Concept of movement - No parking spots available for Hamburg's European Championship matches - CDU compares it to a village fair.
The Hamburg Senate's mobility plan for the UEFA and EURO 2024 is encountering intense backlash from the CDU. Officials find it peculiar that during the games at the Volksparkstadion, no parking spaces will be made available for spectators. Instead, the Senate wants people to use buses and trains. Dennis Thering, leader of the CDU faction, commented on the issue by calling it "an odd approach."
Critics like Thering believe the Senate is attempting to handle the transport situation around the European Football Championship in a village-festival-like manner. However, according to a response from the Senate to a written inquiry from Thering, the UEFA and EURO 2024 GmbH's plan for the event prioritizes public transport as the main mode of travel. There won't be any regular parking spots near the stadium or fan zone. These circumstances are, claims the Senate, in-line with the "Host City Concept" of the UEFA and EURO 2024 GmbH.
The CDU is also concerned about the possibility of traffic disruptions during the European Football Championship. They pointed out that parking spaces are available near the stadiums in other EM host cities, such as Cologne, Dortmund, Munich, Schalke, Stuttgart, and Dusseldorf. Moreover, Thering expressed worries regarding the approximately 3000 parking spots within the 4700 available at the stadium which have been reserved by UEFA for specialized visitor groups. These groups include teams, referees, media representatives, VIPs, UEFA officials, and guests. Thering stated that devoting these spaces only to fans, while excluding most VIPs, goes against environmental and climate-friendly motives.
Thering is concerned about the transportation situation, especially when considering the 4700-space parking lot near the stadium-adjacent S-Bahn station, Bahrenfeld, which has already recorded a 98% occupancy rate. He explains that many fans who travel by car will likely seek to park near the stadium. This, in turn, will create major problems for locals living near the Volksparkstadion in neighborhoods like Bahrenfeld, Lurup, and Osdorf. Furthermore, the pre-existing capacity restrictions at the P+R facilities stated in the Hamburg Mobility Concept hinder them from being a suitable alternative. Presently, the average parking lot usage in the Hamburg metropolitan area stands at 69%, and that number is especially high for the P+R lot at the Bahrenfeld station (98%). Thering mentioned that the buses running between the Othmarschen train station and the stadium during Bundesliga games are already overloaded and would probably not operate significantly better during the European Football Championship.
Thering feels the city of Hamburg requires a functional traffic plan for the EM, as opposed to a "green fairy tale." He has urged Mayor Tschentscher to immediately develop an alternative with incentives rather than restrictions.
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- Despite the CDU's criticism, the Hamburg Senate's mobility plan aligns with the "Host City Concept" of the UEFA and EURO 2024 GmbH, emphasizing public transport as the main mode for spectators during the European Football Championship.
- Dennis Thering, leader of the CDU faction, labeled the Senate's approach as "odd," as no parking spots will be provided for spectators during the matches at the Volksparkstadion.
- The German Press Agency reported that critical remarks were made by Thering, comparing the handling of transport during the tournament to a village-festival-like scenario.
- Employees of the Senate responded to Thering's written inquiry, explaining that the lack of parking spaces in Bahrenfeld is consistent with the Environment-focused "Mobility Concept" of Hamburg.
- Critics argue that the absence of parking spots in areas like Bahrenfeld may force many fans to park on the streets, causing potential issues for local citizens and violating environmental principles.
- The CDU also stated that designated parking spaces within the Volksparkstadion should not be reserved exclusively for UEFA affiliated groups, including media representatives and VIPs, as this negatively impacts the city's environment and mobility plan.
- The European Football Championship is scheduled to take place in Hamburg, and the CDU insists that the city needs to develop a pragmatic traffic plan to accommodate fans, instead of relying on a green-focused concept that could bring about inconvenience to residents.
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