The Mayor of Ludwigshafen, Jutta Steinruck, views traffic congestion as a positive indicator of a thriving economic hub. In an interview with the Mannheimer Morgen, she expressed concerns about a potential future without traffic jams in the area. “If one day there are no more traffic jams near the BASF or towards Mannheim, I would worry about the lack of people commuting to work, the absence of delivery traffic, and the closure of businesses” she said.
Steinruck believes that traffic congestion is a sign of economic success, stating, “There is no economically flourishing city in the world without traffic jams.” In light of the deteriorating condition of the Rhine bridges between Mannheim and Ludwigshafen, the mayor called for a shift in people’s mobility habits. She suggested that car-sharing, local public transportation, or cycling could be viable alternatives to avoid peak-hour congestion.