The German capital's leadership has once again postponed the construction of a modern bike path network, which is why the demonstrations have escalated, with civilians even filing a lawsuit against the Berlin municipality.
NGOs are urging safe cycling conditions in Berlin, where a 26-year-old cyclist died last month after being hit by a truck at a busy intersection in the city centre.
The German capital lags far behind other major European cities in these developments, which the city administration partly blames on federal regulations. “Berlin cyclists often find themselves in life-threatening situations, and the city administration does nothing to change that, and does nothing to protect them,” said Mara Hasenjörgen, a spokeswoman for an NGO.
Civilians go to court
After many of these investments were recently suspended again, Berlin residents demanded the decision be rescinded in a demonstration, with five of them suing the Berlin city administration for not ensuring the safety of cyclists.
Euronews correspondent Kristina Jovanovski has learned from Berlin city hall that there is no way to abandon the bike lane plans, only that more time is needed to plan them. This has been justified by the fact that the motorways cover very long distances and are therefore doubtful to be safe for cyclists in any way, and on the other hand, the plans have to fit into the city budget.
In Germany, 446 cyclists lost their lives in road accidents last year.
Experts point out that the federal government decides on important issues affecting transport, which prevents local leaders from developing strategies that are appropriate to local conditions. According to Giulio Mattioli, a researcher at the University of Dortmund, this is the case even in those cities where there is a will for such things and a willingness to go ahead in this matter. According to him, it would be very important to set an example: “To show others that it can be done, and that it is not a big deal.”
For many, Paris is the role model.
Everything the mayor has done there in the past, namely at great expense. A representative of the Berlin municipality will also follow in the footsteps of the French capital in this regard.
According to Linda Verecki, it is not just about the road network, but also, for example, the suburbs could be greened, giving pedestrians and cyclists more space to move around. Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo has made a positive change in Parisian life. Berlin could also go in this direction, she added in response to a question from a Euronews reporter.
Civilians also emphasize that this will not only help cyclists, but also car drivers. Mara Hasenjörgen justifies this for two reasons. On the one hand, so that they do not have to monitor cyclists forever, and on the other hand, traffic will also decrease, because many people will definitely leave their cars and choose bicycles.
And then there was no mention of children. Civic organizations are planning several demonstrations across the country to draw attention to the large number of children riding bicycles, and to the fact that more needs to be done to protect them at the local and federal levels.
