Referendum on urban-urban rail

The Stadt-Umland-Bahn (StUB) is the extension of the Nuremberg streetcar without changing trains to Erlangen and Herzogenaurach. It runs from the "Am Wegfeld" stop in the north of Nuremberg through Erlangen and on to Herzogenaurach.

The route runs through Erlangen city center to the train station and on to Herzogenaurach, through residential areas in the south of Erlangen, in Alterlangen and in Büchenbach, to the major locations of the Friedrich-Alexander University (FAU): Südgelände, Himbeerpalast, the future lecture hall center in Henkestraße, to the Siemens Campus including the extension of the Faculty of Engineering and the Herzogenaurach companies adidas, Puma and Schaeffler.

In the long term, the east with the Röthelheimpark and Siemens Healthineers could also be connected to the streetcar via the east branch to Eckental.

Erlangen is a successful city. Today, 120,000 people live here and there are 115,000 jobs. Siemens, FAU and other companies are investing enormous sums in Erlangen. More and more people are traveling in the city and between cities and are dependent on attractive, efficient local transport. As a streetcar, the StUB can transport significantly more people than the bus. It runs every 10 minutes, brings people reliably to their destination and shortens travel times. It is an additional sustainable transport option, reduces CO2 emissions in traffic and shifts car traffic to local public transport.

In 2016, the citizens of Erlangen decided in an initial referendum that the city should start planning a streetcar. To this end, Erlangen, together with Nuremberg and Herzogenaurach, founded the Zweckverband Stadt-Umland-Bahn. In the meantime, planning has progressed so far that the people of Erlangen can now also vote on the realization of the project.

The vote will be conducted by the Electoral Office (Citizens' Office) at the same time as the European Parliament election on June 9, 2024. The polling stations will also be used for the vote.

The voting announcement was published by the City of Erlangen in the official gazette "Die amtlichen Seiten" No. 10 2024 on May 16 .

All persons who are EU citizens on June 9, 2024 are entitled to vote.

• are citizens of the Union
• have reached the age of 18
• have resided in the city of Erlangen for at least two months with their main place of residence and
• are not excluded from the right to vote by criminal or civil court decisions.

All those entitled to vote are entered in the citizens' register.

Around 83,000 people are called to vote in the referendum. The difference in the number of eligible voters compared to the EU elections (around 78,000) is due to the different legal bases. For the first time, all German citizens over the age of 16 may vote in the European Parliament elections. Citizens of the other member states of the European Union (EU citizens), on the other hand, had to register on the electoral roll by May 19. This is to prevent double voting, as they are generally allowed to vote in their home country. In the referendum, however, you are only entitled to vote once you have reached the age of 18.

Everyone who is allowed to vote has one vote. A voting notification is required to cast a vote. All those entitled to vote will receive this around the beginning of May. There are two ways to cast your vote:

Voting at the polling station

The voting room where you can vote on June 9 from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm is indicated on the voting notification. The voting room is the same room where votes can be cast for the EU election. You will need to bring your voting notification or an identity document such as an ID card or passport.

Voting by postal vote

It is not necessary to go to the voting room.

What is the deadline for applying for a postal vote?

This is possible in person at the town hall (1st floor) until Friday, June 7, 3:00 pm. You can also fill out and hand in the voting documents in the booths there. The application can no longer be submitted online, which was possible until June 4. For the written application for postal voting, it is recommended to submit it by Wednesday, June 5 at the latest.

In this case, it is not necessary to go to the polling station.

What is the deadline for applying for a postal vote?

This is possible in person at the town hall (1st floor) until Friday, June 7, 3:00 pm. You can also fill out and hand in the voting documents in the booths there. The application can no longer be submitted online, which was possible until June 4. For the written application for postal voting, it is recommended to submit it by Wednesday, June 5 at the latest. If you wish to send the postal voting documents by post, please hand them in on time.

For the city, the Ministry of the Interior stipulates that the EU election must be counted first. The first results of the referendum based on quick reports are expected from 8 p.m. on election day.

Click here for the voting results

The results will also be presented in the Council Chamber (Town Hall 1st floor).

Streetcars, cars, buses, pedestrians and cyclists are coordinated. There are changes to the traffic routing. They lead to restrictions or partial closures for car traffic and extended footpaths and cycle paths. In particular, this affects

• a section of the B4
• Nürnberger Straße
• Sieboldstraße
• the area in front of the arcades and
• the Adenauerring.

Environmental and nature conservation experts have been involved in the planning from the outset. Sensitive areas along the route, such as the Brucker Lache, should not be affected. Valuable trees, for example in Tennenlohe and Nürnberger Straße, will be largely preserved. The streetcar offers the opportunity to green areas, for example with grass tracks. Citizens have been involved in the planning of the streetcar in more than 30 dialog and local forums.

The StUB crosses the Regnitzgrund via a new bridge at the Wöhrmühle.

• Only streetcars, buses and emergency vehicles are allowed on the bridge. Private cars cannot use the bridge.
• The bridge creates a significantly faster connection for buses and streetcars between all districts in the west and the city center and, according to forecasts, reduces traffic on the Büchenbacher and Dechsendorfer Damm.
• The bridge will enable improvements to the entire bus network and relieve Goethestrasse and Hauptstrasse in the city center from bus traffic by rerouting the buses
• The bridge will be built in such a way that it has as little impact as possible on the environment and nature. The valuable biotope areas (sea holes) will be bypassed by optimizing the planning.

The aim is to improve the overall flow of urban traffic by distributing road users across more modes of transport and reducing motorized commuter traffic. This will also result in improvements for car traffic and the accessibility of the city center. An improved parking situation will be achieved through park-and-ride (P+R) facilities: transfer facilities will be created around the urban area and the city center in Reutles, at the Europakanal, in Haundorf and in Regniztstadt. Existing parking garages in the city center area will be retained and supplemented by district parking garages and linked by an adapted and intelligent guidance system. The parking supply will be better bundled and significantly improved overall. The planned changes to the B4 are expected to reduce congestion on this important route into the city according to forecasts from an external traffic study.

Thanks to the new Wöhrmühl crossing, Goethestraße can be relieved by rerouting buses to and from the west of Erlangen. At the same time, the west of Erlangen will be linked to the city center and the train station much faster, more directly and without detours via the bridge. The bus network will be relieved, especially in the city center area, so that improvements can be created such as a

• new bus connection from Anger / Bruck in the direction of the city center / Burgberg
• a new bus connection via Karl-Zucker-Straße to the city center and Burgberg,
• as a supplementary option, a ring bus route between Sieglitzhof, Burgberg and Martin-Luther-Platz

Several mobility hubs are planned in the urban area. These are transfer points for local public transport, but also for cyclists and e-scooter users, for example. As part of the Siemens Campus and the FAU developments in the south, the mobility hub on Freyeslebenstraße is intended to improve accessibility to the south. In the west, the current Lindnerstraße bus hub will be connected to the city center and the workplaces in Herzogenaurach by the StUB in just a few minutes. Another mobility hub is located in the Regnitzstadt district. This is where the connection to the train station and bus lines is established.

More than 50,000 people living in Erlangen will benefit directly from the StUB and the improvements to the bus network, even without the StUB east branch. With the east branch, this figure will rise to more than 63,000 people.

Erlangen is a cycling city. By utilizing synergy effects, cycling can be strengthened in the future. The east-west commuter route for cycle traffic between Herzogenaurach and Uttenreuth will be strengthened and the urgently needed gap between Arcaden and Regnitzgrund will be closed. The new Wöhrmühl bridge will provide an illuminated and covered route for cycle traffic between Wöhrmühle and Kosbacher Stutzen below the StUB. With the StUB and pedestrian/cycle traffic crossing underneath the A73, the city center can be directly and conveniently connected to the Wiesengrund. The Tannery Tunnel can be relieved as there is a second crossing option for the railroad line and the A73. The cycle paths in front of the arcades and in the goods hall underpass will be improved. Along Äußere Nürnberger Straße, Erlangen can be conveniently connected to Nuremberg and the city center to Tennenlohe thanks to the direct routing of the high-speed cycle link. By relieving bus traffic on Goethestrasse, an efficient north-south axis for cycling through the city center can be created.

The Stadt-Umland-Bahn will reorganize and redesign traffic areas. By shifting journeys to the StUB, there will be scope for non-motorized traffic and for recreational and green areas. This not only contributes to a more attractive cityscape, but also offers residents improved noise protection and reduces harmful emissions, which contributes to an overall improved quality of life.

Striking examples are the redesign possibilities in the inner city area: by reorganizing bus traffic, Goethestraße and Hugenottenplatz can be relieved and upgraded. The pedestrian zone can be extended towards Martin-Luther-Platz and Hugenottenplatz can be redesigned. A new recreational area can be created at the central bus stop in Güterhallenstraße in front of the arcades. The division of the pedestrian zone into two sections will be eliminated and an arrival point created.

Between Himbeerpalast and Langemarckplatz, the railroad will help shape the axis of science. The StUB stop on Freyeslebenstrasse will also create an entrance for the Siemens campus and the future FAU site.

• Planning approval procedure to begin in 2025
• Construction in Nuremberg "Am Wegfeld" to start in 2028. Construction will take place in sections. This is intended to reduce local disruption. From 2031, the StUB is to go into operation in stages
• The project should be completed by 2034.

The current planning costs are EUR 95 million, the investment costs EUR 635 million (price level 2022 including risk buffer of 20 %). Funding has been promised. A current calculation has confirmed that the construction of the StUB will be funded in 2023. 90% of the costs will be paid by the federal and state governments. That is over 500 million euros.

Erlangen will pay 82 million euros over several years for planning and construction. 15.7 million euros of this has already been paid. There will be costs for operation and maintenance. This will be offset by additional fare revenue. According to a rough estimate, the annual costs for urban transport will increase by around 10% (approx. 1.2 million euros) as a result of the StUB and the improvements to the bus network.

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On the subject of the Stadt-Umland-Bahn:

If you have any questions about the StuB, for example about the route or financing, please contact the Zweckverband Stadt-Umland-Bahn (external link).

On the subject of the referendum:

If you have any questions about the referendum, for example about applying for a postal vote or who is allowed to vote, please contact our electoral office.