Grüne on transport

The Greens want to reduce car traffic in Bremen substantially to free up space for trees, play areas, cafés and benches. They cite the parliament's climate strategy, which calls for one-third fewer registered motor vehicles by 2030 and two-thirds fewer by 2038. Downtown is to be car-free by 2030.

The Greens want far fewer cars in Bremen. By 2030 there should be one-third fewer cars. By 2038 there should be two-thirds fewer. Downtown should have no cars by 2030. This should make more room for people and trees.

In the Greens' view, less car traffic improves quality of life, helps local shops and makes roads safer. To keep downtown accessible, the Domsheide stop would be rebuilt to be barrier-free. Illegal parking would be consistently stopped to gain space for bike lanes, play areas and walkways and to keep routes clear for emergency vehicles. Street space overall is to be redistributed.

The Greens want to complete the network of premium bike routes by 2027 and close gaps in the cycling network. Five new bridges for pedestrians and cyclists are to be planned and started. More planning staff are meant to speed up delivery.

The Greens want more and better bike paths. A network of high-quality bike routes should be done by 2027. Five new bridges for walkers and bikes should be built. The city should hire more planners for this.

Wide bike lanes would be created on what are now car lanes or parking strips, for example on Friedrich-Ebert-Straße, the Wilhelm-Kaisen-Brücke and Parkallee. Bike paths along several arterial roads would be repaired, widened or moved onto the roadway. The bridges are planned between Woltmershausen and the Überseestadt, across the Europahafen, on the Wallring over the two arms of the Weser, and between Habenhausen and Hemelingen; two of them would also carry public transit. On main roads, protected bike lanes are meant to make cycling safer, with district councils involved. All of the city of Bremen is to be linked by bike paths.

The Greens want to gradually convert curbside parking in neighborhoods close to the city center to other uses. This is meant to create more room for cycling, walking, children's play and green space. The platform argues that streets are not there for cars alone.

The Greens want to use curbside parking spots differently. This applies to areas near the city center. There should be more room for bikes and walkers. Children and green spaces should get more room too.

The neighborhoods concerned are Findorff, Schwachhausen, Östliche Vorstadt, Mitte, Neustadt and parts of Walle. The party will examine keeping parking for care and emergency services, tradespeople, parcel delivery and people with reduced mobility. Where streets or green areas are currently used for parking against the rules, residents are to be informed early about the change. The platform says construction measures may be needed for a parking layout that complies with traffic law and tree protection. In inner-city areas, car traffic is to be cut sharply in line with the climate inquiry commission's findings.

The Greens want to turn Bremen's Office for Roads and Traffic into an "Office for Transport Transition and Sustainable Mobility." It is to coordinate and carry out the shift in mobility and redistribute public space.

Bremen has an office for roads and traffic. The Greens want to give it a new focus. It will get a new name. It will work on climate-friendly transport.

The new office is abbreviated AVM. It is to develop offers for residents and businesses that combine climate-friendly transport with a strong competitive position for the economy. Public, commercial and private mobility are to be closely linked with urban and economic development. The platform expects this to bring better public spaces, prosperity and climate justice.

Under the "Vision 0" principle, the Greens want to reach a point where no one dies in traffic. Sidewalks are to be free of obstacles, more 30 km/h areas and play streets created, and intersections made safer. At the federal level, the party advocates 30 km/h as the general rule in cities.

The Greens want no more deaths in traffic. Cars should no longer park on sidewalks. There should be more 30 km/h zones. Intersections should be safer. Paths and stops should be barrier-free.

Parking with two wheels on the sidewalk is to be stopped consistently, and rental bikes and scooters must be returned to designated areas. More 30 km/h zones will be legally reviewed, and a "family streets" pilot is to test low-cost play streets. At large intersections, waiting areas for bikes ahead of cars and marked left-turn lanes are planned, and pedestrians should need only one signal phase to cross. Narrow bike lanes are to be made safer with buffer strips, red paint and no-passing signs, or turned into proper bike paths. At construction sites, walking and cycling get priority.

The Greens want to make the trip to work less dependent on cars. They plan express buses to business parks, rail links for new business parks and better bike paths leading there. The party also backs the 49-euro ticket.

Many people drive to work. The Greens want to change that. Fast buses should go to business parks. New business parks should get a rail link. The 49-euro ticket should come quickly.

Express buses are to serve the Hansalinie, GVZ, Industriegebiet West, Bremer Kreuz and Überseehafen areas and Bremerhaven's fishing port, and to link districts crosswise. Paved bike paths become standard in new business parks, and existing cycling infrastructure is upgraded with a focus on safety. Vocational schools and universities are to be well connected to public transport, such as the vocational campus in Bremen-Nord. For the 49-euro ticket, the platform calls for a lasting federal share of the costs. Solutions are to be worked out together with companies.

The Greens want buses and trams in Bremen to run more often and the network to reach further into residential areas. By 2027, major routes are to have service at least every 7 minutes. Prices for the youth, student and social tickets are to stay stable.

Buses and trams should run more often. On big routes, one should come every 7 minutes. Every residential area should have a stop nearby. Small buses should come on request. Some tickets should not get more expensive.

The transit operator BSAG is to increase its service by 5 percent every year until 2027. Metrobuses are to run where trams are still missing, and Sunday and night service will be improved. Neighborhood buses are to run every 20 or 30 minutes, joined by on-demand minibus shuttles with a 10 to 15 minute wait. In the outer districts, expanding transit and bike routes gets top priority. Including three Weser ferries in the VBN regional fare will be examined. The remaining 35.4 kilometers of gravel-bed track are to be gradually replaced with planted track.

The Greens want to expand the public charging network for electric cars and set up small mobility hubs across the city. These would bundle car sharing, rental bikes, cargo bikes, e-scooters and charging points. Curbside parking spaces will be converted for this purpose.

The Greens want more charging points for electric cars. There should be one point for every 10 electric cars. Small stations should offer shared cars, rental bikes and scooters. Some curbside parking spots will go for this.

In busy areas, the planted hubs are to be about 400 meters apart, and farther apart in less dense areas. Charging points are to allow bidirectional charging, meaning car batteries can feed power back into the grid, and accept all payment systems. All BREPARK garages and public parking lots get charging points and, where possible, solar roofs; the housing companies GEWOBA, BREBAU and STÄWOG are to be supported in doing the same. Public bodies are to buy vehicles with carbon-neutral drives from now on, where available. Charging options in public space are planned for commercial traffic.

The Greens want the Regio-S-Bahn regional rail network to run more often and connect better with local transit. This is meant to make it easier for commuters to switch from the car. Regional bus service to neighboring towns is also to grow.

Many people commute to Bremen. The Greens want regional trains to run more often. A train should come at least every 30 minutes. There should be new stops. Buses should reach nearby towns every hour.

On the RS1 line between Achim and Blumenthal, trains are to run every 15 minutes at peak times. The RS2 is to get an extra stop at Walle station. Between Bremen and Bremerhaven, service is to become more frequent at night as well; the main station and platforms will be expanded and made barrier-free for this. All neighboring municipalities are to be reachable at least hourly. The trains needed are to be ordered quickly and offer room for bikes, strollers and wheelchairs.

The Greens announce a major cycling initiative so that by 2038 a quarter of all kilometers traveled in Bremen can be covered by bike. It includes bike highways, closing gaps in the network, protected bike lanes and more bike parking. A dedicated task force is to carry out the plans.

The Greens want to do much more for bikes. There should be fast bike routes in several directions. Gaps in the bike network should be closed. There should be more safe bike parking. A special team should do the work.

In the coming term, bike highways are to connect Bremen's north, Hemelingen, Woltmershausen and Delmenhorst, with further ones to Weyhe, Lilienthal and Achim being planned. The main station is to become the hub of the cycling network. Also planned are synchronized green lights for cyclists, cross-links within districts, and winter service and street cleaning geared to cycling and walking. On-street bike lanes along main roads will become physically protected lanes. The subsidy program for cargo bikes and trailers will be relaunched, cargo bike sharing expanded, and the online tool for reporting bike path defects enlarged.

The Greens want to expand transfer facilities for cars and bikes. People who live near the city center but still need a car are to keep it at park-and-ride lots in the future. Every train station and every larger stop is to have bike-and-ride.

The Greens want more park-and-ride lots. You leave your car there and continue by bus or train. Train stations should have bike parking. You should be able to lock these bike spaces.

The park-and-ride lots are to have very good transit connections and offer car and bike sharing, charging points for electric vehicles and low rates. A website is to provide information on access routes, prices and occupancy. Bike-and-ride includes rental bikes and a scooter rental system. Lockable bike parking is to be built right next to the stations.

The Greens want to double the number of shared cars in the state of Bremen to around 1,000 by 2026. This is meant to reduce the number of private cars, which the platform calls a prerequisite for meeting climate targets. Bike sharing is also to grow with public funding.

With car sharing, many people share one car. The Greens want twice as many of these cars. By 2026 there should be about 1,000. This should mean fewer private cars in the city. Rental bikes should be free for the first half hour.

According to the platform, one shared car currently replaces about 16 private cars. At least 60 new stations in public street space are needed, plus stations on private land, especially at new developments. A funding program is to expand the service in all neighborhoods. The fleet is to become electric step by step, with stations fitted with charging equipment. For bike sharing, the first half hour is to be free for at least a year, and the network is to reach deep into the neighborhoods.

The Greens want transport planning to follow transport goals rather than measured demand. New residential and business areas are to be approved only with infrastructure that makes cars largely unnecessary. The party rejects new major arterial roads and highway expansions, except for the A281.

The Greens want to plan differently. Good routes for buses, bikes and walkers should come first. Then people will use them. New areas should work almost without cars. The Greens do not want new big roads for cars.

The basis is a new transport demand model, and an expert report is to show how far planning can be changed in a legally sound way. So far, pedestrian crossings, for example, can only be built where demand is proven. In areas near the city center, new buildings are to get parking only in exceptional cases, and then as underground garages or parking decks. Bike paths are to be at least 2.50 meters wide where possible and bike highways 3 meters, and they will not be narrowed for parking. When intersections are rebuilt, cycling and walking take priority.

The Greens want to push at the federal level for reduced-price versions of the 49-euro ticket for certain groups. They also want a simple, affordable fare system in the Bremen/Lower Saxony transit association. The platform points to the 9-euro ticket, which it says showed how much easy boarding helps people get around without a car.

The Greens want the 49-euro ticket to be cheaper for some people. This includes retirees, school students and university students. People with little money should be able to afford it too. Fares for buses and trains in the region should become simpler.

Discounts are meant for groups such as people on basic income support, retirees, school students and university students. The Greens want Bürgergeld (citizen's income) to include an amount that covers the regional ticket. In the Bremen/Lower Saxony transit association, the party calls for clear and low-cost fares. The app of BSAG, Bremen's transit company, is to combine bikes, scooters and public transit and also handle billing for sharing services.

The Greens want a mobility law under which parking on public land in the city of Bremen generally costs money, initially around 30 euros a month. The revenue is meant to pay for expanding public transit through 2027 and for services such as car sharing. At the same time, parking on sidewalks is to be stopped consistently.

Parking on the street in Bremen should cost money. The Greens name about 30 euros a month. They want to use the money for more buses and trams. Cars should no longer park on sidewalks. Otherwise they get towed.

First, a legal review is to show how fees for all public parking spaces can be collected by machine and app, and whether they can vary by vehicle size, type of engine and access to public transit. Neighborhoods may introduce resident parking through their local councils, but it must not be cheaper than the general rate. Public parking fees are to move step by step toward those of private spaces; the party rejects city-built neighborhood garages as a further subsidy for car traffic. Against sidewalk parking, the Greens rely on towing, bollards, more checks by the public order office and an online form for reports. The reason given is accessibility for people with wheelchairs or strollers.

The Greens want to introduce public transit without tickets in the state of Bremen. It is to be paid for by a transport levy on all residents, commuters and visitors. This is meant to secure transit expansion even as the number of parking spaces, and with it parking revenue, declines.

The Greens want buses and trams without tickets. In return, everyone in Bremen pays a fee each month. Commuters and tourists pay something too. Then everyone can simply get on.

The levy consists of a monthly contribution from Bremen's residents and commuters plus a charge for tourists. In return, buses and trams are to run every seven minutes and be usable without a ticket; the platform also mentions safe routes for cycling and walking. The money is also meant to train and hire skilled staff for the transport transition. The party wants to work out the details in the coming legislative term and introduce the levy as soon as possible.

The Greens want to recruit more staff for transport planning and public transit. They plan new degree and continuing-education programs, a training drive and better working conditions in transit. The party's reasoning is that more infrastructure is to be built in eight years than in the past thirty years combined.

Bremen needs more skilled workers for more buses and trams. So the Greens want to train more people. There should be a new degree in transport planning. Jobs in public transit should pay better.

Together with Bremen University of Applied Sciences, a work-study program and a transport planning degree focused on local mobility and accessibility are to be set up. Evening and weekend courses are planned for career changers. The training drive is to start in 2023 and produce drivers, fitters and technicians. BSAG is to receive support in building a training and competence center. To retain staff, the party relies on fair pay, a better balance with family life and relief from workload.

The Greens want to switch public transit to climate-neutral electric drives and stop buying new buses that run on fossil fuels. The rail network is to grow, including a tram line through the Woltmershausen district. E-scooters are to be parked only in fixed spots in the future.

Bremen should buy only electric buses from now on. The Greens also want more trams. A new line should run through Woltmershausen. E-scooters should only be parked in fixed spots.

The depot in Bremen-Nord for the new buses is to be finished in 2025, and all depots are to be converted for e-buses step by step. This is meant to make BSAG climate neutral by mid-2030. A review is to show whether the tram can run over the planned bridge between Woltmershausen and Überseestadt and become part of a ring line. For the ferries on the Weser river, the party wants to look into a climate-neutral conversion or new purchase by 2030. In Bremerhaven, the introduction of a tram is to be examined again.

The Greens want to strengthen rail and night trains to other European countries so that flights within Europe become unnecessary. Bremerhaven is to be connected permanently to the ICE high-speed network. Bremen is also to remain an aerospace hub and become a model site for cutting CO2 in aviation.

The Greens want more trains and night trains in Europe. Then fewer flights within Europe are needed. Bremerhaven should get ICE trains for good. Bremen should show how flying can be better for the climate.

At the federal level, the party pushes for shorter travel times and more frequent long-distance service to and from Bremen. All rail connections to and from Bremen and Bremerhaven are to be electrified and expanded as needed. Public-sector employees are to find it easier to choose rail for business trips, even at a higher price and when traveling to major international airports. As a basis for the model site, the platform cites Bremen's existing industry and engineering sciences.

The Greens want to end parking on the main streets of Bremen's Viertel district to gain room for pedestrians, cycling, outdoor dining and trees. Outdoor dining on parking spaces, which emerged during the pandemic, should remain possible permanently.

In Bremen's Viertel district, cars park on the main streets. The Greens want to end that. There should be room for walking and cycling. Restaurants should be allowed to put tables on parking spaces. This should also apply in other districts.

The streets named are Ostertorsteinweg, Vor dem Steintor, Sielwall and Am Dobben; the program considers parking there out of keeping with these streets' role as a shopping and dining strip. The situation in each neighborhood should be looked at together with residents, merchants, businesses and local advisory councils. Places created on parking spaces during the pandemic should be able to become permanent. Applications for permanent outdoor dining on parking spaces should continue to be possible and approved wherever feasible.

The Greens want to gradually clear downtown Bremen of moving and parked cars by 2030. They cite climate protection and more room for pedestrians, greenery, culture, and restaurants. Exceptions are planned for emergency services, deliveries, tradespeople, and people with limited mobility, among others.

The Greens want no more cars in downtown Bremen by 2030. This should make more room for people and trees. It should also help the climate. Ambulances, deliveries, and people with disabilities get exceptions.

Martinistraße is to be cut to one lane in each direction, with the freed space used for wide bike lanes and a tree-lined avenue. The Parkhaus Mitte garage is to close, and new uses are planned for the Katharinenklosterhof and Am Dom garages. Pedestrian zones are to grow, and the changes are to extend to the Bahnhofsvorstadt and the front part of Neustadt; Bahnhofstraße is to become car-free in the next legislative term. On Ostertorsteinweg and Vor dem Steintor, parking along the curb and on sidewalks is to end as a first step. The party says it still needs to find a solution for residents' access rights recorded in the land register.

The Greens want downtown to be reached mainly by public transit, bike, and on foot, and to link it more closely with neighboring districts. Walking and cycling routes are to be expanded and new bridges built. People driving in from farther away are to park outside the center and switch to transit.

The Greens want better routes into downtown. There should be more walking paths and bike paths. New bridges should cross the Weser river. Drivers should park outside and continue by bus or tram.

The platform relies on what it calls the Umweltverbund: public transit, cycling, and walking. New bridges are planned across the Weser and in some spots across the Wall. The Domsheide stop is to be rebuilt to be barrier-free so that everyone can reach the center. Parking outside downtown is to have good transit connections. The platform rejects relocating the tram line as too expensive.

The Greens want to examine whether the elevated road at Breitenweg still makes sense if car traffic in the city center is to be reduced. They consider the Remberti roundabout oversized and want to redesign the area.

There is a raised road for cars at Breitenweg. The Greens want to check if Bremen still needs it. The Remberti roundabout is very large. The Greens think it is too big. They want to use the space in a new way.

The review of the flyover is tied to the goal of cutting car traffic in the city center. Its results are meant to lead to a concept that upgrades the district around the main station. According to the platform, the Remberti roundabout dates from an era when cities were planned around cars and was built for the Mozarttrasse road, which was later stopped. The Greens therefore see its size as outdated. In addition, through traffic on one inner-city street is to be reduced step by step; closing it to through traffic and later making it car-free is to be examined together with the local district councils.

The Greens want to rebuild the Domsheide square so the stop can handle more passengers. All trams would stop at one shared stop in front of the Glocke concert hall, which the party sees as the option with the fewest barriers.

Domsheide is an important square for trams. The Greens want to rebuild the stop there. All trams should stop at one place. This makes it easier for people with disabilities. The trams should also run more quietly.

The platform treats the rebuild as part of a car-free city center that is easy to reach by public transit. The Greens reject moving the tracks to Balgebrückstraße. The Glocke concert hall is to be taken into account: the distance between the stop and the entrance should be as large as possible, and the area should be attractively designed. Low-noise tracks and spring systems are planned to reduce noise.

The Greens want to reduce noise from road traffic. Highway sections running through residential areas would get a nighttime speed limit of 80 km/h, and at the federal level they back 30 km/h as the general rule in cities. Structural noise protection and enforcement checks are added to this.

The Greens want less noise from cars. On highways in residential areas, the night limit should be 80 km/h. In cities, 30 km/h should be the rule everywhere. The Greens push for this at the federal level. Daycare centers and schools on big roads get noise protection.

The platform describes speed limits as a very effective tool against noise from roads and highways. Completing the A 281 highway is meant to relieve the B6 federal road of freight traffic. Road closures and nighttime checks are to continue against so-called car posers. Daycare centers, playgrounds and schools on main roads are to get structural noise protection, alongside low-noise asphalt and modern, well-maintained streetcars. Future noise action plans are to include the port railway and feed into traffic law decisions.

The Greens want no takeoffs or landings at Bremen Airport between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., except for ambulance flights. Exceptions for delayed planes are to be narrowed further. Only especially quiet aircraft would be allowed in the hours just before and after.

Bremen Airport should be quiet at night. No planes should fly from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. Only flights for sick people are allowed. Early in the morning and late in the evening, only very quiet planes may fly.

Special permits for night flights are to become rarer for delayed flights too, by moving the latest regular arrival time earlier. From 9 p.m. and between 6 and 7 a.m., only especially quiet aircraft would be permitted. These must meet the highest technical noise standards and be certified under ICAO Annex 16, Volume 1, Chapters 4 and 14.

The Greens want more freight to and from the ports to move by train and ship rather than by truck. To that end, rail lines are to be expanded and electrified. The platform sees this as a competitive advantage and as a lever for climate and environmental protection.

Goods reach the port by truck, train or ship. The Greens want more trains and ships and fewer trucks. Rail lines should be expanded for this. Trains there should run on electricity. This should help the climate and the port.

By 2025, the Bremen–Uelzen–Stendal rail line and the EVB lines via Bremervörde are to be expanded and electrified. The Greens support the required expansion of the Speckenbüttel marshalling yard and name a third track between Bremen and Bremerhaven as a further measure. All of this should fit into a nationwide plan for climate-friendly hinterland transport. For truck traffic in Bremerhaven, Cherbourger Straße including the port tunnel should be upgraded to a federal road. The Greens want to keep the Neustädter Hafen as a cargo hub and raise its utilization; they reject housing on the port land and any construction on the flood polder.