Ice ballet instead of traffic transition - Please spread!

The traffic turnaround is desired, but still far away in winter: While the grit and snow removal services on larger public roads are well prepared for heavy snowfall and usually clear and grit in advance and in time to the best of their abilities, it gets really slippery for pedestrians and cyclists.

A concrete example in the city of Munich, where on the evening of January 20, 2022, a brief but intense snow shower began. Traffic slowed down drastically within a very short time (initially also on the roads). However, on bike and footpaths, which are often the responsibility of the adjacent buildings to clear, the cold white remained and was trampled and ridden in. With moderate temperatures, a smooth but brittle layer forms, causing massive slipping for both pedestrians and cyclists – even cycling professionals with spikes or coarse studded tires experience unwanted drifts here! At least small spreading tractors bring a slip-resistant grit layer to many footpaths – but bike paths mostly remain almost untouched!

Overnight, this situation then froze, with the effect that in the morning one found a veritable ice rink: cars danced ice ballet in the side streets – along with the pedestrians and cyclists on the ice rinks of the foot and bike paths. Therefore, the safest option would actually be the car or public transport, but we want to move away from the former, especially in the city center, and the latter is rather unpopular in times of extreme pandemic incidence rates. Or we obediently stay at home once more, where the ceiling is already closing in on us in times like these…

This means: The traffic transition would also have to entail a "spreading transition" – and on particularly extreme days, a pinch of salt or many small stones would have to be spread on bike and pedestrian paths as well. And alongside the large spreading vehicles on the roads, small spreaders would need to operate on footpaths and bike paths. Because under such conditions, traffic quickly regresses – from bicycles to the much safer car – which users can hardly be blamed for.

What does this mean?

The traffic transition involves many small adjustments, many of which haven't even begun to be addressed. In addition to the somewhat pointless lowered curbs in Germany, which give the bicycle's front fork a small jolt every time and wear out the material, this also includes clearing and spreading on winter days when those advocating for the traffic transition are less likely to benefit on foot or on bikes.