Traffic light decision on 144 projects: Ricarda Lang doubts accelerated motorway expansion

Traffic light decision on 144 projects
Ricarda Lang doubts accelerated highway expansion

After a long struggle, the traffic light coalition agrees on an accelerated expansion of the motorway network for 144 projects. Green leader Lang does not believe that these plans will be implemented quickly, after all, the federal states would have to agree. She calls for the projects to be checked individually on site.

Green Party leader Ricarda Lang doubts that all the accelerated motorway projects planned by the coalition will actually be implemented more quickly. “It is very likely that not all of these 144 motorway projects will be built in an accelerated manner,” Lang told the newspapers of the Funke media group. Planning will “only be accelerated if the responsible countries say: We want that,” she added.

The Greens are currently involved in twelve state governments. With the foreseeable CDU/SPD coalition in Berlin, it would then be eleven. It makes sense to check individual projects on site, emphasized Lang. “For example, whether projects that are already planned will ensure fewer traffic jams or the risk of accidents and should therefore be tackled more quickly. Or whether a project should be looked at again, for example for environmental reasons or because of noise protection for residents.”

In the coalition committee, the SPD, Greens and FDP had agreed on a 16-page paper that, among other things, provides for the accelerated expansion of the motorways at 144 points, billions in investments in the rail network and a relaxation of climate protection rules. Lang criticized that with the decisions of the coalition committee “we are not meeting the climate targets in transport”. “There remains a gap that needs solutions,” she emphasized.

Issue of speed limit

At the same time, Lang advocated a speed limit on motorways, “even if it hardly seems possible in this coalition,” she added. “A speed limit on motorways is one of the quickest and easiest measures for more safety and climate protection,” said the Greens leader.

The overall ambitions of the coalition for climate protection are not enough for Lang. “We are a government that is leading the way in climate protection – but not always as quickly as I would like. We need more speed overall,” said the party leader. She sees all three coalition parties asked: “I wish that all three traffic light partners feel a special responsibility for climate protection. And then act concretely.”

source site-34