Elke Zimmer

Dear Ladies and Gentlemen,

Baden-Württemberg is on the way to a sustainable and liveable future. As State Secretary, I am pleased to contribute to this end.

More than eleven million people live in Baden-Württemberg. Our citizens want to be flexible and mobile regardless whether they live high up in the Swabian Jura or along the Rhine River plain. As Ministry of Transport, we promote sustainable mobility and want to make transport climate-friendly, social, affordable and economically efficient.

Sustainable mobility for citizens, nature and our climate

Baden-Württemberg is the home of ingenuity. It was here where the notorious Carl Benz invented the first automobile; and it was here where the first bicycle saw the light of day, invented by Karl Freiherr von Drais.

Cycling is sustainable, inexpensive, healthy and fun. We invest in a network of safe and fast cycle paths to convince even more people of the multiple benefits of cycling. Our goal is to become a pioneer in bicycle traffic.

Whether it is our daily commute, for shopping tours or for leisure: most journeys we undertake in everyday life are by foot. Our aim is to make sure that footpaths are safe and accessible for children, seniors and citizens with special needs.

Together for shared spaces and clean air

Mobility is more than just travelling. We want to increase the quality of life and transform public spaces into places of encounter and participation for all citizens. We support municipalities that want to transform their town centres in order to make them vivid, accessible and free from motorised traffic.

A major concern of our work relates to traffic noise. We are in close contact with local authorities to discuss options to prevent and reduce noise, and to strengthen legislation on noise protection at the federal level. I am pleased to be the state government’s point of contact for citizens, civil society and municipalities on noise abatement.

Baden-Württemberg is also a pioneer on air pollution control. Our measures to combat particulate matter have already borne fruit. We continue to ensure that the people in our cities and communities can breathe freely.

Preserving the beauty of nature

We live in one of the most beautiful natural areas in Europe. The rich ecosystems in our State offer habitats for many species such as lynx, wild cats, wild bees, hares and pool frogs. Roads and railways often cut through these natural habitats and restrict species in their mobility. This is why we want to preserve habitats through the creation of corridors and the assignment of protected areas.

I am certain that every contribution helps to bring about a turnaround in transport policies and to tackle climate change effectively. This is what I see as my mission as State Secretary.

Yours

Elke Zimmer MdL
State Secretary at the Ministry of Transport Baden-Württemberg

Contact

Office of the State Secretary
Ms Monika Tallafuss

Personal Advisor
Mr Daniel Belling, PhD

sts@vm.bwl.de, Phone: +49 711 89686 8101