Foundation of an advisory board for mobility in Jena decided

At its last meeting, the Jena City Council decided to establish a new mobility advisory board. This cross-modal body represents an important step towards a holistic view and improvement of mobility in our city. In future, the advisory board will discuss all mobility issues and submit recommendations to the Committee for Urban Development and the Environment.

The aim of the new advisory board is to take equal account of and pool the interests of all road users - from pedestrians and cyclists to motor vehicles and local public transport.

The idea of setting up an overarching mobility advisory board is the result of years of preparatory work. As early as 2018, as part of the model city project "Action guideline steps towards a walking strategy", it became clear that a comprehensive committee is necessary in order to think about mobility in Jena holistically.

The role of the mobility advisory board

The new mobility advisory board will combine the specialist work of the previous advisory boards for cycling and motor vehicle traffic and expand it to include the areas of pedestrian traffic and local public transport. This consolidation is intended to simplify administrative processes, while relieving the urban development committee of the burden of dealing with the wide range of mobility issues - without extending the processing times for draft resolutions.

Discussions and perspectives

"The establishment of the Mobility Advisory Board was discussed intensively in the previous advisory boards for cycling and motor vehicle traffic. We see this new body as a great opportunity to enable a balanced representation of interests for all types of mobility. At the same time, the very committed voluntary work of the cycling representatives in particular can be continued in the future in a working group of the Mobility Advisory Board",

explains Christian Gerlitz, Mayor and Head of Department for Urban Development and the Environment.

Another important aspect is the greater consideration of the interests of pedestrian traffic. Representatives from existing advisory boards such as the Senior Citizens' Advisory Board, the Advisory Board for People with Disabilities or the Student Advisory Board can be delegated to the new committee to contribute specific needs.

Mobility of the future

"By establishing the Mobility Advisory Board, the city of Jena is sending a clear signal for integrated and future-oriented transport planning. The advisory board will not only act as an advisory body, but will also help to promote sustainable and fair mobility for all citizens in Jena",

said Head of Department Gerlitz.