Belziger Straße becomes a bicycle road: cyclists in focus!

Belziger Straße becomes a bicycle road: cyclists in focus!

District policy in Berlin takes a step towards environmentally friendly mobility: Belziger Straße is converted into a bicycle road, a step that grants cycling priority. This was decided in two decisions of the district council. According to [berlin.de] (https://www.berlin.de/ba-tempelhof-schoeneberg/aktuelles/pressemageeilungen/2025/Pressemage department 1579555.php), the measures are designed to significantly improve the safety and visibility for cyclists. Motor vehicles are still approved as residents, but must be taken into account for cyclists.

The planned redesign comprises several essential points. Regular pictograms are planned on the road, which are intended to mark the road alley and nodes in striking green and red markings. The marking of the dooring area is particularly important to minimize the risk of accidents when opening car doors. In addition, the parking arrangement is changed: transverse parking is converted into longitudinal parks in order to further increase security.

implementation and goals of the cycling initiative

traffic experts estimate that up to 30 % of car journeys in urban areas could be shifted to bicycle traffic, which illustrates the need for such measures. As the Federal Environment Agency emphasizes, an improvement in bicycle traffic is not only a step to relieve the environment, but also to increase quality of life in cities. Cycling operators could be overtaken with a safety distance of at least 1.50 meters, which guarantees additional security.

A look at other cities shows how unused the potential of cycling is often. In cities such as Copenhagen and Amsterdam, cyclists have a higher proportion of traffic than motorized vehicles. The bicycle traffic in Germany can be promoted by a positive cycling infrastructure and a cheap image, which makes the switch from the car more attractive.

marking work in Ostholstein

parallel to the Berlin initiative, the improvement of the bicycle roads is also being worked on in Timmendorfer Strand. Large pictograms with the dimensions 2 × 3 meters are applied in the beach road in Niendorf/Baltic Sea in order to clearly mark the cyclists. Around 20 such pictograms are to be installed in the region, which requires an investment of around 80,000 euros. These measures aim to increase traffic safety for cyclists and should be completed by the end of October, as [ostholstein-zliefert.de] (https://www.ostholstein-zelert.de/lokalreader/Bahrradstrasse-jetz-jetzen-grossen-piktograms-auf-die strip) reports.

The new rules and the markings aim to improve traffic and to promote the integration of bicycles into the existing transport system. This means that cyclists can ride side by side in a bicycle road and are preferred for the speed limits. Especially in urban areas, this could lead to a significant reduction in motorized traffic.