Göttingen: Strict rules for sidewalk parking in the southern part of the city from September!

Göttingen: Strict rules for sidewalk parking in the southern part of the city from September!

From September 1, 2025, a new era of sidewalk parking will be heralded in the heart of Göttingen. The city administration has launched a model project that will begin in the Lower South City. Previously, parking on sidewalks was tolerated as long as there was a wide passage area of ​​at least one meter. But a ruling by the Federal Administrative Court from 2024 brought a breath of fresh air into the regulations. It forces municipalities to manage sidewalk parking more strictly to take into account the needs of pedestrians and especially people with mobility limitations, like Göttinger Tageblatt reported.

The planned model district extends between Bürgerstrasse in the north, Reinhäuser Landstrasse in the east, Pommerneck and Schneidermühler Weg in the south and Lotzestrasse and Bunsenstrasse in the west. Here, sidewalk parking is only permitted where sufficient space is indicated by signs or markings. A great step to keep sidewalks clear for pedestrians, including children and wheelchair users!

Regulations and changes

The new regulations stipulate that controls will initially take place from September 2025, but no fines are yet due. Instead, there will be information flyers to make residents aware of the changes. From October 1, 2025, however, drivers will have to expect vehicles parked on the sidewalks: fines will then be due if a car is parked partly on the sidewalk and partly on the street, as the city of Göttingen reported in its report here explained.

What is particularly noteworthy is that around 100 parking spaces will be lost in this context, more than half of which were not previously used regularly. This approach is part of the city's effort to increase road safety without jeopardizing the necessary space for emergency vehicles and public transport. The first city councilor Christian Schmetz makes it clear: “There is no legal right to a parking space on public property.” The road traffic regulations also remain in force, which means that parking in front of curbs is prohibited, as is parking vehicles over 2.8 tons on the sidewalks.

Coordination of measures

Over the course of the summer, the corresponding signage and marking work will be carried out in the southern part of the city so that everything is clearly visible from September. Of the approximately 100 reduced parking spaces, many will be affected near schools, daycare centers and retirement homes. A minimum width of 1.80 meters is required for the sidewalks here, while in other areas of the Lower South City at least 1.60 meters must be maintained.

The decision to select the Lower Südstadt as the first district was not accidental. The high number of cars parked on sidewalks represented a significant restriction for pedestrians. This makes it all the more important that this change is implemented consistently. To find out about the new regulations and details, everyone affected can take a look at the city website: goe.de/parken-suedstadt.