Lower Saxony in the bike tour test: improvements and worries of cyclists!

Lower Saxony in the bike tour test: improvements and worries of cyclists!

Aurich, Deutschland - In Lower Saxony, according to the recent results of the ADFC bicycle climate test, it is time to improve the thing about cycling. State chairwoman Rüdiger Henze calls for more investments in the cycling infrastructure and a clear recognition of the bicycle as an equivalent means of transport. The fact that there is still room for improvement is evidenced by the survey, in which around 23,000 people took part and which showed an average grade of 3.8 for cities over 50,000 inhabitants. This is a slight improvement compared to 2022 (of 3.91), but 61 percent of those surveyed comment dissatisfied with their feeling of security on the bike, which is a decline of nine percent. Here Henze sees urgent need for action.

Lower Saxony has already made progress in the opposite direction in terms of accessibility of the city center and opening of one -way streets. Nevertheless, the weak points in the wheel infrastructure cannot be ignored, especially when it comes to the width and surface of many cycle paths and the safety regulations on construction sites. A significant number of 76 percent of the participants reports that they are not taken into account when overtaking. This shortcoming is a real problem for many cyclists.

cities in focus

The results of the municipalities in different size classes are particularly outstanding. At the top of the evaluation:

• Nordhorn (grade 2.83)
• Wietmarschen (2.95)
• Meppen (3.45)
• Hannover (3.52)
• Oldenburg (3.58)
• Braunschweig (3.71)

Some cities have also made significant progress, such as Bassum, Neustadt am Rübenberge and Celle, which are on the list of greatest improvements. These successes should serve as an incentive to continue to optimize the wheel infrastructure.

guidelines for security and comfort

In order to standardize and develop the cycling infrastructure across Germany, the ADFC has formulated 15 guidelines. These aim to make cycle paths more accessible and safer, and emphasize the need for a continuous bicycle traffic network. It is also recommended to provide a budget of at least 30 euros per inhabitant annually in order to create attractive bicycle traffic conditions. The bicycle monitor illustrates that almost half of the Germans have a feeling of uncertainty while cycling. By improving the framework conditions for cyclists, we can move more people to use the bike as a means of transportation.

The current rankings and test results show that traffic safety for cyclists in particular is the greatest challenge. More than two thirds of the cyclists feel unsafe what is alarming in view of the narrow bike paths and inadequate distance regulations when overtaking. Here cities and municipalities have to take measures immediately to make cycling safer and more pleasant.

Overall, the ADFC bicycle climate test shows that there is still a lot to do in Lower Saxony and nationwide. Investments in the cycling infrastructure are essential to sustainably improve the bicycle climate and increase the acceptance of the bike in traffic. It remains to be seen whether the municipalities have the courage to contribute their part. But one thing is clear: there is still a lot of work ahead of us!