Bicycle climate test 2024: Munich cyclists are dissatisfied with safety!

Bicycle climate test 2024: Munich cyclists are dissatisfied with safety!

In Munich, the ADFC Bicycle Climate Test 2024 recently produced exciting results that are worrying for the city's cyclists. Eva Mahling, Bavarian state chairwoman of the ADFC, spoke of insufficient satisfaction among cyclists in the Bavarian state capital. From September to November 2024, this survey collected the opinions of 213,000 participants in Germany on the bike-friendliness of their cities and communities, and the results have now been presented. At first glance, the improvements in cycling in Bavaria since the last survey two years ago appear to be only marginal, which significantly affects cyclists' sense of safety.

According to the surveys, cyclists in Bavaria particularly rate the cycle paths that are too narrow and often parked negatively. They are of the opinion that 60 to 70 percent of drivers do not maintain the required distance when overtaking - 1.5 meters in urban areas and 2 meters in rural areas. In addition, the lack of controls for incorrectly parked cars on cycle paths and the insufficient options for taking bicycles on buses and trains were punished with a grade of 4.7. What is particularly critical is that Bavaria has received a catastrophic rating in the area of ​​taking bicycles on local public transport, which further reduces the attractiveness of cycling.

Positive aspects and suggestions for improvement

But not everything is gloomy: the townspeople appreciate the good cleaning of the cycle paths, proper winter service and the comparatively low rate of bike theft. In the ranking among cities with over 500,000 inhabitants, Munich came in fifth place with a grade of 3.89, while Erlangen received the best grade in the area with up to 200,000 inhabitants with a grade of 3.13. These results show that there is still enormous potential for improvement for Munich cyclists, as cycling traffic numbers are stagnating and there is a risk of being overtaken by other cities.

Those surveyed are calling for wider cycle paths and better integration of bicycles into local public transport. These points are long overdue, especially in a city that wants to advance mobility in the 21st century. There is also criticism of investments that often go into less important aspects of cycling friendliness, which means that central needs of cyclists are not adequately served.

ADFC bicycle climate test as an important initiative

The ADFC bicycle climate test is not only the largest survey on the satisfaction of cyclists worldwide, but also offers an important platform for feedback to transport planners and political leaders. This survey supports communities in driving structural improvements for cyclists. The test was carried out for the eleventh time in 2024 and is funded by the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport. The cyclists were able to give answers to 27 questions about safety, the inviting nature of the cycle paths and coexistence in traffic, which will be incorporated into further planning.

The results will be published in Berlin in spring 2025 and could help promote cycling in Munich and Bavaria as a whole. It remains to be hoped that those responsible will not only hear the urgent concerns of cyclists, but also implement them quickly. Cyclists will have their next opportunity to get involved in the autumn when another survey starts. Ready, set – cycle!

For further information on the survey results and transport planning in the region, those interested can view the detailed reports Evening newspaper Munich, ADFC as well as ADFC press release read up.