It doesn’t roll, it just jerks.” With these words, the ADFC Hessen describes the speed at which cycle highways are being expanded in Hesse. The state itself commissioned a so-called corridor study five years ago and determined that there were a total of seven routes in Hesse, six of them in the Rhine-Main area, with a total length of 130 kilometers, on which more than 2,000 cyclists commute every day could be – if they became reality one day, says Helga Hofmann, deputy chairwoman of the ADFC Hessen. In a second category, a further 35 routes with a total length of 690 kilometers were identified, on which between 800 and 2,000 commuters could still travel every day.
Five years ago, a few days before the state elections, Transport Minister Tarek Al-Wazir (The Greens) broke ground in Egelsbach for the 30-kilometer-long cycle highway from Darmstadt to Frankfurt, the first in Hesse that received nationwide attention at the time. In a first step, 3.5 kilometers were built within a year. It is now 8.3 kilometers, and by the end of the year half of the route, from Darmstadt to Langen, should be passable continuously. Hofmann says that she is one of the privileged people who can already use this route. “It’s pure relaxation, floating along.”
More bike paths for commuters
But with the current expansion rate of 1.66 kilometers per year, not many could benefit from the experience. This is “embarrassingly slow,” says Hofmann. The aim of the express routes is not to create new offers for recreational cyclists, but rather to enable cycling in everyday life. “People want to cycle into the city centers – to jobs, to schools,” says Hofmann. The state government’s bicycle monitor from 2021 shows that many commuters would be willing to switch from cars to bikes if there were fast connections. And there is no shortage of “strong commuter flows” in the Rhine-Main area.
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The ADFC is therefore calling for a new start in the construction of cycle highways after the state elections. According to the cycling association, this should mean that the state will take over the planning and construction of the routes in the future. “We want Hesse and the state-owned company Hessen Mobil to take responsibility,” says ADFC state boss Ansgar Hegerfeld. In his opinion, the reason for the slow planning and implementation is the fact that the municipalities bear the construction burden. They would have to coordinate with each other about the route and involve a large number of actors.
The high need for coordination is offset by scarce resources in the municipalities, and there is a lack of staff for planning and construction, especially in smaller municipalities. For Hegerfeld, financing the projects is also problematic. Although the state supports the projects with up to 80 percent of the total expenditure, the remaining 20 percent represents a hurdle for many municipalities. Ultimately, bridges and underpasses would have to be built for cycle highways.
Association calls for “special representative for cycle highways”
“It takes clear political will,” demands Hegerfeld. He is convinced that bundling things at a central point will speed up action. In addition, the state of Hesse needs a “special construction program for cycle highways” in order to secure the projects financially and in terms of personnel. A “special representative for cycle highways” installed in the Ministry of Transport should be responsible for the program.
The ADFC calls for it to be stipulated in the special construction program that every 130 kilometers of Category I cycle highway routes would be implemented by 2030 and a further 120 kilometers of Category II by 2033. Hesse must provide 250 million euros for this over the next ten years, which corresponds to one million euros for one kilometer of cycle highway. According to Hegerfeld, this is a small investment compared to the costs of road construction projects, but “worth the money” in view of the necessary traffic turnaround.
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