Overview

• The Berlin Constitutional Court ruled the “Berlin autofrei” initiative admissible at the end of June, moving the decision to the Abgeordnetenhaus.
• If the parliament does not adopt the proposal after the summer recess, organizers must collect about 170,000 signatures within four months to trigger a referendum.
• The plan would convert most streets inside the S-Bahn ring to “autoreduzierte Straßen” after a four-year transition and cap private trips at 12 per person per year, with exemptions still to be defined.
• The Linke party supports the car curbs but insists on simultaneous expansion of barrier-free, affordable bus, rail and cycling infrastructure to protect low-income residents.
• Linke co-chair Max Schirmer pointed to falling car use and rising cycling, transit and pedestrian traffic in areas served by strong public transport.