Car-Free Berlin Initiative Plans New Referendum After First Signature Drive Falls Short

The 'Berlin autofrei' initiative has announced plans for a new Volksbegehren (people's petition) after its first attempt failed in 2026. In the signature drive that ran from 9 January to 8 May 2026, the group submitted around 145,667 signatures, but only 69,108 were validated; 173,961 valid signatures were required. The original proposal aimed to cut private car traffic within the S-Bahn ring by 80% over a four-year transition period. Under the draft law, private drivers would have needed a permit to use a car — issued initially for up to twelve days per year, and later reduced to just six days annually — with fines of up to €100,000 for those caught without one.

The initiative partly blamed the collection period for the shortfall, noting it had not chosen to gather signatures in winter and that ice, snow and sub-zero temperatures made street-level campaigning very difficult. The group now says it will revise its draft law, evaluate criticism and seek new alliances, including on questions of practical implementation, exemptions and transition arrangements. Together with other groups, it has also written an open letter urging the newly elected Berlin parliament to allow digital signatures for future referendums alongside the existing paper process.

A red-green-red coalition is forming in Berlin, which may offer a more favourable political environment for the initiative. Even so, the Greens had expressed scepticism about the original plan, and the group acknowledges it must engage more people and take existing reservations more seriously if a revised proposal is to win broader support.