Travelling on foot
In terms of the number of daily journeys, walking is the second most important mode of transport for people in Chemnitz after driving their own car. Almost one in three journeys is made purely on foot. For journeys in the city centre and districts close to the city centre, this proportion is as high as 40%. Walking is the most important mode of transport in residential neighbourhoods.
Pedestrians characterise the urbanity and vitality of a city. Ensuring and further expanding barrier-free, direct routes for walking is therefore one of the overarching action strategies of the urban transport development plan. It is also important to significantly increase the opportunities for spending time on the streets by providing wide, easy-to-use pavements and an attractive design so that pedestrian traffic can retain its high level of importance. It is equally important to secure or create "short routes" for pedestrians in urban developments, new residential areas or redevelopments in existing neighbourhoods.
The city of Chemnitz is currently participating as a model city in the research project "Guidelines for municipal walking strategies". The aim of this project was to collect the necessary information for the strategic promotion of pedestrian traffic at a municipal level and to develop it into a guideline. The project was carried out by FUSS e.V., an association specialising in pedestrian traffic, and funded by the Federal Environment Agency and the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety. The results for the model city of Chemnitz can be found here:
Accessibility
The City of Chemnitz attaches great importance to the barrier-free usability of public spaces. The design of paths, squares, public transport and information is always barrier-free. Relevant DIN standards as well as information and recommendations from the FGSV form the technical basis.
The standardised construction methods for barrier-free construction in public spaces and at stops in Chemnitz based on these standards are continuously developed by the City of Chemnitz and the Barrier-free Construction Working Group in cooperation with interest groups, those affected, CVAG and the Central Saxony Transport Association (VMS) and are always taken into account in planning.
Status: December 2023
Chemnitz as a model city
On 17 September 2018, Mayor Michael Stötzer was presented with a certificate by the German Pedestrian Traffic Association FUSS e.V. for the two-year active participation of the city of Chemnitz as a model city for the development of a municipal pedestrian traffic strategy. The event took place as part of the European Mobility Week.