Cycling strategy
Cycling sub-strategy of the Mobility Strategy 2030
The cycling strategy is part of the Mobility Strategy 2030 (PDF) and was adopted by the Mobility Committee of the City of Aachen on June 23, 2022. It describes fields of action, core tasks, procedures and central projects (PDF).
Introduction
The city of Aachen has been systematically promoting cycling for many years. This offers key potential for the climate-neutral urban transport that the city is striving for.
The adoption of the Aachen Cycling Decision by the city council in 2019 has made it necessary to adapt the strategy for promoting cycling. At its core, the cycling decision means making cycling in Aachen even safer and more attractive, both subjectively and objectively, by changing the way cycling is routed and implementing it more quickly. The aim is to encourage more people to switch to cycling.
In concrete terms, the main aim is to shift journeys that are currently made by car, particularly up to 5 km, but also up to 10 km, to cycling by promoting it. If the tasks set out in this strategy are fulfilled, the cycling mode share has the potential to take over a large part of the 10 percentage point increase in eco-mobility envisaged in the Mobility Strategy 2030 by 2030. If cycling were to take over half of this share, the modal split value of cycling would increase from 11 percentage points to 16 percentage points. It should be noted that the proportion of pedestrians in Aachen is already above average at 30%.
With regard to road safety, the mobility strategy has formulated the goal that the number of serious traffic injuries in Aachen should ideally be reduced by at least 40% by 2030.
These goals are to be achieved by prioritizing the following core tasks in six fields of action.
Fields of action and core tasks
Field of action 1 Design of cycling facilities
- An inviting, uniform and comfortable cycling infrastructure is being created in Aachen. To this end, principles for the management of cycling traffic are defined to achieve a high level of safety for experienced and inexperienced cyclists. The principle of "safety before performance" is the guiding principle for planning in the city of Aachen and applies to the design of traffic facilities and to the consideration of all types of traffic as a whole.
- Minimum requirements and standard designs are defined for the design of cycling facilities for the consideration of road design in individual cases.
Field of action 2 Upgrading and expanding the cycling network
- Existing cycle traffic facilities that do not correspond to the current state of the art will be adapted and existing danger spots will be eliminated. Missing safety elements for cycle traffic will be added.
- A graduated cycle network with different qualities is defined for Aachen. A development quality of 90% is targeted for the main cycle connections. The main cycle network will be expanded for complete routes, taking into account the network hierarchy level, cycling potential and design standards. The network should not only consist primarily of radial routes into the city center, but should also be closely meshed outside the city center in order to create routes that are as direct as possible for all traffic relationships.
- Necessary road construction and pavement renewal measures are used to implement measures that promote cycling. Interim solutions that can improve the quality of cycling until the final expansion of the cycling infrastructure with low-threshold measures are also taken into consideration. The mobility transition as a whole and thus also the requirements of pedestrian traffic and local public transport are taken into account.
- The expansion of the cycle network is to take place much faster and more systematically than in the past on the basis of an action plan.
Field of action 3 Usability of cycling facilities
- Cycling facilities should be accessible all year round.
- Obstruction of cycle traffic on cycle traffic facilities through non-compliant use is actively prevented and sanctioned by traffic area controls.
- Any restricted usability due to soiling (such as broken glass, leaves and windblown debris), snow or slippery conditions is restored quickly and prioritized through cleaning and winter maintenance.
Continuous inspection, maintenance and repair of the condition of the cycling infrastructure ensures safe and comfortable cycling. A refurbishment program is drawn up and implemented for cycling facilities that are fundamentally maintainable and compliant with regulations. - At roadworks, clearly marked alternative routes are offered to cyclists. Both road- and route-related guidance must be taken into account.
Field of action 4 Bicycle parking, rental and service
- The number of bicycle parking spaces is being expanded in highly frequented districts.
- The planning includes qualitatively differentiated facilities. More parking spaces will be created at hangers and in weather-protected parking facilities. In addition, bicycle parking spaces will be created in publicly accessible parking garages. Cycle stations, which offer a range of additional services in addition to parking spaces, are supported.
- For new construction projects or changes to buildings, the provision of high-quality bicycle parking spaces is taken into account.
- The city of Aachen promotes the ownership and use of cargo bikes through a subsidy program and a rental system, among other things.
- The expansion of the stationary pedelec rental system is being driven forward and integrated into mobile stations. The quality and use of the system will be systematically recorded and evaluated.
Field of action 5 Dialogue on cycling
- Inform: The public receives transparent and comprehensible information about planned and ongoing cycling measures.
- Communicate: The administration receives targeted and bundled responses, checks them and responds promptly.
- Participation: The administration involves the public in key cycling projects and organizes a dialogue between the organizations involved in cycling on strategic cycling issues.
Field of action 6 Cycling campaigns
- Create awareness
- Communicate rules
- Expand skills
- Motivate people to switch to bicycles
Funding for cycling
The "National Cycling Plan 3.0" recommends an orientation value of 30 euros per inhabitant per year as a total for expenditure by the federal government, federal states and local authorities. For the implementation of the Aachen cycling decision, a cost volume of 91,177,800 euros (including personnel costs) for an implementation period of 8 years was specified in the citizens' petition and formed the basis of the council resolution of 06.11.2019. This would correspond to annual expenditure of approx. 11,400,000 euros or 45 euros per inhabitant per year.
Expenditure on cycling by the City of Aachen - excluding personnel and administrative costs - amounted to around 850,000 euros per year or 3.4 euros per inhabitant per year in the years prior to the adoption of the cycling decision. In 2021, the value for the implementation of the Aachen cycling decision was 3.5 million euros or 14 euros per inhabitant per year. The expenditure should be used as efficiently as possible to promote cycling. The implementation status, expenditure and income from funding acquisition are reported annually as part of the activity report on the Aachen cycling decision.
Milestones for a cycling action program
To monitor the implementation of the cycling strategy and as a basis for the planning of projects and resources for a cycling action program, central projects for the cycling strategy are defined. The responsible political bodies decide on the planning of cycling projects in the City of Aachen's budget.
Download
Contact us
Search results are loaded
No employees found.