This year, the Citizens' Council in Aachen has dealt extensively with mobility in Aachen. In its final report, the committee made nine concrete proposals for improvement. These will now be incorporated into the political decision-making process.

Fifty-six randomly drawn citizens from all parts of society took part in the council. They had to answer the question of how "balanced mobility in road traffic can be possible". On Tuesday evening (October 7, 2025), the Citizens' Council presented the results of its deliberations, a total of nine specific recommendations, in the form of an expert report at the Citizens' Forum.

The event in Forum M of the Mayersche Buchhandlung attracted around 120 visitors and offered a lively insight into the practice of direct democracy. In addition to participants from the citizenry, experts from academia and administration were also invited to enrich the event with their expertise.

Dr. Mahir Tokatlı from the RWTH Institute for Political Sciences introduced the topic of citizens' councils and their role in democracy. Uwe Müller from the Department of Transport and Mobility and Professor Dr.-Ing. Christoph Hebel from Aachen University of Applied Sciences provided expert classification and commentary on the Citizens' Council's recommendations.

Citizens' council has now established itself

The Citizens' Council is now an integral part of local politics. It was recognized in the Citizens' Forum as an important driver of citizen participation. The atmosphere in the Citizens' Assembly was characterized by a palpable desire for fair and productive cooperation. There was a conviction that conflicts and differences of opinion can be resolved well in an open and respectful dialog. The recommendations developed are seen as an important step that gives hope for better cooperation in urban society and provides impetus for political work.

Following a kick-off event on June 14, the Citizens' Council prepared the report on a total of three dates in June and July. The following nine recommendations were presented by members of this committee at Forum M.

Public transport: more attractive, free of charge, improved stops

The Citizens' Council makes three proposals with regard to local public transport.

The basic aim is to make public transport more attractive and efficient in the long term. For example, Park+Ride areas should be better connected to public transport. "Only efficient public transport will encourage people to change," it said.

In addition, bus stops are to be improved with comprehensive, autonomous, solar-powered real-time display panels. In addition, payment machines with a cash payment function are to be installed at central bus stops and on buses; the payment process is no longer to be carried out by the driver. There are also to be more recesses for bus stops to take them out of the street space. Barrier-free boarding of buses must be possible at all stops.

Finally, free public transport is to be introduced in Aachen for recipients of transfer payments, children, trainees and people with disabilities.

Restructured parking space

The Citizens' Council also addressed the question of how parking space in the city could be restructured. The idea behind this is that public space in the city is a valuable community asset. The aim is therefore to reclaim living space in order to make it more attractive for residents, visitors and businesses. Existing parking space should be used better than before. For example, the spaces in private parking garages, universities and supermarkets should be open to everyone at night and on Sundays and public holidays. Parking garages are to be built on existing parking spaces, which can be used as neighborhood parking spaces, among other things.

App and digital twin

Digitalization also played a role in the debates in the Citizens' Assembly. The Council made two proposals in this regard. The city should purchase or set up an interactive, intuitive, accessible and multilingual mobility app. Many of the required functions (parking guidance system, public transport display, roadworks option) can already be found on the city's mobility dashboard at verkehr.aachen.de on the Internet. However, they are not yet available for convenient use on mobile devices in the form of an app.

In order to improve construction site coordination, the city is also to massively drive forward the expansion and use of a digital twin. A digital twin helps to gain an overview of the existing infrastructure, especially below the road surface, before construction work begins. Citizens should also be able to use the digital twin to ensure greater transparency.

Bicycle traffic lights and 30 km/h

In addition, the Citizens' Council recommends introducing bicycle traffic lights throughout the city. They are switched so that cyclists get the green light before cars. The members of the Citizens' Council are convinced that this will increase the safety of cyclists.

Finally, where separate car and cycle lanes are not possible, traffic speeds should be reduced to 30 km/h as a matter of principle. When riding uphill, the cycle paths should be designed asymmetrically. This means that uphill there are separate lanes for cars and bicycles, but downhill there is a shared lane on which large bicycle pictograms are marked. The equalization of speeds should also lead to greater safety for cyclists.

Traffic mascot

The cartoon character Karl the Little by Aachen author Alfred Neuwald is to be introduced in Aachen as a traffic mascot and will ensure improved and friendly communication in campaigns for greater road safety and consideration - for example at the start of school, at the beginning of the vacations or during the Aachen Christmas market.

What happens next?

The Council will officially receive the report at its meeting on December 17, 2025 and discuss the recommendations. They will then be referred to the relevant specialist committees for further discussion and will therefore be incorporated into the political consultation process.

The full report can be viewed on the following page: https://buergerinnenrat.aachen.de