First of all, the good news: 587 Offenbach cyclists took part in the most recent ADFC bicycle climate test. Two years earlier it was just 224. Perhaps it is due to the fact that, as a result of the corona pandemic, many have (re) discovered the bicycle as a means of transport. From the point of view of those responsible, the result is of course not very flattering.
Offenbach – For 2020 it gave a 3.6 – the same school grade as in 2018. The local Bike Offenbach project with its various bicycle roads and axes does not seem to have found a positive response, at least in the climate test …
Offenbach remains in sixth place in cities with between 100,000 and 200,000 inhabitants. For a classification, it is important how many cities of the corresponding size took part at all – 41. From Göttingen (1st place, overall rating 3.27) to Salzgitter (22nd place, 4.12) to Hagen (41st place, 4.86) . It is also worth taking a look at the number of respondents. In Offenbach, the “climate testers” conducted 587 interviews as the basis for their analysis. In Göttingen there are 708, in Salzgitter 114, in Hagen 363. According to Xavier Marc, deputy chairman of the ADFC Hessen, the local doubling of the number of interviewees is trendy: “The participation record shows how important cycling has become for mobility. Improving the conditions for cycling is one of the major political tasks today. “
The ADFC identified Offenbach’s strengths in a comparison of cities: bicycle funding in recent times, accessibility of the city center, advertising for cycling. Weaknesses: bicycle theft, conflicts with motor vehicles, illegal parking controls on cycle paths. Now the positive points can be rated as “soft factors”, what the “climate testers” have identified as negative seems more decisive to the everyday cyclist.
The topic of safety was also asked about at the 2020 Bicycle Climate Test in Hessen: At the start of the Bicycle Roads 2018 project, a small amount of euphoria was discernible. The arrows are now pointing downwards again.
© table: ADFC
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It is worth looking at a few detailed questions. For example: We accept cyclists as road users. In school grades, 17% give a 4, 27% a 5 and 15% a 6 – on average it is a 4.0. This would have to be repeated at the educational institution … In view of the continuous expansion of bicycle roads (Senefelder-Quartier, Nordend, Bürgel), one should assume that “you can cycle quickly and safely on the road with the cars”. Are you kidding me? Are you serious when you say that! The (always subjective) feeling says something different: 17% of the respondents rate this with a 4, 28% with a 5 and 29% with a 6, i.e. insufficient. On the scale, this grade is also defined as: “… one is pressed and hindered on the road”.
The verdict on the following point is even more catastrophic: With us, the city or municipality strictly monitors that cars are not parked on bike paths. 14% vote with a 4, 26% with a 5 and 39% with a 6. This gives an average grade of 4.9. And a clear thumbs down for municipal traffic control. A recent letter from reader Michael Kreienberg fits into the picture.
He has indicated to the city “that illegal long-term parking in the no-stopping zone on the cycle lane along the new Goethequartier building is an unacceptable, lawless condition that leads to unnecessary traffic hazards every day. On weekdays the cycle lane is parked by the craftsmen’s commercial vehicles, at night and on weekends the cycle lane is misused for resident parking ”.
He asks the city police again to take action – the current situation is unacceptable. “Because it is actually the case that drivers parked in the no-stopping zone defend their actions with great self-confidence and mistakenly assume that it is a parking lane on which one can park one’s vehicle for days,” he writes. The brief answer from the administration: “The city police will certainly act according to their time possibilities.”
It is one of the points that prompts the local ADFC to demand: “Offenbach must not let up on the promotion of bicycles, but start other projects.” To be a bicycle-friendly city, a lot of the mentality has to change. “Cycle traffic must be taken into account in the administration and interests must be seen as equal to other road users”, it says in a press release. Political will is very important here.
The ADFC is hoping that Offenbach will have “the courage and desire” to redesign the city to be more cycling-friendly over the next five years. The traffic police could ensure a better coexistence on the streets. “The bicycle relay from Frankfurt is a good role model here.”)By Martin Kuhn)
Information on the Internet: fahrradklima-test.adfc.de
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