Act on Local Mobility in Hesse: The Turbo for Bicycle Traffic

The state of Hesse is strengthening the importance and safety of bicycle and pedestrian traffic and has passed a local mobility law in the state parliament.

"Cycling and walking are integral components of daily climate-friendly mobility and will now, for the first time, be legally equated with road, bus, and rail traffic," declared Minister of Economics and Transport Tarek Al-Wazir (Green Party) on Tuesday regarding the adoption of the first Hessian Local Mobility Law.

The state is thus addressing key demands of the traffic transition initiative. Specifically, the law stipulates that in the future, at least ten percent of the road construction budget should be allocated for the construction of bicycle paths along state roads. Accident commissions, which already exist on a voluntary basis at the local level to identify and mitigate accident hotspots, will be mandated. Safety analyses are to be conducted when roads are being modified or expanded. The law is guided by the goal of having no fatalities or serious injuries in traffic ("Vision Zero"). For state road construction, the principle of "renovation before new construction" is established. The Hessian Local Mobility Working Group (AGNH), which has significantly contributed to improving bicycle and pedestrian traffic in Hesse since 2016 through consulting, networking, and information exchange, will also receive a legal foundation. It now includes all 21 counties and more than 250 cities and municipalities.

"More and more journeys in Hesse are being made on foot or by bicycle. The better and safer the conditions, the more attractive it is to leave the car behind. At the same time, the quality of life in cities and towns increases," says Al-Wazir.

He pointed to the excessively high greenhouse gas emissions of the current transportation system. The government is working consistently towards climate-friendly and efficient mobility. The local mobility law is another building block, according to the Green Minister. For years, the state has been increasing investments in local mobility. For 2023 and 2024, a total of 48 million euros are available for good and safe bicycle paths in Hessian cities and towns. Record sums of 13 million euros for 2023 and 17 million euros for 2024 are planned for the expansion of bicycle paths along state roads.