Construction work for safe routes to school begins: Damaschkestrasse closed!

Construction work for safe routes to school begins: Damaschkestrasse closed!

On Monday, October 6, 2025, construction work will begin in Berlin to renew the intersection area of ​​Damaschkestrasse, Joachim-Friedrich-Strasse and Kracauerplatz. This measure is intended to increase road safety, especially for students, and thus make an important contribution to improving safety on the way to school. Completion of the work is scheduled for the end of January 2026, informs the company Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf press portal.

During the construction period, Damaschkestrasse between Heilbronner Strasse and Joachim-Friedrich-Strasse will be completely closed. It is not possible to drive through the eastern intersection area, but access for emergency services is guaranteed at all times. The planned renovations include moving the sidewalks forward in the intersection area to minimize the road width and improve the visibility of pedestrian traffic. A level crossing will be created in the western area, while a central island will be set up in the eastern area to make crossing Damaschkestrasse safer.

School streets for more safety

These developments are in line with recent moves to introduce school streets, which are seen in many communities as key to safe routes to school and traffic calming. The Kidical Mass Action Alliance has created a guide that enables municipalities to take legally secure steps to set up car-free school streets. This guide, which was first presented in September 2024 and adapted to the changes in road traffic law, aims to promote a child-friendly transport system and thus get to the root of the problem.

There are currently only 73 projects in Germany, while over 1,000 school streets have already been successfully implemented across Europe. Despite these successes, some municipalities still show hesitation in implementing such projects. School streets can make a significant contribution to improving road safety, especially around schools, where a traffic calming concept is urgently needed.

Growing support and progress

The legal framework for school streets has been significantly simplified by the amendment to the Road Traffic Act (StVO). According to one Legal opinion and an updated guide, both published in 2025, communities now have the tools to effectively implement school streets. Successful examples from cities such as Cologne, Berlin and Leipzig show the potential of these initiatives.

The goal of these efforts is to think about mobility from the perspective of children and to design cities so that they are safe and welcoming for young people. Numerous measures emphasize the importance of 30 km/h zones on school routes and binding targets for municipalities and state governments in order to establish comprehensive school route networks.

In summary, the renewal of the Damaschkestrasse intersection not only represents the implementation of local infrastructure projects, but is also part of an overarching strategy to make school routes in Berlin safer - a step that is in line with the goals of national and European mobility management. Questions about the construction work can be sent directly to Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf Road and Green Space Office be directed.