Safe over the mountain in Offenbach?

• fromSilvia Bielert

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There is criticism and joy in the new cycle lane on Bieberer Straße.

In the direction of Bieber, between Unterer Grenzstraße and the stadium, Bieberer Straße will have a 750 meter long cycle lane. At 1.85 meters wide, it leads up to the Bieberer Berg. Motorized traffic is being taken away. Instead of two lanes, only one extra wide lane should lead in each direction. The Bieberer Straße is a heavily used main road, on which trucks and many commuters from the district drive in and out of Offenbach.

There is criticism from the Offenbach SPD, which fears “disabilities and backlogs also on the Untere Grenzstrasse”, “especially in the morning and in the evening rush hour”. Residents could be additionally burdened by even poorer air. The Social Democrats also complain about the lack of communication in advance. “With such night and fog campaigns you gamble away the acceptance for the expansion of bicycle traffic”, the SPD city councilor Holger Hinkel is quoted in a press release. “But the traffic turnaround can only succeed with this acceptance.”

Wolfgang Christian from Offenbacher ADFC, however, is happy about the new piece in the cycle path network. He did not notice any bigger backlogs than the usual ones in the whole city, says the passionate cyclist. From his own experience, however, he knows how dangerous it has been to cycle along Bieberer Straße, also because car and truck drivers have not always kept to 50 km / h. Many of his cycling friends have avoided the road so far and now have to get involved in the new situation. A cycle lane that is wider than the standard 1.50 meters could increase acceptance.

And drivers will also get used to the fact that they now have to be considerate of the new “co-users”, Christian is convinced.

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