Zug/Baar, 24.01.2023

We expect it’s going to be a marathon effort

The petitioners against the Arbach barrier have now lodged their demands with the municipality of Baar. They demand either the dismantling of the barrier system and the driving ban, or at least exclusive rights for residents of Arbach and Inwil.

Three people came to the Baar municipal administration with a special request last Thursday, and handed over a petition with 380 signatures. The aim: to remove the barrier between the Arbach district and the Loreto district of Zug, which was not put into operation until 2021.

Most of the signatories came from Arbach and the neighbouring Inwil, says Jost Windlin, who initiated the collection of signatures together with Ruth Gygax and Urs Zweifel. A small number of supporters also live in the wider area, and are annoyed by the "harassment" on the Alte Baarerstrasse, as Jost Windlin calls the barrier. Because of the lack of visibility, it causes dangerous situations and there have occasionally been accidents at this point.

Access for residents only?
The petitioners demand either the removal of the barrier and the lifting of the driving ban, or at least the granting of unrestricted access rights to the residents of Arbach and Inwil. "That also works between Zug and Oberwil, and protects the neighbourhoods from slow-moving traffic when there is a traffic jam on the Artherstrasse," says Jost Windlin.

If the barrier is to remain in place, Windlin feels that residents should be given the possibility of opening it. Like the drivers of the regular buses, who are allowed to drive through. Windlin also uses a comparison in the canton of Zug: "During the partial closure of the Ägeristrasse, there was also a barrier from Neuägeri to Allenwinden that authorised residents could open and drive through".

These motorists didn’t do this by activating a transmitter or the like, however. If they had the authorisation, this happened automatically thanks to number plate recognition.

Several official agencies are involved
Last summer, Jost Windlin and two fellow campaigners sent an open letter to the various authorities involved the operation of the barrier - the municipality of Baar, the city of Zug and the cantonal building department (Baudirektion). The barrier was constructed by the canton, while Baar is responsible for its maintenance and Zug is responsible for the accompanying signs.

Residents have collected signatures to protest against the Arbach barrier and to remove it. Pictured: the initiators Jost Windlin (left) and Urs Zweifel.
If the petitioners have their way, residents of Arbach and Inwil should be able to travel through freely.    
The barrier is one of the flanking measures in connection with the Zug-Baar tangent road: the so-called Flama 4. 
Photos: Stefan Kaiser
The barrier has already been damaged several times.      
Photo: Maria Schmid

 

The barrier opponents are hoping for support from the Baar municipal council in their fight, which is why they have addressed their petition to this body. A previous committee had insisted on the construction of the facility, which was decided upon in connection with the construction of the Zug-Baar tangent road. This was out of the conviction that it would protect the Arbach district from slow-moving traffic.

The current petitioners, on the other hand, are of the opinion that the tangent road provides sufficient relief, although some people see things differently. Such as a long-established resident of Arbach, who expressed her gratitude for the traffic relief provided by the barrier. She had the impression that the opponents are in the majority, however.

In-depth evaluation of traffic data
The petitioners have been in contact with the Baar municipality since last autumn, and representatives of the authorities told Jost Windlin at that time that a measurement of the traffic flows would first have to be evaluated before any measures could be taken.

The analysis of these values is now in progress, writes the municipality of Baar in response to a question from the Zuger Zeitung newspaper. "Basic information" should be available by the end of the year, which will "help the municipal council to decide on the future use of the Arbach barrier".

When asked about the presumed chances of success of the recently submitted petition, barrier opponent Jost Windlin says: "It’s a first step. But I expect it to be a marathon effort." And he and his supporters are ready to take on the challenge.