Mon, Nov 27th 2023
The Basel electorate has spoken out against the two urban climate initiatives of the Umverkehr association. The two proposals, which aimed to convert street space into green areas and more space for non-motorized traffic as well as streetcars and buses, were surprisingly clearly rejected.
The “Good Air Initiative” was rejected by 26,797 votes to 20,316, which corresponds to a “no” majority of 56.9%. The “Future Initiative” was defeated by 27,999 votes to 18,941, which corresponds to a “no” vote of just under 60%. The turnout was 45.5 percent.
The “Good Air Initiative” called for 240,000 square meters of road space in the canton of Basel-Stadt to be converted into green areas over ten years. The “Future Initiative” wants to convert an equally large area of road space dominated by car traffic into areas for pedestrians, cyclists and public transport over the same period.
The SP, the Greens and the left-wing party Basta spoke out in favor of the two initiatives. For them, the conversion of road space is an indispensable measure to counteract global warming, which is harmful to health.
The conservative parties saw the proposals as a frontal attack on car traffic and parking spaces on the Allmend. They also warned of an avalanche of construction sites if so much road space had to be converted in ten years.
In June, the Grand Council discussed various more or less far-reaching counter-proposals. However, the Council was ultimately able to agree on one of the proposals.
Basel-Stadt was the first stop
Basel-Stadt was the first voting station for the two urban climate initiatives of the Umverkehr association. In nine other cities, from Aarau to Bern, Geneva, Winterthur and Zurich, initiatives with the same wording have been launched and in some cases already submitted. In St. Gallen, the initiatives were withdrawn in favor of a counter-proposal.
In a statement, the initiators express their disappointment at the clear result. Basel has missed the opportunity to make decisive progress in greening the city and implementing climate protection in the transport sector, they say. They will now take Building Director Esther Keller (GLP), who promised to create more green spaces on her own initiative, at her word.
Keller’s party, for its part, is pleased with the rejection. However, it now intends to reintroduce the moderate counter-proposals of the Environment, Transport and Energy Commission, which were rejected in the Grand Council, as the GLP announced after the result of the vote was announced.
©Keystone/SDA
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