animals are regularly fed, especially in the morning, despite the feeding ban. Residents would like to see more intensive enforcement of the ban on feeding pigeons.

Lord Mayor, Dr. Janik:
The City of Erlangen will now monitor the problem specifically in the morning hours and point out the pigeon feeding ban to appropriate people. The general pigeon population in the city of Erlangen will be monitored with the help of the animal welfare association and the public order office.

4. closure of the city center parking lot

Following the closure of the multi-storey parking lot at the large parking lot, there is a considerable shortage of parking spaces in Erlangen city center. The residents' parking spaces are increasingly being taken by commuters. What measures is the city of Erlangen planning for residents' parking spaces?

Planning and Building Officer, Mr. Weber:
With the residents' parking permit, parking spaces 2 and 3 of the large parking lot can be used. The parking situation for residents during the flea market will be checked. It may be possible to designate parking space 4 for residents, as this is used exclusively as a parking lot and would therefore not have to be vacated by residents during the flea market. Residents will be informed of the outcome. The new parking garage will have the same number of parking spaces as the existing parking garage.

5. vibrations caused by road traffic on Pfarrstraße

Residents in Pfarrstraße feel disturbed by the vibrations from the manhole covers and the road inlet caused by constant city traffic (buses, trucks). What is the City of Erlangen's approach in this regard?

Planning and Building Officer, Mr. Weber:
Until now, the City of Erlangen was not aware of the issue. It is promised to check whether the manhole covers will be repaired or whether the road inlet can be relocated, replaced or even moved.

6. one-way street Fuchsengarten (northbound)

Additional signage is requested on the northern side of the Fuchsengarten road. At the southern end of the street there is a 'No entry' sign with the addition 'Bicycle free' - but not at the northern end. This leads to illegal and sometimes dangerous oncoming traffic in the very narrow street. It is therefore requested that appropriate one-way street signage be installed at the northern end of the road.

Planning and Building Officer, Mr. Weber:
Contrary to the assumption, Fuchsengarten is not a one-way street, but a no-entry street coming from the south, which is why the street has a 'No entry' sign at the southern entrance. The entry ban does not apply to residents and cyclists, who can enter the road from both sides. In addition, the road is short and visible enough to allow oncoming traffic to pass with foresight.

REQUEST
A one-way street should be designated at the northern end of Fuchsengarten.
The motion was put to the vote and approved by a majority

7. traffic monitoring on Hauptstraße / Martin-Luther-Platz

The 30 km/h speed limit in the Erlangen Hauptstraße area is not observed, especially in the evening and at weekends. Police checks or police patrols are missing or other traffic control measures such as speed cameras in this area. In addition, speed bumps could be installed in the road as part of the road renewal. It is also asked whether it is possible to install noise measuring devices, as is currently the case in Berlin as a pilot project.

Referent for planning and construction, Mr. Weber:
There is the possibility of carrying out priority monitoring in this area. At the same time, the police will increase their presence and carry out targeted checks, especially in the evening. A communication will be sent to the police, the traffic associations and the district advisory council, who should take a closer look at the problem.

Lord Mayor, Dr. Janik:
Thresholds in the roadway are not permitted. Citizens are urged to contact the police themselves. As the noise measuring devices are initially a pilot project in another federal state, there is currently no legal basis for their installation.

8. university street

In Universitätsstraße, as well as in surrounding streets such as Fahrstraße, it is not clearly visible at all points that this is a bicycle street or a 30 zone. The signage is perceived as inadequate. As a result, drivers often do not comply with the speed limit. Suggested solutions include putting the 30 km/h speed limit on the road, using 'smiley' road signs or carrying out more checks. In general, more 30 km/h zones are desired in Erlangen city center.

Referent for planning and building, Mr. Weber:
The city of Erlangen itself is also in favor of establishing more 30 km/h zones. However, according to the Road Traffic Regulations (StVO), this is only possible to a very limited extent, although around 65% of the streets in Erlangen city center are now 30 km/h zones. In general, the 30 km/h zones are signposted both at the beginning and at the end. The bicycle lane is also marked on the ground. There are not too many signs, as this leads to confusion. This also applies to road markings. There is currently a lack of personnel resources for the installation and maintenance of the 'smiley signs'.

REQUEST
In the Bohlenplatz / Bismarckstraße district, the focus should be on speed monitoring.
The motion was put to the vote and approved by a majority

9. non-compliance with transit bans in the city center

In the city center, especially in Goethestrasse and Bahnhofsplatz, it is noticeable that bans on through traffic are being increasingly ignored. More traffic controls are therefore desired.

Lord Mayor, Dr. Janik:
It is only possible to monitor the no-through traffic ban with a constant police presence. In general, there has already been a considerable improvement in unauthorized passage due to the prohibition of passage.

10. future of the old town market

The citizens inquire how the Old Town Market will be dealt with and whether Kaufland will be retained.

Lord Mayor, Dr. Janik:
The Altstadtmarkt has changed hands again and there are new talks about the use and development of the area. As soon as there are concrete plans, the city of Erlangen will inform the citizens and present the construction plans. As soon as building plans exist, citizens will be involved in the planning process. The planning of the area is proving difficult due to the various ownership structures, which is why the negotiations are very lengthy. Kaufland is to be retained.

11. road closure from Engelstraße to Hauptstraße

Engelstrasse is currently closed due to construction work. The E-Werk now has no-entry signs on the road, which is inconvenient for the daily lives of local residents. The question is whether this road regulation is intended to be permanent. During the construction work, the traffic lights in the direction of E-Werk were also removed. Will these traffic lights be removed permanently?

Lord Mayor, Dr. Janik:
The permanent closure of the road, as well as a long-term change to the road layout, is not known. The traffic lights have only been dismantled because of the construction work and will be reinstalled when the project is completed. The no-entry signs will also be removed when the traffic lights are installed.

Erlanger Stadtwerke AG, Ms. Angerer:
The road was closed again after the Bergkirchweih, as it was not possible to implement the construction project in one phase. The construction project will continue until the beginning of August.

12. extension of the pedestrian zone to Marthin-Luther-Platz

Based on discussions that the pedestrian zone may be extended to Martin-Luther-Platz, citizens are wondering how residents will get to their homes by car in this case.

Lord Mayor, Dr. Janik:
If the pedestrian zone is extended in this way, the apartments can only be reached by car during delivery times. However, a pedestrian zone as far as Martin-Luther-Platz can only be designated if bus traffic can be diverted elsewhere. However, there is currently no alternative to rerouting the buses, which is why there are no concrete plans to extend the pedestrian zone.

13. western Stadtmauerstraße play street and passage through the Gerber tunnel

Although the western Stadtmauerstraße is designated as a play zone, many cab drivers and out-of-town drivers do not observe the speed limit and exceed it considerably. Furthermore, cars drive through the newly created Gerbereitunnel cycle underpass, putting pedestrians and cyclists at risk. There is a desire to set up speed cameras and other monitoring measures more frequently at this point.

Referent for planning and construction, Mr. Weber:
In general, the underpass should not be used by cars. Intensive traffic monitoring is already in place for this area.

14. noise pollution from the Open Beatz party bus

During the Bergkirchweih period, an open party bus made its rounds through Erlangen city center from 10 am to 8 pm with loud music on both weekends. This meant that the residents of the city center were involuntarily exposed to sound for around 10 hours on the Berg weekends.

Lord Mayor, Dr. Janik:
The party bus in question did not have a permit from the city of Erlangen. The Mayor's and Press Office is already in contact with the operator.

15. littering of the Zollhausplatz during the Bergkirchweih festival

The citizen suspects that the Zollhausplatz will be littered in the future, on the one hand when the celebrations on the Bürgermeistersteg are restricted and on the other hand when the Zollhausplatz has gained in quality of stay due to construction work.

Lord Mayor, Dr. Janik:
If Zollhausplatz turns out to be a new party hotspot, the City of Erlangen will do something about it.

16. increased traffic volume

Citizens have noticed an increase in the number of out-of-town drivers. Increased controls and traffic counts are desired.

Officer for Planning and Construction, Mr. Weber:
The comment will be taken up in the course of general inner-city traffic monitoring.

17. increased street cleaning fee

Citizens now have to pay a much higher garbage fee because their garbage cans are being used by passers-by and neighboring stores.

Lord Mayor, Dr. Janik:
In the past, the share of the waste disposal fee was borne proportionately by taxpayers' money, so that the citizens' own contribution remains low. However, this was objected to by the auditing association and punished as a misappropriation of taxpayers' money. Since then, the personal contribution has been reduced in every fee calculation. Due to the legal basis, the waste disposal fees cannot be borne by the store owners. It is possible to charge higher costs for takeaway waste (based on the Tübingen model) in order to avoid waste. It is hoped that a legal regulation will solve the problem.

REQUEST
The City of Erlangen should examine the implementation of the packaging tax and push ahead with the project.
The motion was put to the vote and passed by a majority.

Mayor Dr. Florian Janik closes the citizens' assembly at 22:00 and thanks the citizens for the discussion and their commitment.

on behalf of
signed.
Mayor's Office and Press Office