Vehicular Movement - Erlangen to decide on city-county railway plan.
This coming Sunday (at 8:00 am), the people of Erlangen will not only be voting for the European election, but they'll also be deciding the fate of public transportation in the Nuremberg metropolitan area. Their decision could potentially stop one of Germany's biggest tram projects.
Approximately 83,000 eligible voters will be able to vote on whether or not to implement the planned city-suburban railway. The existing tram in Nuremberg is planned to be extended to Erlangen and further to Herzogenaurach. Estimated costs for this project are around 640 million euros, with 90% of the funding coming from the federal and state governments.
A wide range of stakeholders are supporting the project, including the Friedrich-Alexander-University of Erlangen-Nuremberg and the global corporation Siemens. Additionally, Markus Söder, the Minister President, and Joachim Herrmann, the Interior Minister, both from the CSU, are fully in support.
However, the Erlangen branch of the CSU is working hard to prevent the implementation of the Three-City Tram and is advocating for its rejection. Their reasons: too many disruptions in Erlangen and high costs.
In 2016, around 60% of Erlangen residents expressed approval for the planning process. The final outcome of the citizen's vote is unclear, according to observers.
