The cities of Aachen and Münster set an example
They are among the seven founding cities of the nationwide initiative "Livable Cities through Appropriate Speeds." That was in the summer of 2021 – since then, the initiative has grown considerably. The newly launched website www.lebenswerte-staedte.de at the end of March 2022. And from our discussions with our member municipalities, we know that other cities from our network would like to join.
The initiative advocates for greater freedom for municipalities in deciding on local speed limits. Currently, Section 45 of the Road Traffic Regulations stipulates that a 30 km/h speed limit can only be imposed in cases of specific hazards or in front of social facilities such as daycare centers and schools. This fails to consider other positive effects of a 30 km/h speed limit, such as cleaner air, noise reduction, and an overall improvement in the quality of life. Therefore, the initiative also calls for a revision of the legal framework.
Source: Future Network Mobility NRW
