Express Roads for Bicylces
What's the problem?
People travel at different speeds with their bikes, which leads to an increased risk of accidents. This is especially true for bike routes that are particularly heavily used.
What's the measure?
With extra wide lanes, particularly heavily frequented cycle routes are able to accommodate more road users and allow different travel speeds without accidents.
How can this be implemented?
Municipalities must decide to identify such routes and finance their expansion. Grants from the federal government are certainly possible for this. A very simple and cost-effective immediate measure is to dedicate the right half of each lane of all inner-city and extra-urban multi-lane motorways (including highways?) completely to bicycles, scooters, skaters etc. To protect the cyclists/scooters/skaters, a physicl separation must be provided, e.g. as in Amsterdam by low concrete sleepers, which can only be crossed very slowly by motor vehicles (e.g. rescue vehicles)
How does this counteract climate change (or how does it create economic conditions that support effective climate protection measures)?
By significantly reducing the time needed to travel by bike, people are motivated to get out of car traffic. This results in a reduction in CO2 emissions.
How quickly can the measure be implemented?
That will certainly vary from region to region and from place to place. As soon as a local authority has made the decision to build or extend a route, the time required to implement the measure is manageable. Certainly, the time needed to implement the measure depends on the extent of the necessary construction measures.
How can this be implemented?
A first step towards implementation is the introduction of ticket-free use of public transport for all creatures, bicycles and objects. A nationwide levy, yet to be defined, will be introduced to finance this (see Bahncard 365). This requires the intensive expansion of rail and bus routes. This includes, among other things, the provision of electric caddies with drivers for people with limited mobility, either on call or by appointment. In addition, bicycle and pedestrian paths must be extended significantly and weather-protected, safe parking facilities must be provided. In addition, the uncomplicated lending of (cargo) bicycles and e-bikes is to be made possible throughout the area. For commuters from rural areas, parking spaces are provided outside the city area with connections to public transport (Park and Ride).
Problematic Aspects of the measure
Individual transport based on fossil combustion engines is shifting to the surrounding area, creating new problem areas in terms of air quality. This phenomenon can only be prevented in the long term by a ban on the production of fossil combustion engines and the successive reduction in the use of such vehicles.
