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Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
Team of researchers from TU Berlin publishes initial findings from a survey on the impact of the closure of the A100 in the capital
The closure of Berlin's A100 in mid-March this year is having drastic consequences on people's traveling time, so much so that regular users of the now closed section of the A100 need an average of 54 minutes to reach their destination instead of their usual 35.
Additionally, the surveyed participants perceive the disruption to their routines as a major inconvenience, and expressed their anger and dissatisfaction. 17% reported the effects of the closure as being either a significant or an extremely significant inconvenience. Almost a quarter is angry or very angry, and more than a third is dissatisfied or very dissatisfied with the measures taken by Berlin's politicians and administration. There is a direct correlation between the increase of time it takes people to get from A to B (travel time now versus travel time before) and their level of anger, dissatisfaction, and how significant they consider the inconvenience.
These are the interim findings of a survey on the changes to mobility routines conducted at the Chair of Integrated Transport Planning at TU Berlin by research assistants David Friel and Fabian Drews under the supervision of Professor Dr.-Ing. Christine Ahrend. 3,191 people took part in the survey in April 2025, 54% of whom were male, 46% female, and 1% of another gender identity. The average age of the participants was 53.3 years. All of the quantitative results are statistically significant.
In addition to the impact on individual people, researchers David Friel and Fabian Drews have identified numerous changes that are significant in social and political terms.
Desire for forward-looking planning and regular maintenance
"Some of the respondents whose regular trips are affected by the closure are now avoiding these routes, for example by working from home or foregoing leisure activities: The 36% of participants who used to drive this route (almost) every day dropped to 33% with the closure. While 47% used to drive at least once a week, this number has since sank to 41%. This results in what is known as traffic evaporation, in that traffic is not only diverted to surrounding roads, but is reduced overall," says David Friel.
What's more, a sharp decline in car use and an upswing in the use of public transport and bicycles was observed. While 79% of respondents indicated they drove a car before the closure, the figure had dropped to 70% afterwards. 12% of survey participants used public transport before the closure, compared to 16% after. And the 1% of participants who were cycling before the closure rose to 6%. "The closure therefore prompted a switch from cars to public transport and cycling," summarizes David Friel.
When asked about what they would like to see from policy makers and administrators, respondents primarily mentioned early and forward-looking planning and more regular maintenance in order to avoid such situations in the future. While some are also calling for the bridge to be rebuilt as quickly as possible, others hope that alternatives, such as public transport and cycling, will be improved effectively. On the other hand, residents of neighborhoods affected by heavy traffic due to the diversion would like to see wide bypasses, bans on through traffic and stricter controls of such bans, among other things.
Push measures work
The closure of the A100 restricts car traffic, making it a push measure in transport policy – albeit an unplanned one. Push measures are transport policy instruments designed to restrict car use. The results reveal that this unplanned push measure is effective: There has been a significant shift away from cars and toward public transportation and bicycles, resulting in a notable reduction in traffic. However, the results also show that these effects go hand in hand with anger and dissatisfaction.
"Accordingly, when push measures are being planned, it is important to develop strategies in advance and provide attractive alternatives early on to mitigate the negative consequences on people. And in the specific case of the closure of the A100, alternatives should be developed as quickly as possible," says David Friel. It would also be important to implement further measures to improve the situation for residents.
The survey explores how the closure of the A100 has forced changes in mobility routines. It aims to investigate how people are dealing with the impacts, and use the findings to provide policy makers and administrators with recommendations for measures as well as support services to help those affected. Further surveys of this type are planned to track changes in mobility routines over time, with the next scheduled for spring 2026.
Further information:
Survey findings: https://www.tu.berlin/fileadmin/www/10002265/Forschung/PDFs/A100/20250806_Wut-zu...
Further information is available from:
David Friel and Fabian Drews
TU Berlin
Faculty V Mechanical Engineering and Transport Systems
Chair of Integrated Transport Planning
Phone: 030/314-78772
Email: a100@ivp.tu-berlin.de
Criteria of this press release:
Journalists
Traffic / transport
transregional, national
Research results
English
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