Braunschweig: Cycling damage ensures scandal - city reacts now!

Braunschweig: Cycling damage ensures scandal - city reacts now!

Braunschweig, Deutschland - In Braunschweig, a bizarre incident causes a stir. Cyclists who are traveling on the route from Ölper to Hamburger Straße along the A392 are warned on an official sign of damage on the bike path. But under this note, an unauthorized additional label is emblazoned: "Thanks for the hint. Please repair." A real call to the action that does not remain unnoticed. The city administration has already reacted and explained that such signs are considered unauthorized special use. The responsible press spokeswoman Shirin Schönberg announced that such signs are immediately removed as soon as they are discovered. If the "designer" is identified, an administrative offense procedure could be initiated. Despite all of this, the city emphasizes that the damage to the bike path is known and that it can continue to be used. Hazard areas are to be eliminated prioritically, followed by a comprehensive renovation of the route within the next three years.

The background of these damage is diverse. As early as December 2024, the city created an expert opinion that analyzed the entire quality of the bicycle traffic network. In this report, the 600 kilometers of bike paths and routes of the city were examined and numerous defects were identified. The city of Braunschweig has uncovered possible weaknesses on behalf of a 'target and action catalog to cycle traffic, which was launched in 2020. Among other things, it was found that 131 kilometers of the cycle paths do not correspond to the legal requirements of the road traffic regulations, since they are often too narrow or limited by parking pods. These shortcomings, together with the lack of legal durability of many usage obligations, have called on the city and the ADFC (general German bicycle club).

A call for improvement

The ADFC Braunschweig had called on the city to defuse the designated danger spots for cyclists promptly and continuously. In the comprehensive analysis, the focus is on many points, including the marking of bicycle fords and compliance with quality standards. The fact that the publication of geodata and detailed map materials in order to make defects is still particularly worrying is still concerned. This could prevent the necessary measures from being implemented quickly and targeted.

But there are not only in Braunschweig challenges for cyclists. According to the data from the Federal Statistical Office, general traffic safety has improved, but not that for bicycle traffic. The number of injured cyclists rose to 91,281 in 2020, killed in 426. These numbers underline the need to make cycling safer and to repair or redesign uncertain sections of the route. Many cyclists feel unsafe what can also be seen in the results of the 2021 bike monitor. Here, 64 percent of the respondents made too much traffic as an uncertainty factor. It is all the more important that both city administration and politics have a good hand and that the problems mentioned finally tackle.