Because it does not meet basic legal requirements, the citizens' petition with which the Offenbach Radentscheid initiative wanted to initiate a referendum in the sense of a bike-friendly city failed.

After the examination by the Offenbach legal office required by the state of Hesse and a statement from the Hessian Association of Cities, the Offenbach magistrate published the results of the examination.

Jochen Remert

Airport editor and correspondent Rhein-Main-Süd.

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The final decision rests with the city council.

It can be assumed that the majority will follow the assessment of the experts.

Accordingly, the citizens' request with the attempt to achieve a referendum with far-reaching plans for the expansion of cycling is legally untenable for two reasons: The demands of the initiative mainly relate to projects that the city cannot decide on alone.

In addition, according to the magistrate, the proposals for financing the planned projects have not been sufficiently specified.

Linke wants to save parts of the project

If a referendum is intended to bring about a referendum, i.e. the direct decision of the citizenry on a project, this is only possible in Hesse if it concerns matters over which the municipalities themselves have decision-making powers.

Citizens' petitions are generally inadmissible if the municipality only carries out things according to instructions on behalf of the state.

However, the initiative is aiming for road construction projects such as the annual expansion of cycle streets and cycle paths and the planning of cycle bridges.

According to the magistrate, traffic routes are affected that are not solely the responsibility of the municipality.

Even plans that interfere with road traffic law could not be enforced with a citizens' initiative.

Despite all the sympathy for a better cycling infrastructure, the magistrate is bound by the law, said Mayor Felix Schwenke (SPD).

The left in the city council takes the rejection as proof that the magistrate does not want the traffic turnaround at all.

She wants to introduce individual goals of the initiative to the city council as motions in order to save parts of the project.