The two majority factions in the spa town could not have put it more clearly: "The coalition does not want a tram through Bad Vilbel." With this, the CDU and SPD are burying a transport policy project that their big neighbor, the city of Frankfurt, had initiated more than two years ago. to make the many commuters an attractive offer to switch to local public transport.

In addition, Klaus Oesterling (SPD), head of the Frankfurt traffic department at the time, hoped to reduce traffic on Friedberger Landstraße, the central access road from Bad Vilbel, and to replace the diesel buses on line 30, which ran from Frankfurt-Sachsenhausen to Bad Vilbel, with an environmentally friendly means of transport.

After all, the big city wrestled with the challenge of a general driving ban for older diesel vehicles at this time.

Mechthild Harting

Editor in the Rhein-Main-Zeitung.

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The Bad Vilbel coalition of CDU and SPD justified their rejection with the route, which would "change the cityscape of Bad Vilbel for the worse" and cause noise pollution for the residents.

In addition, the roundabouts in the city that were only created in recent years would have to be dismantled and around 100 trees on Alte Frankfurter Straße would have to be felled, and all parking spaces and cycle paths would have to be eliminated.

This is "a disaster for residents and traders".

The strongest criticism for the Bad Vilbeler comes from the fact that the potential analysis commissioned by the city of Frankfurt together with the city of Bad Vilbel in January 2020 classified the five-kilometer tram connection as feasible because it was economically viable and because of the expected number of passengers is also eligible.

The start of the route would be behind the Friedberger Warte, south of the accident clinic.

It would lead from Frankfurt's Parkfriedhof Heiligenstock across the city limits, first along Alte Frankfurter Strasse, then further along Frankfurter Strasse, which runs centrally through Bad Vilbel, and into the planned green corridor of the new Quellenpark district.

Bus route 30 is to become CO2-neutral instead

In Frankfurt, people react relatively calmly to the news from the neighboring city.

"If Bad Vilbel doesn't want the tram, then you can't realize the project," said Wolfgang Siefert from the mobility department.

Of course, a networked transport infrastructure between the municipalities is necessary for the mobility turnaround and “efficient local public transport is important”.

However, other neighboring municipalities such as Offenbach and the towns along the federal highway 3 in the south of Frankfurt such as Neu-Isenburg, Dreieich and Langen wanted them.

You will work with those who have the political will, said Siefert.

In Bad Vilbel, the coalition wants to have the end of the tram plans sealed by the city councilors at the next meeting.

At the same time, Bad Vilbel's mayor Sebastian Wysocki (CDU) should be asked to start talks with Frankfurt so that bus line 30 will run with CO2-neutral drives in the future.

The parliamentary groups also want to have it checked whether the bus can drive faster with additional lanes, initially between Frankfurt and Bad Vilbel, but also in the Bad Vilbel urban area.