Bicycles & the Greening of Berlin

For the past several years motorists have been noticing, with much chagrin, the continual rise in their gas prices. Incidental road trips and unnecessary drives to see grandma are all put on hold, simply to save that little bit of fuel. There have been many attempts in major cities worldwide to initiate programs to help struggling motorists, but many center around public transport.

However, it turns out that not everyone feels like being stuffed in to a sardine-can like environment with strangers. The people of Berlin have taken to their bicycles in order to travel … well… anywhere!

In 2005 the Berlin Senate proposed a plan to shift 15% of their city traffic to cyclists. Results from a study conducted by the Berlin Development Administration have shown that the goal is well on track, with an average of 400,000 rider’s daily making up 12% of the city traffic.

And while gas prices play only a part, and a clever strategy to encourage residents to cycle to and from events for last year’s soccer World Cup, the heavy increase in cyclists is probably more attributable to a savvy investment strategy undertaken by the Berlin city to increase cycling infrastructure.

The plans have implemented better interconnectivity for cyclists on the public transport system, 3000 bicycle parking places, and just under a thousand kilometers of dedicated bicycle paths and lanes including 620km of bike tracks, 80km of bike lanes on the roads, 70km of bus lanes also open to bicyclists, 100km of combined pedestrian/bike paths and 50 Km of marked bike lanes on the sidewalks.

Want to make a difference to the environment? Want to get fit? Feel an unquenchable urge to wear a copious amount of lyrca? You know what to do. And with the Tour de France under a week away, this is the time of year to go and get yourself a bicycle and start peddling!

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/07/bike_city_berli.php
http://www.welt.de/welt_print/article954130/Immer_mehr_Berliner_satteln_aufs_Rad_um.html