Bus acceleration in Kiel: Why the concept failed!

Bus acceleration in Kiel: Why the concept failed!

The ambitious "bus acceleration concept" in Kiel, which was to improve the punctuality of the buses in the city in 2023, was stopped by the city administration before the planned coordination in 2024. This measure represents a setback for local public transport (public transport), since the city administration spoke out for a deletion after the costs were assessed as "too expensive, too complex, too time -consuming", such as KN-Online.de reported.

The Kiel Transport Society (KVG) had already identified delays of up to seven minutes on individual bus lines in advance. Around 90 suggestions were analyzed as part of the concept. These included the creation of new bus traces, cycle paths outside the car lane, road closures for through traffic and the improvement of the traffic lights. While the KVG welcomed an increase in the bus tracks, the city administration considered a quick and large implementation to be unrealistic.

challenges and resistance

The necessary structural measures included the exchange of street coverings and the removal of trees, which met with resistance in the population. Parking spaces would have disappeared in many places, which raised concerns about negative effects on retail. These considerations and the complex plans for a light rail make the implementation of the concept significant.

traffic planning and public data

The establishment of public transport in Kiel is responsible for the company's own company. This plans, ordered and manages the traffic services and the financial means of public transport. The KVG, which has been completely in municipal hands since 2009 and employs 628 employees, awarded the traffic service to the EBK for a transport contract for the years 2021 to 2030. The SFBC is also the owner of the line permits and is responsible for framework planning and infrastructure.

The regional local transport plan (RNVP), which is continued every five years, determines the future development of public transport in Kiel. The currently valid 6th RNVP was decided on November 17, 2022 by the council assembly and is legally binding because the supervisory authority has not objected to, such as kiel.de executed.

In order to further improve mobility in Kiel and to support contemporary urban planning, the city and Kielregion GmbH have published real-time data for traffic. The data collected offers extensive insights into motorized private transport (MIV), cycling and parking data. The 27 permanent counting points in the urban area continuously record the vehicle traffic and are connected to urban and regional data platforms, which kielregion.de describes.

An interactive dashboard for the current parking situation enables citizens and urban planners to better assess information on the traffic volume in Kiel. The city of Kiel and the Kiel region are planning to expand the range of open traffic and mobility data in order to promote urban development.