After the fatal rampage of a mentally ill man in Berlin, traffic around Breitscheidplatz is to be slowed down and pushed back.

Car lanes should be removed on both sides of the square with the Memorial Church to prevent a direct and straight drive towards Breitscheidplatz, said the district mayor of Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf, Kirstin Bauch (Greens), on Friday on the RBB Inforadio. There are concepts for this, some of which are known and now have to be implemented quickly.

North of the square, Budapester Strasse was to be narrowed with only one lane in each direction, said Bauch. For the southern area on Tauentzienstraße, which was now affected, there is a concept from the Senate in which the junction with Rankestraße and the median will be rebuilt.

The SPD faction in the district assembly calls for “permanent and city-friendly protection” of the square, but also of the surrounding streets. The area had to be “thought of as a whole”. Traffic calming is possible on Kurfürstendamm through “a speed reduction, structural changes and a reallocation of public space”. Motorized traffic there can be limited to BVG buses, taxis, delivery vans and rescue vehicles.

“In all developments, it is important to the SPD parliamentary group that City-West does not become a fortress, but remains an open place in the city,” said SPD parliamentary group leader Alexander Sempf at the same time.

[You can read more about the rampage and its consequences on Friday in our district newsletter from Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf by Cay Dobberke. Order here for free.]

On Wednesday, 29-year-old Gor H. drove in two groups on Ku’damm and Tauentzienstraße. The teacher of a school class from Hesse died, a teacher and seven students were hospitalized with serious injuries, and other people were injured.

Our most-read district newsletter: Every Friday, Cay Dobberke reports on everything important from Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf. Click here for a free subscription: leute.tagesspiegel.de