Overview

• Linke co-chairs Kerstin Wolter and Max Schirmer say drastic car restrictions require parallel investment in affordable, accessible public transport and bike lanes
• The Verfassungsgerichtshof Berlin cleared the initiative as admissible in late June, overruling objections from the Berliner Senat
• Under the proposal, most streets inside the S-Bahn ring would become “autoreduced” after a four-year transition with private car trips capped at twelve per person per year
• If the Abgeordnetenhaus does not enact the draft law after the summer break, organizers must collect roughly 170,000 signatures within four months to force a binding referendum
• Debate centers on balancing climate and health benefits with social equity, emergency service access and impacts on residents and businesses