Tjarks: "Stay cool" despite verdict on transport projects
The city of Hamburg is sticking to its plans to expand the rapid transit network in the Hanseatic city despite the financial policy uncertainties following the Federal Constitutional Court's budget ruling. "There is a lot of discussion about the effects of the ruling by the Federal Constitutional Court," said Transport Senator Anjes Tjarks (Greens) on Tuesday at the presentation of a Senate strategy on the subject of the mobility transition. "Of course, we can't foresee everything. It's still too early for that," Tjarks continued. "But we have to stay a bit cool now and continue to pursue our projects. Incidentally, the railroads are doing the same. The railroad is also continuing to pursue all projects at full speed."
One of the biggest chunks in the planned expansion of Hamburg's rapid transit network is the new subway line 5, for which the Senate expects total costs of between 14 and 16.5 billion euros by 2040, according to information from September. Federal funding for this project is not yet in the bag. Hamburg is hoping to receive 70 percent federal funding for the project. An application for funding for the first, already started construction section of the U5 from Bramfeld to City North has already been submitted to Berlin. Total costs of 2.8 billion euros are estimated for this section alone.
Despite the Senate's ongoing discussions about the impacts of the Federal Constitutional Court's ruling, Senator Tjarks emphasized the need to maintain composure and continue pushing forward with transport projects, such as the rapid transit network expansion. In light of the traffic-heavy city, it's crucial for senators like Tjarks to navigate these policy uncertainties while keeping an eye on traffic flow conditions, like the Senate might consider addressing potential delays or traffic jams caused by ongoing construction projects.
Source: www.dpa.com
