Bike Boom in Berlin

Consistent with a bicycle-friendly culture in Germany, Berlin accommodates approximately 400,000 bicycle riders every day. Bicyclists currently make up 12 percent of the city’s total traffic (40% by transit) and ride throughout Berlin’s 385-miles of bike paths to work, school, home and for other transportation needs. Cyclists have access to 43.5 miles of bus lanes, 62.1 miles of combined pedestrian/bike paths, and 31.1 miles of bike lanes on the sidewalks. Bicycles are interwoven into Berlin’s regional transportation network and it is evident in the more than 3,000 bike parking spaces at various train stations and easy connections between transit stations and bike paths. Twelve main bicycle routes extend from the city center into the suburbs and form a star-shaped network linked with eight circular routes.

In 2000, the Berlin Senate made a commitment to increase bicycle use and work to ensure that it would make up 15 percent of the city’s total traffic by 2010. Coupled with a major international sporting event (2006 World Cup) and overall goals to reduce congestion, improve the environment and the health of residents, bicycles are becoming fully integrated into the city’s comprehensive transportation system. Since 2000, Berlin’s Senate has allocated about $11.5 million into its bicycle infrastructure. Not only has this investment improved mobility and congestion in the region but the bicycle tourism industry has greatly increased since these capital improvements were made.

The City of Chicago has invested more than $45 million dollars into creating bike lanes, racks, and stations. Some CTA stations have bike accessible facilities and many Metra stations have incorporated bike racks in several bike-friendly communities. However, the Chicagoland region still has a long way to go to create an integrated bike network like that of many European cities. We can learn from Berlin’s commitment to better bicycle infrastructure and help promote alternative modes of transportation.

Bicyclists in Berlin
Photo Courtesy of Emily Tapia

For Additional Information:

Bicycle Transportation Strategy: Goals, Foundations and Guidelines – Senate Department for Urban Development Berlin
Revolution on Two Wheels – Deutschland Magazine

NEWS

Local News

Council of Mayors wondering where 'mini-capital' money is going – Daily Herald “Local transportation officials in Kane County are still trying to figure out exactly which projects will be funded by the ‘mini-capital’ bill approved in April by state lawmakers.”

State report: Bridge inspections are behind – Pantagraph “A year after a bridge collapse in Minnesota claimed 13 lives, Illinois Auditor General William Holland found a total of 307 bridges that were delinquent in receiving an inspection based on federal guidelines.”

High-speed rail: Biden praises Midwest plan to enhance passenger train system – Chicago Tribune “Obama administration officials offered encouraging signs Wednesday that a proposed Midwest high-speed rail network based around a Chicago hub has an inside track on a significant piece of $8 billion to be distributed among 10 major U.S. projects.”

IG report: city parking meter lease left money on table and was rushed through without enough scrutiny – Chicago Tribune “City Hall’s inspector general today blasted the Daley administration’s parking meter lease as ‘a dubious financial deal for the city’ that was rushed through with ‘no meaningful public review.’”

RTA still isn't using reform power it was granted – Chicago Tribune “The fact is, neither the RTA nor the three transit agencies have agreed on a new method for evaluating projects vying for capital funding.”

Officials: High-speed rail to be fast enough – Chicago Tribune “Faster passenger trains planned for the Midwest will not meet the top speed classification under new guidelines being devised to divvy up $8 billion in U.S. grants to upgrade tracks and buy new locomotives and coaches, federal officials said today.”

No one available to round up bikes at Chicago events – Chicago Tribune “Bike valet services, provided for free since 2003 by the city for Grant Park events such as the Blues Festival, Taste of Chicago and the Chicago Outdoor Film Festival will be abandoned unless a last-minute sponsor is found, city officials said.”

Cell-phone transit: RTA looks into potential of riders using cell phones instead of tickets or transit cards – Chicago Tribune “With a wave of their phone over a sensor, riders could board buses or trains as quick as a beep while the fare is automatically deducted from their online account.”

World News

U.S. Highway Fund Low on Cash Again – Wall Street Journal “The Obama administration said as much as $17 billion in additional federal money is needed to maintain roads and bridges over the next two years, underscoring the challenges policy makers face as driving habits change.”

Spain’s High-Speed Rail Offers Guideposts for U.S. – New York Times “Supporters say the AVE has begun to transform the country, binding remote and sometimes restive regions to Madrid and leading traditionally homebound Spaniards to move around for work or leisure.”

Industry Fears Americans May Quit New Car Habit – New York Times “Now the market has collapsed by 46 percent to below 10 million, as people are making do with the cars they have, leaving the industry to debate — and worry — about what the new normal will be once the recession ends.”

Europe Listens for U.S. Train Whistle – Wall Street Journal “Europe's engineering and rail companies are lining up for some potentially lucrative U.S. contracts for high-speed rail projects.”

European Train Travel: Working on the Railroad – Time “A looming round of deregulation is set to spark an industry restructuring, pitting existing state-owned railroads against smaller private upstarts.”

More U.S. airports add rail service to downtown – USAToday “A growing number of domestic airports are building or have plans for a rail link that will connect passengers from the terminals to regional metro-rail systems.”

Transit Authority Feeling the Pain From a Crippled Advertising Market – New York Times “Now another recipient of ad dollars is being hurt by the market slump at a time it can little afford it: mass transit.”

Resources

Transportation: Are We There Yet? Intercity Passenger Rail – AASHTO

Annual Report on Funding Recommendations: Fiscal Year 2010:New Starts, Small Starts, and Paul S. Sarbanes Transit in Parks Program – FTA

Report of the Inspector General’s Findings and Recommendations: An Analysis of the City’s Parking Meters – City of Chicago Office of the Inspector General

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Contact Information

For comments, suggestions or submissions, please contact Emily Tapia Lopez, Associate, at etapia@metroplanning.org or 312-863-6047.