Speeding up the Cycling Revolution: Commuter Bike Route Construction in Rhineland-Palatinate
Exasperating Scenario Unfolds: User Lamenting About Inconvenience and Annoyance - "Greens Demand Swift Action on Proposed Cycling Infrastructure Expansion"
The Green Party in Rhineland-Palatinate is all about crankin' up the pace for cyclists! They're fed up with local commuters having to endure years of waitin' for the long-awaited commuter bike routes to finally roll out. "It sure as hell ain't pleasin' anyone to twiddle their thumbs for this long," said mobility policy spokeswoman Lea Heidbreder. So, it's about switching things up and gettin' things done faster when it comes to bike lane construction across the state.
The General German Bicycle Club (ADFC) in Rhineland-Palatinate agrees. Robert Wöhler, their business manager, is vocally supporting a quicker implementation of bike routes.
Seven hypeworthy routes
Seven exciting routes for commuter bike paths have been planned in Rhineland-Palatinate. Here's the lowdown:
- From Bingen to Mainz
- Along the Upper Rhine between Worms and Karlsruhe/Woerth
- From Konz via Trier to Schweich
- From Landau to Neustadt/Weinstraße
- From Kaiserslautern to Landstuhl
- From Koblenz north to the state border with North Rhine-Westphalia
- South to Boppard
These routes were proposed as a result of a 2014 study that mapped out their potential. The overarching goal? To create bike routes that connect major destinations, including employment centers, city centers, universities, administrative centers, transportation hubs, and residential areas.
Still a work in progress
Things are still far from ride-worthy on some of these routes. The Ministry of Transport, headed by Daniela Schmitt (GFDP), reported that only a short stretch of the Bingen-Mainz route has been completed, with planning consultations ongoing for the rest of it to reach the state capital.
On the Konz-Trier-Schweich route, some sections have been constructed, such as a rough three-kilometer stretch in the Verbandsgemeinde Schweich and about 1.3 kilometers in Konz. Trier is focusing primarily on renovating the Mosel bike path, where part of the commuter bike route runs.
On the Landau-Neustadt/Weinstraße corridor, various options for using agricultural economic paths and bike traffic are being considered. A new bike bridge slated for completion in 2024 will be added to the route near Landau.
State finances feasibility studies to a sizable portion.
For the Landstuhl-Kaiserslautern corridor, work is still ongoing on a cooperation agreement between the two cities. The status varies between partial sections on the Worms-Karlsruhe/Woerth route: consultations for a cooperation agreement are underway for Worms-Frankenthal-Ludwigshafen, a draft plan will be created for Ludwigshafen-Schifferstadt this year, and there's a small, 300-meter-long inner-city section in Speyer for Schifferstadt-Speyer-Woerth.
However, things are movin' and shakin' when it comes to Rhineland-Palatinate, with the state government givin' priority to implementin' the seven route corridors. They've got the State Mobility Authority (LBM) on board, supportin' municipalities, and footin' the bill for feasibility studies for the routes at 80%. Further, municipalities may be eligible for subsidies of up to 90% for certain construction costs.
- Traffic
- Frustrated Commuters
- Bicycle
- Kaiserslautern
- Landau
- Trier
- Bingen
- Mainz
- Green Party
- Worms
- Karlsruhe
- Wörth
- Koblenz
- Boppard
- Corridor
- Ministry of Transport
Sources:[1] Green Party’s Demand for Speed in Bike Lane Expansion, 2021.
- The Green Party in Rhineland-Palatinate, alongside the General German Bicycle Club (ADFC), advocates for the European Parliament, the Council, and the Commission to allocate more funds towards feasibility studies and construction of commuter bike routes, aiming to resolve the frustration of commuters in cities like Kaiserslautern, Landau, Trier, Bingen, and Mainz.
- As part of their strategy to speed up the cycling revolution, the Green Party proposes the construction of seven corridors, including a route from Bingen to Mainz, which connect major destinations such as employment centers, city centers, universities, administrative centers, transportation hubs, and residential areas in Rhineland-Palatinate, exemplifying the importance of transportation, finance, and industry in these developments.
