In Berlin's Kantstraße, a heated dispute over a pop-up bike lane has escalated, threatening the homes of hundreds of residents.

Established in 2020, the bike lane has been criticized for obstructing emergency services, particularly the fire department, from safely deploying their equipment.

The local district of Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf, led by Councillor Christoph Brzezinski, plans to issue notices from November 1st, declaring upper-floor apartments uninhabitable unless a solution is found.

The controversy stems from the bike lane's interference with fire safety regulations, as it prevents the safe positioning of fire ladders due to a parking strip between the bike lane and the road.

While previous plans to convert the parking strip into a bus lane were abandoned, Brzezinski suggests swapping the bike lane with the parking strip to ensure emergency access.

A legal process is set to begin, with hopes for a resolution that avoids displacing residents.