Sapana Satyal '24 | German Infrastructure and the Increased Popularity of Cycling

DW

  Germany has recently begun experiencing a new shift in transportation. Germany’s trains can no longer handle the volume of current-day traffic; traffic and delayed trains are becoming increasingly common in and around metropolitan areas. Many people in Germany have been turning to cycling in order to avoid the worsening trains. However, many feel that the government is not doing enough for cyclists. The German government plans on increasing funding to address the inefficient train systems, but this plan depends on Germany’s transition to 5G broadband. In addition to this, many bridges and waterways in Germany are extremely run down, as the infrastructure continues to age. The German government has plans to address this by increasing funding and completing these renovation projects by 2029. 

Since the start of COVID-19, there has been a “bike explosion” in Germany. One of the several reasons for this bicycle boom is anxiety about using public transport due to infrastructure issues, health while in lockdown, and COVID-19 concerns. In recent months, demand for bicycles has soared, even causing there to be waitlists to get a bicycle. As bicycles are becoming increasingly popular, especially in big cities like Berlin, more people feel that there is not enough infrastructure meant for cyclists, such as bike lanes, which are gradually being added to more and more streets. While Germany’s current infrastructure is lacking, they have many improvement projects on the way.