Schools and Kindergartens safeguarded from Speed Limit 30 implementation by County's decision
In the towns of Schneverdingen and Neuenkirchen, discussions surrounding speed limits have been a hot topic, particularly in relation to school safety.
Mayor Carlos Brunkhorst of Neuenkirchen has stated that discussions are currently ongoing with the district concerning the implementation of traffic orders. Meanwhile, Schneverdingen has expressed its intention to reduce speed limits on several roads and areas, including Harburger Straße, Osterwaldweg, Rominter Weg, and in front of kindergartens in Heber and Wesseloh, to 30 km/h.
The proposed speed limit changes in Schneverdingen are not new, as the town had previously considered reducing the speed limit on Winsener Straße due to high traffic levels. However, the current speed limit on this road, which is in effect from Monday to Friday between 7 and 17 hours, remains at 50 km/h. This is due to the significant school traffic with over 1,000 students from three large schools.
The Heidekreis district, however, has rejected all three applications for speed limit reductions in Schneverdingen. The district argues that the kindergartens are not solely visited by children and that there are already warning signs and high-level crossings in the affected areas.
In a similar situation, the town of Neuenkirchen unsuccessfully applied for a speed reduction on a section of the Frielinger Straße near the sports park for school safety reasons.
According to German Road Traffic Regulations (StVO), a speed limit of 30 km/h is generally required in the immediate vicinity of children's day-care centres, kindergartens, schools, nursing homes, or hospitals if these facilities have direct access to the road or if there is strong target and source traffic with its critical accompaniments in the vicinity of the facilities. Section 13 of the StVO applies to Schneverdingen's municipal administration.
Interestingly, the Winsener Straße in Soltau already has a 30 km/h speed limit over several hundred meters, despite above-average traffic load. Mayor Brunkhorst suggests that the municipalities' concerns about traffic safety for school students should now be discussed bundled with the traffic authority.
The district, however, considers the signal-controlled crossing sufficient for pedestrians and cyclists to cross the street safely in the affected areas. The district has not mentioned that the speed limit on Winsener Straße followed an accident in which a student died.
As the debate continues, both towns are advocating for increased safety measures to protect the most vulnerable road users, particularly school children. The outcome of these discussions will undoubtedly have a significant impact on the towns' traffic management and school safety.
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