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City presents results – focus on safe cycle paths and efficient transport.
The city of Darmstadt has completed its traffic study for Kasinostraße, thus creating a key foundation for the future design of the streetscape. Mobility Officer Paul Georg Wandrey emphasized at the presentation of the results on Monday (1st) that the plans exemplify his approach of "mobility peace": safe cycling routes alongside efficient motorized traffic.
“With Kasinostraße, we are demonstrating that mobility peace is a viable concept for the future. We are creating safe cycling routes while simultaneously maintaining efficient traffic flow in the city. This is pragmatic transport policy for everyone who travels in Darmstadt,” said Wandrey.
The study examined various road cross-sections and evaluated them using a detailed traffic simulation. The goal was a continuous, attractive, and safe cycling infrastructure without impairing the capacity of the main traffic routes. The results show that a protected cycle path can be implemented in large sections while maintaining the smooth flow of motorized traffic.
Only at the intersection of Kasinostrasse and Bismarckstrasse are restrictions necessary due to the high volume of traffic and limited space. There, cyclists will be directed straight ahead in the right-turn lane.
Traffic management from Julius-Reiber-Straße onwards will play a key role in the future: Motor vehicle traffic can divert via Dolivostraße and Fritz-Bauer-Straße onto Donnersbergring. This route will eventually incorporate the B3 federal highway and relieve congestion on Kasinostraße – an effect that was included in the simulation.
The analysis of the Rhein-/Neckar-/Kasinostraße intersection, where public transport plays a central role, was particularly complex. Optimizing public transport acceleration directly impacts the intersection's capacity and was therefore an integral part of the planning.
For the study, current traffic counts were collected in 2024. Since these were lower than historical values due to the closure of the Rhine Road bridge, they were adjusted by the planning office. The simulation thus depicts a realistic future scenario that also takes increasing traffic volumes into account.
“We have once again resolved a years-long debate in the spirit of mobility peace,” Wandrey summarizes. “Darmstadt doesn’t need ideological divides, but rather practical solutions. The study shows that if we balance interests and consider street space holistically, we can create efficient and safe mobility for everyone – based on data, not on perceived truths.”
(DARMSTADT – RED/PSD/stip/ho)
