Kurpark section remains: City council narrowly decides in favor of cyclists!

Kurpark section remains: City council narrowly decides in favor of cyclists!

There is movement in cycling again in Bad Dürkheim: the city council has decided with a narrow majority of just one vote that cyclists will continue to be allowed to use a 120 meter long section through the spa gardens. This section, which lies between Schlossgartenstrasse and Salinenstrasse, has been hotly debated in recent months and caused many differences of opinion. The application to open it came from the “AG Radverkehr”, which advocates for the interests of cyclists. There is no question that the city is doing everything it can to promote cycling.

A look at the city's mobility concept shows that cycling is very important here. This concept aims to redirect people from cars to bicycles and create an effective cycle path network. The city commissioned the engineering firm R+T from Darmstadt to develop a comprehensive cycling concept, which began in 2015. The implementation of the first measures, including the opening of several streets for cyclists, began at the beginning of 2016.

Measures to promote cycling

Bad Dürkheim has done a lot to achieve the goals of the cycling concept. For example, signs with the slogan “Respect has priority” were put up in the pedestrian zones to promote coexistence between pedestrians and cyclists.

In addition, indicative signage pointing to sights and destinations within the city has been installed since 2017. Other measures also include the modernization of bicycle parking facilities and participation in city cycling, in which Bad Dürkheim became active for the first time in 2019 and mobilized all participants in the district.

A real milestone was the founding of a cycling working group on December 10, 2020. This group is made up of representatives from all political groups and is tasked with promoting cycling in the city. Since Sandra Hahn was appointed bicycle representative in April 2021, there is now a central contact person for all issues relating to cycling.

Success factors for cycling

But what are the key aspects for successful cycling promotion? According to a publication by the German Institute for Standardization (DIFU), there are some points that should not be neglected and should be taken into account. The “KoRa” project, for example, deals with the removal of obstacles in cycling planning. The processes in municipal cycling planning are different and not all recommendations can be applied across the board. Depending on the municipality, individual recommendations for action must be derived in order to improve the cycling infrastructure and find implementable solutions.

The city of Bad Dürkheim's commitment shows that it is ready to break new ground and actively address the challenges in the area of ​​cycling. It remains to be seen how the situation will develop in the coming months.

For more information you can read the articles from Rhine Palatinate, Bad Durkheim and DIFU visit.