Cycling experiences enormous upswing during the rail block

Cycling experiences enormous upswing during the rail block

cycling as an alternative to the commuter route between Stuttgart-Bad Cannstatt and Waiblingen? That sounds unusual at first, but during the eleven -week railway closures between the two cities, the Radkultur initiative advertised exactly with this - and had been successful. An evaluation of the campaign shows that significantly more people have switched to the bike during this period.

In order to capture the number of cyclists between Waiblingen and Stuttgart during the campaign period, bicycle counting stations were set up. The results speak for the effectiveness of the various measures offered as part of the campaign period: In some places, an increase of up to 160 percent was determined. In Waiblingen, cyclists were counted in two places both before the start of the campaign period and during the time. The comparison of the numbers shows a significant increase in the start of the offers.

The initiative Radkultur, which was launched by the State Ministry of Transport in cooperation with the General German Bicycle Club (ADFC) and the municipalities involved, supported the bike during the eleven weeks from mid-May to the end of July between Waiblingen, Fellbach and Bad Cannstatt. Various offers were created, including improved infrastructure, guarded bicycle parking spaces, bike checks, route recommendations and guided bike tours along the route.

Sebastian Wolf, Mayor of the city of Waiblingen, is pleased with the success of the campaign: "I am glad that a joint effort has succeeded in creating additional offers for cyclists at short notice. This has certainly contributed to improving the extremely difficult situation for commuters and motivating some to switch to bike." The temporary bike tracks along the connecting route to Stuttgart on Stuttgarter Straße should remain until the end of the year.

Several counting stations of the Radkultur initiative were also set up in Fellbach and thousands of cyclists were recorded. One of the stations counted a total of more than 30,000 trips during the campaign period. Compared to the previous year, more than one and a half times as many people were traveling by bike on July 20 of this year. The close cooperation between the municipalities and the Ministry of Transport showed what is possible if everyone pulls together, according to Gabriele Zull, Mayor of Fellbach.

In order to make the switch to the wheel more attractive in the future, the Bike and Ride concepts campaign were tested to better connect the bike by bus and train. The city of Waiblingen set up a guarded bicycle parking lot in the P+R parking garage at the train station during the campaign period, which was used by hundreds of people. The city plans to create further bike storage facilities for commuters. The city of Stuttgart has also set up additional parking spaces at Bad Cannstatt train station and at the main train station and wants to further expand the offer.

Transport Minister Winfried Hermann praises the campaign as a "prime example of cycling promotion" and emphasizes the successful cooperation of everyone involved. "The switch to the bike worked a thousand times and many noticed that cycling is a real alternative," says Hermann.

The Radkultur initiative promotes a bicycle-friendly mobility culture in Baden-Württemberg and wants to significantly increase the proportion of bicycle traffic. In cooperation with municipalities, companies and a growing partner network, the initiative makes cycling accessible and tangible in everyday life. Communication measures, events and innovative formats underline the relevance of cycling as a healthy and sustainable form of mobility.