Krakaustrasse

Brief info

• Project: Road renewal after regional network measure
• Regional grid measure: presumably 12 months from Jan. 2025
• Subsequent conversion to cycle lane and premium footpath: initially 12 months from Jan. 2026
• Project phase: Conversion by Regionetz and preparation of the urban construction measure

Current

Regionetz has been renewing the sewer and supply lines in sections and replacing house connections since Jan. 2025. Archaeological finds may delay construction. To the Regionetz announcement

Map

Occasion

In Krakaustraße, an extensive measure to renew sewers and pipes is to be used to adapt the street design. As part of overarching mobility concepts, the redesign should take particular account of the needs of the premium footpath to Westpark and the course of the priority cycle route to Preuswald.

Citizen participation

A citizens' dialog took place on 3 June 2023 between 2 and 4 p.m. on site in Krakaustraße. After the on-site dialog event in Krakaustraße, the planning was exhibited in the foyer of the Am Marschiertor administration building and all documents were made available on a City of Aachen website created for this purpose. Comments and opinions were collected and evaluated by the administration by the end of August 2023 by email, post and in personal meetings. The collected submissions were summarized thematically and evaluated professionally.

Planning

The planning envisages the creation of a cycle lane, the upgrading of the footpaths to a premium footpath and the creation of green spaces. Two design variants for the street layout were developed, which differ in particular with regard to the width of the cycle lane and footpaths as well as the arrangement and number of parking spaces and trees (including green strips).

Variant "stock-oriented"

• Street layout based on the existing structure.
• Preservation of the western longitudinal parking stands.
• Creation of a multifunctional strip with trees (approx. 9), green spaces, bicycle parking and car parking on the premium footpath side
• This reduces the number of parking spaces from approx. 55 to 33
• On the premium sidewalk side, the sidewalk is approx. 2.30 m wide throughout, widening in sections.
• Bicycle lane with 4.00 m wide lane and 0.60 m wide safety separation strip.

"Green premium footpath" variant

• Creation of a 4.00 m wide side area on the premium footpath side, divided into a continuous approx. 2.50 m wide footpath and a 1.50 m wide green strip including 13 new tree plantings.
• On the western side, the car parking spaces will be retained, with new bicycle parking spaces and sidewalk extensions planned.
• Longitudinal parking spaces on the east side no longer required, resulting in a reduction to approx. 23 parking spaces
• A bicycle lane is designed with a 4.20 m wide lane and a 0.75 m wide safety separation strip to the parking spaces.

After evaluating the results of the public participation and the technical consideration, planning variant 2 "Green premium footpath" is proposed as the preferred variant. Compared to the existing variant 1, a wider cycle lane with larger, guideline-compliant safety spaces can be realized here. The sidewalks can also be made wider and thus meet the requirements of the premium footpaths. The continuous green strip with a large number of trees (13 instead of 9) envisaged in option 2 and the greater availability of space for street furniture (e.g. benches and a play area) ensure a higher quality of stay on the side of the premium footpath in comparison. The lower number of car parking spaces (approx. 23 compared to approx. 33 parking spaces in option 1) is a disadvantage. Overall, however, the streetscape design of Variant 2 meets the objectives of the premium footpath and cycle priority route concepts and the necessary climate impact adaptation to a much greater extent than Variant 1.

Next steps

Regionetz plans to start the sewer and pipeline renewal measures in Krakaustraße from the 3rd quarter of 2024 with a construction period of approx. 18 months. The road reconstruction is to follow on from the Regionetz measure. Based on the preferred option 2, construction is currently expected to take one year, meaning that the entire construction project is expected to be completed in 2027

According to current estimates, costs of around € 1,500,000 will be incurred for the preferred option 2. The implementation of the measure is only possible if the provision of the necessary funds is secured by a future, legally binding budget. The "Krakaustraße premium footpath" sub-measure is eligible for funding as part of the 2022 city center concept. The approval notice has been available since fall 2023. The relevant costs for the premium footpath amounting to around €900,000 will be funded at 80%. The funding measure must be implemented by the end of 2027.

The planning resolution for the redesign of Krakaustraße was passed on 22.05.2024 in the Aachen-Mitte district council and on 13.06.2024 in the Mobility Committee(submission).

Council info template