Construction of Berlin's bus lane expansion has come to a standstill

Berlin's bus lane network is facing a significant setback following the August 2022 Clayallee ruling by the Administrative Court. This decision has added to the red tape and complications in implementing new bus lanes, causing delays in the expansion of the city's bus lane network and potentially leading to a standstill in its development.

State Secretary Claudia Elif Stutz (CDU) announced that the current state of Berlin's bus lane network suggests a potential reduction in the number of designated bus lanes. Residents in various districts, including Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf, Mitte, Spandau, Tempelhof-Schöneberg, and Steglitz-Zehlendorf, have argued that disruption of regular traffic flow should only be ordered in "particularly dangerous situations" such as traffic accidents or holiday events. As a result, seven existing bus lanes in these districts are at risk of being removed.

The Clayallee ruling has set a precedent for future objections against bus lane implementations in Berlin. It favored Zehlendorf residents who objected to a bus lane planned for a section of Clayallee. This ruling has created a challenge for the implementation of bus lanes on busy roads in Berlin, and the development of the bus lane network has come to a standstill. Further expansion is unlikely in the foreseeable future.

However, there is one new bus lane plan for Berlin: on Ollenhauerstrasse in Reinickendorf. The main reason why there is currently no further development of bus lanes in Berlin, despite originally planning 21 projects on streets like Britzer Damm in Neukölln and Brunsbütteler Damm in Spandau, is political resistance and the Berlin Senate's reluctance to push the traffic transition forward, particularly under the CDU-SPD leadership. This hindrance on mobility improvements including bus lanes may influence future decisions regarding bus lane implementations in Berlin.

In conclusion, the Clayallee ruling has had a significant impact on the current state of Berlin's bus lane network. While the development of the network has come to a standstill, there is still hope for the future as the only new bus lane plan moves forward on Ollenhauerstrasse in Reinickendorf. The ruling may serve as a catalyst for reevaluating the need for bus lanes in Berlin and finding solutions to overcome the political challenges that have stalled their expansion.