Sunday, February 02, 2014

Cycleways are too expensive in Baden Württemberg

Baden Württemberg is the big square German province in the SW of the country. It was ruled by the conservative CDU since 1960 and so it was a major surprise when the Green Party and the SPD obtained enough seats to oust the CDU two years ago. The election results were good news for cyclists in the SW of Germany. The new government promised better public transport and more cycleways. The government is attempting to set up a cycling strategy to encourage cycling in the province. At present the government is asking cyclists what they think - in online surveys, in interviews at exhibitions, in workshops - and how matters could be improved.
One result that has already been announced is that it is unlikely that new cycleways will be built. Instead urban roads, restricted to 50km/h  will be narrowed by the addition of a painted strip along the edge of the road. It is claimed by a group of cyclist friendly communities in the province that the narrower roads lead to slower speeds and motorists take more care in overtaking.

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