Bicycle traffic: Greens and CDU criticize lackluster support from Wissing

ADFC welcomes the initiative of the Union: Light-years away from a cycling network

The General German Bicycle Club ADFC also echoes this sentiment, particularly welcoming the unexpected move by the CDU/CSU parliamentary group. ADFC Federal Managing Director Ann-Kathrin Schneider stated that the Union was right: the cycling nation that Germany aims to become by 2030 according to the National Cycling Plan "is not even a silver lining on the horizon yet." It is good that the opposition has now recognized this and is putting pressure on the traffic light coalition to push forward the implementation of the cycling plan by law and to reform the road traffic law.

"We are light-years away from the targeted comprehensive cycling networks, the expansion of cycling infrastructure is barely progressing. Cycling in Germany is still a test of courage even in Minister Wissing's second year in office. There are not even 50 kilometers of fast cycling routes available, while our estimate suggests at least 2,000 are needed. Tens of thousands of kilometers of everyday cycling paths are missing in municipalities and around 1.5 million bicycle parking spaces at train stations. Thus, the conditions for cycling remain uninviting," Schneider criticized.

In view of the massively failed climate targets and the enormous space problems in traffic, completely new goals must be enshrined in the StVG on an equal footing – namely climate protection and sustainable urban development. This is also noted in the NRVP, but the minister is not acting accordingly.

"Wissing's cycling nation mainly suffers from the reluctance to reform the outdated road traffic law to be suitable for traffic transformation," Schneider further criticized.

Even at the adoption of the National Cycling Plan in mid-2021, the ADFC had criticized that the plan lacked quantified goals for modal shift – meaning the shift from car trips to bicycles. An implementation plan with figures on the current state of cycling infrastructure and target numbers is also missing. The federal government says it wants "seamless cycling networks," but does not specify what this actually means, where how many kilometers are missing, and which expansion projects are prioritized.

"The Union rightly criticizes that the federal government's plans for promoting cycling are extremely vague. And it rightly demands a law to implement the National Cycling Plan, the further development of the road traffic law, a binding needs planning, the establishment of measurable goals for the expansion of cycling infrastructure, and a legally secured long-term financing. Mr. Wissing, the CDU/CSU parliamentary group takes the bicycle as a means of transportation seriously – when will you?" Schneider further criticized.

The bicycle club calls for the acceleration of planning for cycling infrastructure projects. Planning procedures must be shortened, and funding procedures simplified. The current StVG forces municipalities to laboriously justify the establishment of cycling paths and lanes, thereby hindering the work of the already too few planners. The road traffic law must be reformed to accelerate the construction of cycling paths. This is only possible by adding the goals of climate protection and urban development to paragraphs 1 and 6 of the road traffic law. These goals must be integrated into the law on an equal footing.

"Together with the CDU, we demand a further development of the road traffic law to promote climate-friendly cycling. Only then will we achieve speed in the expansion of cycling paths in Germany," Schneider appealed.