Promoting Cycle Traffic

What's the problem?

Bicycle traffic leads a marginal existence – literally at the margin of busy and space-consuming motorways, crammed into the remaining area between pavements with legal minimum width and roadways for motor traffic. The result is usually a general reluctance on the part of cyclists to use these dangerous, bumpy roads, which are not designed for fast forward travel. All traffic infrastructure (e.g. traffic lights at intersections) gives priority to motor traffic. In inner-city traffic, nothing hinders cycling as much as cars and lorries which are stopping, jamming, maneuvering into parking spaces or parked in the wrong place.

What's the measure?

City Life

Mandatory parking facilities for bikes and load bikes at retail outlets, authorities, workplaces, etc. (ideally also set up as weather protection for the bikes) (Partial) Conversion of motorways into cycle and pedestrian zones .

Speed

Adapt infrastructure to the speed and driving style of cyclists (e.g. traffic light phases). Give priority to cycling in urban traffic planning. Concretely: if a new connection or a new neighbourhood is planned, the cycle connection and/or the bike-rail-bike connection must always be faster than travel by car. Expansion of cycle paths, without intersections where possible.

Security

Priority in road maintenance and winter road clearance for cycle paths over bus lanes and lanes for motor traffic. Providing safe intersections for cyclists, e.g. positioning areas at the traffic lights (4m long strip directly at the traffic light, where only cyclists are allowed to stand) or later green switching of car traffic lights (prevention of the "blind spot" for car and truck drivers) . No further permission of “hidden” cycle paths (e.g. trough parked cars between bicycle track and road) Making it more difficult to block cycle paths by parking (e.g. through thresholds) and setting higher penalties for infringements.

Comfort

• Larger non-commercial, better still: free supply of rental bikes, including load bikes and multi-person bikes (e.g. for childcare).
• Public funding for bicycle repair cafés and tool self-service station.
• For commuters: strengthening bike-rail-bike connections by building and maintaining safe and comfortable parking for bikes at all stations.

Further Ideas:

• Building solar bike paths
• Reduce inner-city motorways with 3 lanes to 2 lanes as a matter of principle and extend the cycle path broadly, ideally with structural demarcation from the other two lanes
• Provide changing and showering facilities for cyclists at the workplaces.

How can this be implemented?

A refined concept for implementation is to be found under the measure Express Roads for Bicylces