This is how Karmelitenstraße in Würzburg can change

The redesign of the area between Domstraße, Rathaus, Alter Mainbrücke and Karmelitenstraße is a done deal and should be done this year. Now, in the next step, the Municipal Buildings Department wants to tackle the entire Karmelitenstrasse up to Julius Park and the square with Fischerbrunnen – with most of the parking spaces removed. However, the city council’s Committee on Planning, Environment and Mobility (POMA) did not approve the first draft on Wednesday.

With the planning idea put forward by the building consultant Benjamin Schneider, the administration wants to implement an order of the city council: in January 2022, as part of the concept of “a better life in Bishofshot”, the committee decides by a two-thirds majority. The alliance of the same name from various factions, among others, in the lower Juliuspromenade and in Karmelitenstraße to hide most of the parking lots in order to be able to open green areas.

Nothing should change in the traffic lane on Karmelitenstraße in Würzburg

According to the decision, parking spaces should be reserved for residents and the disabled, and the redesign should only be implemented when the new large car park opens at the main station. Since that’s planned for this year and money needs to go into the 2024 city budget for the redesign, according to Schneider, now was a good time to submit the first draft.

Nothing can be changed regarding the direction of traffic along Karmelitenstraße. However, of the existing parking spaces, only two spaces for car-sharing vehicles and five spaces for the disabled should remain on the west side. This should create more space for bicycle traffic, and the sidewalks on both sides could also be greatly expanded. Loading and unloading areas and up to ten new trees can also be seen in the design. The square around Fischerbrunnen is part of the planning and should also be upgraded. The fountain itself should return to its historical position in the center of the square.

So much for the first idea, which the building department wanted to discuss with residents and merchants on Karmelitenstrasse in the next step after Puma noticed it and wanted to get an opinion: “The participation of residents is very important to us,” Schneider emphasized.

The approval decision in the city council was postponed by a large majority

But that didn’t happen: At the request of Green City Councilman Patrick Friedel, the item on the agenda was adjourned by a large majority. In the graphic provided, it’s not clear “how much space should be enclosed and green,” Friedel said. Ten tree slices are also not enough in light of the increasing heat in the inner city area.

The CSU was happy to agree to his request for a delay for another reason: “I think it’s wrong to think of getting rid of parking spaces on this scale,” said their parliamentary group leader Wolfgang Roth. In addition, the roads in many other places in the city area, which are in much worse condition, must first be renovated.

Charlotte Schlossarik (FDP/Bürgerforum) and Josef Hoffmann (FW-FWG) also declined to approve the draft. In her opinion, the citizens and the institutions concerned, such as the retail association, must first be heard before a decision is made in the city council: “They must be able to express their opinion clearly and unequivocally, which succeeded in Eichhornstrasse, for example, ” Hoffman asserted: “We can’t eliminate fifty parking spaces. Carmelite Avenue is my lifeline.”