Bonn in 5th place: Bicycle-friendliness thanks to a strong mobility transition!

Bonn in 5th place: Bicycle-friendliness thanks to a strong mobility transition!

Bonn's cyclists can breathe a sigh of relief: in the ADFC's current bicycle climate test, the city made it to fifth place among large cities with 200,000 to 500,000 inhabitants. This was announced by the city administration on Tuesday. Mayor Katja Dörner (Greens) described the result as a significant success for the mobility transition in Bonn. The share of cycling in total traffic volume has now risen to an impressive 21 percent, an increase from 15 percent in 2017. Bonn is apparently moving forward rapidly, as Bonn.de reports.

With an overall score of 3.6, Bonn has gained 0.2 points in the bike-friendliness rating and has climbed nine places compared to previous years. In North Rhine-Westphalia, the city takes second place, only behind Münster. Mayor Dörner emphasizes the positive effects these developments have on the attractiveness of cycling in the city. And the commitment to even better cycling infrastructure does not stop there: by 2025, the city aims to cover 75 percent of its journeys in an environmentally friendly and space-saving manner.

Expansion of cycling infrastructure

In recent years, Bonn has already implemented numerous measures to improve the cycling infrastructure. These include, among other things, closing gaps in the cycle path network, creating new cycle routes such as the Ennertbad route, and installing cycle racks across the board. In addition, the east-west axis will be upgraded with a new cycle path. The winter service for the cycle paths will also be optimized and Friedrich-Breuer-Straße will be traffic-calmed. A uniform bicycle rental system, which was established in cooperation with the Rhein-Sieg district, is intended to further stimulate cycling, as Tixio adds.

The city's goal is clear: beyond the developments, 75 percent of the routes in the future should be covered in an environmentally friendly and space-saving manner. In order to further advance this project, the Jobwärt program was further developed into “moveBonn”.

The bicycle climate test 2024

The ADFC bicycle climate test is not only important for Bonn. From September to November 2024, cyclists nationwide were able to use a questionnaire to assess how bike-friendly their cities are. The results of this test, which evaluates the satisfaction of cyclists in Germany, will be published in spring 2025. It provides real-life feedback that is essential for traffic planners and those responsible for politics. The test is also one of the largest cycling climate surveys in the world and is funded by the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport, as fahrradklima-test.adfc.de shows.

In summary, one can say: Bonn has shown the right instinct with its recent developments in cycling. Still, Dörner emphasizes the need to celebrate the progress while also recognizing that there is still a lot of work ahead for the city. Together with committed cyclists, Bonn will continue to work towards better coexistence on the roads.