Bensheim in turmoil: residents demand safe pedestrian crossings!

Bensheim in turmoil: residents demand safe pedestrian crossings!

Bensheim, a charming little town in the Bergstrasse district, is buzzing with excitement. The residents are visibly dissatisfied with the traffic situation around the Hemsberg. This uproar was triggered by a tragic accident in which a motorcyclist lost his life last year. A petition was launched to make the paths safer for pedestrians. The initiators, including the political scientist Martin Türck, have collected over 400 signatures to demand the relocation of a town sign on the busy B3 and thus increase safety at the pedestrian crossing to the bus stop. But the requested measures are making slow progress, as FFH reports.

A look at the current situation shows that the traffic signs are now installed in accordance with the law, but the urgently needed pedestrian crossings with zebra crossings or traffic lights are still missing. Rush hour traffic poses a major challenge for pedestrians who want to cross the street. However, the Petitions Committee has made it clear that the complete relocation of the town sign is not possible for legal reasons. Overall, the authorities have now introduced some changes, including the installation of two 50 km/h signs and moving another speed limit to 70 km/h further south. The visibility of the crossing aid was also increased from 2 to 3 meters.

Increased civic engagement

However, residents remain skeptical, especially since they are made to feel like they are being left alone with their concerns. Martin Türck reports that in retrospect they would have been better off doing nothing because the traffic situation worsened after the sign was moved. He and other residents feel unsure whether their houses actually still belong to Bensheim, as some are supposedly outside of it for the authorities. Despite these warnings, traffic department head Matthias Schimpf is convinced of the current situation, as only eight pedestrians were counted between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m. and 19 people between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m.

Residents' complaints also highlight that they suffer from significant traffic noise. An important point for many is that the pedestrian crossing on Hemsberg is classified as dangerous due to the lack of traffic lights or zebra crossings, which is in line with the DEKRA study on protection zones with risk potential. Pedestrians have had absolute priority at zebra crossings in Germany since 1964, which is particularly worrying given the current situation. At this point in particular you have to ask yourself how pedestrian protection can be efficiently improved.

Between progress and frustration

Although the Petitions Committee declared the petition “settled”, the situation remains tense. Following the recent changes to the traffic lights, discussions continue as to whether a pedestrian traffic light can be installed in addition to the possible changes. The residents are hoping for faster measures and concrete solutions that will enable safe crossing of the street. Citizen engagement does at least bring about some improvements. However, the question remains as to how much weight these measures can actually have on road safety without additional signs and traffic rules being meaningfully added at the same time.

With watchful eyes and a clear understanding of the needs of citizens, we will have to observe in the coming weeks whether civic engagement actually brings long-term changes or whether residents continue to be alone with their demands.