Rhineland-Palatinate: Cyclists raise the alarm! Is the bicycle city in danger?

Rhineland-Palatinate: Cyclists raise the alarm! Is the bicycle city in danger?

Rhineland-Palatinate has once again suffered a severe setback in the current ADFC bicycle climate test 2024. With a disappointing school grade of 4.2, the federal state occupies second-to-last place among the regional states and only performs worse than Berlin, which also received a less than satisfactory rating of 4.6. Cyclists in Hesse and Baden-Württemberg are comparatively happier and give an average grade of 3.8 SWR reported.

As part of the survey, in which around 213,000 people nationwide took part, cyclists discussed the inadequate infrastructure in their cities. In particular, the unsafe cycle paths, poor road conditions and the still high number of illegally parked vehicles contribute to dissatisfaction. ADFC Rhineland-Palatinate now sees an urgent need for action to promote cycling in the region. Many municipalities need to redistribute their traffic space in favor of cycling and invest more in cycling infrastructure.

Urban ranking and developments

The cities in Rhineland-Palatinate perform particularly poorly. Trier, for example, received a grade of 4.43, placing it 37th out of 42 cities with more than 50,000 inhabitants. Ludwigshafen follows closely behind with 4.28. Windhagen even achieved second-to-last place in her size class with 4.91. In Pirmasens and Zweibrücken, specific problems are criticized, such as narrow cycle paths in Pirmasens and unsatisfactory traffic lights for cyclists in Zweibrücken. Kaiserslautern does only slightly better, but also receives a lot of criticism for the poor signage.

• Koblenz konnte sich von 4,7 (2020) auf 4,0 verbessern, während Mainz mit einer Note von 3,97 im bundesweiten Mittelfeld stagniert.
• Landau hingegen erfreut sich als einer der „Aufholer“ mit der Note 3,34 an einem der besten Plätze: sie belegt Platz 18 von 429 in ihrer Größenklasse.

Landau and Neustadt an der Weinstrasse have already implemented positive approaches to promoting bicycles and have received praise for them. This development could also serve as a model for other cities in Rhineland-Palatinate, where frustration over the standstill is growing and the political will to promote cycling is often perceived as insufficient.

The cyclist's perspective

Another important point: 70 percent of those surveyed feel more at risk than safe in road traffic. The results of the test show that many cyclists demand a clear separation of cycling traffic from main and country roads. Nationwide, 10 of 15 large cities with more than 500,000 inhabitants have made progress, with Frankfurt am Main serving as a role model in promoting cycling, as the city was awarded a grade of 3.49.

Overall, the ADFC bicycle climate test not only results in concrete grades, but also an urgent call for more commitment from politicians. The ADFC calls for investments, staff and clear goals to make cycling more attractive as a means of transport. It remains to be seen whether those responsible in Rhineland-Palatinate will take these challenges seriously and finally move in the right direction. Ultimately, the region's cyclists have the right to safe and sustainable cycle paths.