The concept has been developed on behalf of the municipal planners in close cooperation with ZSL Betreibergesellschaft mbh, which operates the Sportforum facilities, and RB Leipzig e. V., the city's football club. It is to be submitted to the city council in conjunction with a report on the status of the implementation of the utilisation plan for the public areas surrounding the Sportforum which was decided upon in 2012.
The concept for the use of the area was developed by representatives of the city, RB Leipzig e. V., ZSL Betreibergesellschaft mbH, Leipzig's local passenger transport organisation (LVB) and the Leipzig police.
The main objectives are:
- reducing the impact of moving and stationary traffic on local residents in the neighbouring areas during major and simultaneous events,
- provision of a range of transport services which will enable visitors to travel to and from the stadium in a way which is fast, convenient and free from conflict
- ensuring the public acceptance required for the implementation of the above measures.
Immediate measures
As a first step the city council has completed or launched a range of immediate measures at a total cost of around €124,000 (to be completed by August 2014).
Facilitating the use of P+R
In order to encourage the use of P+R services welcome signs inviting the public to the P+R locations will be set up, directions guiding visitors to the locations within the city have been reviewed and an application has been made to the State Department of Roads and Traffic for the establishment of direction signs on the motorway. Measures at the P+R locations themselves include directions for pedestrians, information boards and construction measures to upgrade the locations. In addition passenger information on the city's trams and urban railway is being updated.
Bicycle racks at the Jahnallee car park
In future it will also be possible to park bicycles at the Jahnallee car park.
Improved information for users via digital media
A more intensive use of digital media and increased outdoor advertising are planned in order to provide users with improved and uniform information.
Traffic concept
The traffic concept developed by the firm of SHP Ingenieure (Hannover) on behalf of the city aims at achieving the targets specified by the utilisation concept. For this purpose it suggests short, medium and long-term measures relating to the city's environmental alliance covering bus, tram, urban rail, bicycle and pedestrian traffic, vehicle traffic and the protection of local residents.
The concept is based on an analysis of six events scenarios for the Sportforum, ranging from concerts at ARENA Leipzig (up to 12,000 visitors) via Bundesliga third or second division football matches (10,000 to 20,000 spectators), large-scale events (20,000 to 35,000 visitors), Bundesliga first division football matches (30,000 to 44,500 spectators), open-air concerts and international matches (up to 50,000 spectators) right across to special events (50,000 to 80,000 visitors). As one example an analysis is currently taking place of the extent to which temporarily closing off the Jahnallee between Zschocherscher Straße and Leibnizstraße when there is a major event at the Sportforum could help the flow of local passenger transport.
Other subjects are possible changes to the traffic light system, the parking capacity in the area around the stadium, and setting up a protective zone for local residents, divided up into a top priority zone and zones for monitoring. Such protective zones for residents can be set up on a temporary basis whenever there is a large-scale event, and would prohibit vehicles other than those of local residents from entering the area. Cologne and Bremen already operate such a scheme.
Once the traffic concept is approved by the city council the step-by-step planning and implementation of the relevant measures can begin. The estimated costs currently amount to €1.16 million for the short-term measures (implementation during two to two-and-a-half years after council approval), to €4.66 million for the medium-term measures (up to 5 years after council approval) and to €2.65 million for the long-term measures.