Haaren-Verlautenheide priority cycle route

As of September 2026

Overview

The Haaren-Verlautenheide priority cycle route connects the Grabenring at the bus station with Haaren for approx. 6 km along the Wurm on mostly existing roads and paths and further along the Haarbach stream and the L222 with Verlautenheide. A direct connection to the Aachen-Jülich railroad cycle path (BTRW) via Wurmbenden is also planned.

Current

• A grant application to implement numerous improvements for pedestrians and cyclists along this route was submitted in early 2025. The funding agency’s review is not yet complete. The grant approval notice has therefore not yet been issued. Following that, the decision on the detailed implementation plans for all sections would be scheduled for 2027. The measures could then be implemented starting in 2027.

Map

The RVR runs from Grabenring via Haaren to Verlautenheide. The RVR already runs via the signposted cycle network. A direct new connection to the Aachen-Jülich railroad line is also planned. Essential future design elements for the comfortable expansion are:

• approx. 2.5 km creation of new cycle lanes in accordance with the Aachen cycle lane standard
• approx. 2.8 km extension, asphalting and widening of existing shared, independently managed footpaths and cycle paths
• approx. 0.4 New construction of shared, independently managed footpaths and cycle paths
• approx. 0.6 km creation of cycle lanes
• Optimization of junctions to give priority to and speed up cycling.

In addition, the requirements of pedestrians are given special consideration in the course of the premium footpath 2 along the cycle priority route. The aim is to shift everyday journeys from car traffic to cycling and walking and thus also to reduce pollutants.

Profile

The RVR can be divided topographically as follows:

• relatively flat between the Grabenring and the A544 highway bridge near Haaren
• a gradient section with a height difference of approx. 65 m over a length of approx. 1,600 m between the highway bridge and Verlautenheide.

Route from Grabenring in the direction of Haaren/Verlautenheide

From the Grabenring to the Alleenring

The RVR Haaren starts at the future cycle distribution ring, the Grabenring, directly at the centrally located Aachen bus station via Blondelstraße to Willy-Brand-Platz. Here, public transport traffic, heavy pedestrian traffic and car traffic to the nearby parking garage must be taken into account in the planning. The project continues along Promenadenstraße to Alleenring, which is planned as a cycle lane in the future. The crossing situation on Heinrichsallee, with the separate bus lane within Platanenallee, is currently a bottleneck.

Alleenring to Europaplatz

The RVR continues along Maxstraße. This is followed by Rehmplatz, whose lanes are paved with cobblestones. Cycle traffic routing still needs to be planned here. From here to Europaplatz, the parallel routing of the premium footpath will be taken into account in the planning. A particular bottleneck here is the following section of Sigmundstraße, where there is currently only one narrow lane between the parked cars and narrow sidewalks. The distributed junction between Sigmundstraße and Hein-Janssen-Straße must be planned with a view to a safe and efficient design. The further course of Sigmundstraße leads to Blücherplatz. The bidirectional cycle path at Blücherplatz is to be retained up to the traffic lights. The traffic lights are to be equipped with new, separate request buttons for cyclists in advance. Europlatz will probably be connected via Dennewardstraße. The residential streets in this section are to be uniformly designed as cycle lanes.

Europaplatz to Berliner Ring

In this section, the RVR runs parallel to the Wurm. The first task here is to create a safe traffic connection from Europaplatz. In the first section up to Talbotstraße, the Wurmweg is asphalted. After that, there is only a water-bound surface. The Wurmweg makes a larger loop towards the old Berliner Ring. Perhaps there is a direct ramp solution here in the area of the rainwater retention basin. Pedestrian traffic must be taken into account along the entire section.

In Haaren Park

In Haarener Park on Neuköllner Straße, the route of the future RVR initially runs on a steeper ramp under the Berliner Ring. It then runs first over a water-bound surface and then in an area with coarse cobblestones and a short, steep ascent to Neuköllner Straße. The aim here is to create a comfortable route that takes pedestrian traffic into account. From Neuköllner Straße, the route then leads to Haaren residential areas via an unrestricted level crossing equipped with narrow push barriers. The aim is to convert the unrestricted level crossing into a barrier-free level crossing in accordance with current regulations.

In Haaren

In Haaren, the RVR is to run along Hofenburger Straße, Auf der Hüls, Akazienstraße and Haarbachtalstraße as a cycle route in future. Here, the interests and concerns of stationary traffic, future premium footpaths including new tree fields, local bus routes and the RVR must be weighed up and taken into account accordingly.

From Haaren to Verlautenheide

From Haaren to Verlautenheide, the route will first run along the Haarbachtalstraße along the Haarbach to the highway bridge and then parallel to the A544 highway to the Haarener Gracht, the L222. Except for small areas, the paths are asphalted. The paths are to be widened and asphalted.

On the following section of the L222, which is the responsibility of Straßen.NRW, the shared footpath/cycle path is to be used unchanged as far as Verlautenheide.

The end of the RVR is the final road in Verlautenheide. There is currently no adequate cycle path or cycle lane here. By moving the parking spaces, cycle lanes can probably be created on the carriageway here.

Connection to the Aachen-Jülich railroad cycle path

A direct connection to the railroad line from Aachen to Jülich must be established, starting in Haarener Park. To this end, the path along the Wurm should be extended to Jülicher Straße. Behind this, a safe crossing over Jülicher Straße is to be provided. This path should also run via Wurmbenden and a new cycle path should be created from the turning area in Wurmbenden along the Wurm to the railroad cycle path at the Wurmbrücke bridge.

Planning status

• Early public information sessions were held (07.02.2023 in Haaren in the Haarbachtalhalle, 13.02.2023 in Aachen-Mitte in the depot).
• Necessary surveying work was carried out.
• The landscape conservation plan, including the preliminary species conservation assessment, is currently being prepared.
• The preliminary planning has been completed.
• In December 2023, the Mobility Committee passed the planning resolution for the entire route of the RVR and commissioned the administration to prepare the draft planning for submission to the funding body.
• The design planning was completed in Nov. 2024 and submitted to the funding body for review.
• Sept. 26: Approval of the grant application is still pending

Political consulting

The following resolutions, among others, have been passed on the project:

05.09.2018: The Haaren district council instructs the administration to start planning the Haaren-Verlautenheide priority cycle route.

13.09.2018: The Mobility Committee approves the concept for the design of cycle lanes in Aachen.

12.09.2019: The Mobility Committee acknowledges and approves the concept of the cycle priority network. It instructs the administration to take the course of the priority cycle routes as presented as a basis for the further planning steps.

31.10.2019: The Mobility Committee adopts the resolution on the design standards to clarify the course of priority cycle routes.

14.04.2021: The Haaren district council is informed about the status of planning for the Haaren-Verlautenheide priority cycle route.

31.05.2022: The Nature Conservation Advisory Board takes note of the administration's comments on the status of the cycle priority route (RVR) between Aachen city center and Haaren/Verlautenheide.

14.06.2022: The Committee for the Environment and Climate Protection takes note of the administration's comments on the status of the cycle priority route (RVR) between Aachen city center and Haaren/Verlautenheide

07.12.2022: The Aachen-Haaren district council recommends to the Mobility Committee that the administration be commissioned with further planning as part of the funded RVR Haaren project in accordance with the project schedule concept, including the implementation of early public participation as part of the preliminary planning.

11.01.2023: The Aachen-Mitte district council recommends to the Mobility Committee that the administration be commissioned with further planning as part of the funded RVR Haaren project in accordance with the project schedule concept, including the implementation of early public participation as part of the preliminary planning.

12.01.2023: The Mobility Committee commissions the administration with the further planning of the funded RVR Haaren project in accordance with the project process concept, including the implementation of early public participation as part of the preliminary planning.

24.10.2023: The Committee for Climate and Environment takes note of the administration's report and approves the
proposed planning for the RVR Haaren. It recommends that the Mobility Committee adopt the
planning decision in accordance with the variant presented in Annex 2.

15.11.2023: The Aachen-Mitte district council takes note of the administration's report and approves the
proposed planning for the RVR Haaren for the sections in Aachen-Mitte. It recommends that the
mobility committee adopt the planning resolution for the
sections for which the Aachen-Mitte district council is responsible in accordance with the variant presented in Annex 2.

22.11.2023: The Aachen-Haaren district council takes note of the administration's report and approves the
proposed planning for the RVR Haaren for the sections in Haaren. It recommends that the
mobility committee adopt the planning decision for the
sections for which the Aachen-Haaren district council is responsible in accordance with the variant presented in Annex 2.

23.11.2023: The Mobility Committee takes note of the administration's report. It approves the planning proposed at
for the RVR Haaren, adopts the planning decision in accordance with the variant presented in Annex 2
and instructs the administration to make the necessary additions to the
draft planning for submission to the funding body.

27.11.2024: The Aachen-Haaren district council takes note of the administration's status report.

11.12.2024: The Aachen-Mitte district council takes note of the administration's status report.

12.12.2024: The Mobility Committee takes note of the administration's status report.

Council info