For employees of the University, monthly parking tickets can be purchased for 18 euro or they can buy a daily ticket for 1.20 euro. All other parkers pay a minimum of 2 euros for 2 hours. Parking on Carl-Troll-Straße and in the big parking lot behind Clemens-August-Straße now require fees, as does parking at the Institutes. Klaus Herkenrath, deputy spokesperson for the University warns that the parking spaces are controlled and enforced around the clock; they have rotating shifts to cover all hours of the day.

Is the University trying to cash in? University spokesperson Andreas Archut says it’s not about money. Because the University is growing its Poppelsdorf campus with three additional buildings and a cafeteria re-opening, it was obligated to come up with a transportation concept. Before the University could be granted a building permit from the city, it had to submit a plan as to how it would address the extra traffic generated with more people coming to work or study in the area. By charging for parking, their hope is to increase the percentage of people who come via public transport, walking or biking. The city hopes to reduce vehicular traffic by 20 percent in this area.

One of the fears of the new parking concept was that people would seek other parking areas and this is now happening. Side streets in Poppelsdorf not owned by the University are filling up with cars of University employees or customers visiting shops on Clemens-August-Straße. In some case, customers double park on the street and risk receiving a parking ticket, or they just don’t come there anymore. The parking situation altogether is difficult for residents of Poppelsdorf but the University says it is not responsible for the whole picture. Rather, it would now be up to the city to create parking for residents only. (Orig. text: Stefan Knopp)