FAQ Schöffenstraße

The ban on stopping and parking on footpaths is based on the general regulations of § 12 StVO.

A local authority can permit parking by means of a sign in accordance with road traffic regulations if the sidewalk is wider than 2.50 m (newly created, 1.80 m in existing roads) and the carriageway is at least 3 meters wide and there are still 2 m left for parked vehicles. This is not the case in Schöffenstraße.

As soon as the signage on this road has been officially established as unlawful, it will not be possible to restore a legally flawless condition on just one section. The entire road therefore had to be adapted to the legal requirements of the Highway Code.

The Office for Planning and Building is examining whether individual parking spaces can be set up in the green areas. However, the city may not build in such a way that the roots of the trees are damaged and they may no longer be stable.

Rules apply to urban construction. Structural engineering standards and DIN norms must be applied. For example, a municipality may only construct a new sidewalk in accordance with these standards (2.50 wide, barrier-free). Parking spaces can only be created where a base structure can be laid to a depth of around 50 cm in accordance with the specifications. The area under tree crowns may not be driven on or built on.

Today, new trees are equipped with special tree pits that also allow the crown area to be driven over. In the case of old trees, the tree would suffer and die in the long term.

A traffic-calmed area requires the entire area to be converted to a uniform level. All road users then use the area together. Parking spaces can then also be provided. Such a conversion is not feasible in the current budget situation and would also lead to road charges for residents.

The city is asking the Darmstadt Regional Council whether it is possible to designate the street as a traffic-calmed road without the normally necessary expensive conversions into an area with a quality of stay and without separating the sidewalk and carriageway. At the request of local residents, the Darmstadt Regional Council is asked to make its own assessment on site.

There is no political decision on parking in Schöffenstraße. The Highway Code prohibits parking on the sidewalk and only allows local authorities to permit parking on the sidewalk on sufficiently large streets. Because Schöffenstraße is too narrow, parking should not have been permitted there.

The city initially provided feedback to check things and also surveyed traffic volumes. Due to the tasks of the road traffic authority for traffic safety, roadworks and their coordination, which are relevant for all traffic in Offenbach, as well as time-critical applications that have to be approved, the citizens' request for a road with low traffic density was given a lower priority. If the relevant checks had been carried out two years ago, as is now the case on behalf of the Darmstadt Regional Council, the signage would have been removed immediately.