BICYCLING BOOM IN GERMANY - A REVIVAL ENGINEERED BY PUBLIC-POLICY

Bicycling has increased dramatically in German cities over the past tw o decades, not only absolutely but even as a proportion of total trave l, Overall, the bicycle share of urban trips in western Germany rose b y 50% from 1972 to 1995, In many large cities, bicycling doubled or tr ipled, while the modal split share of auto travel fell, thus mitigatin g roadway congestion and pollution problems, The resurgence of bicycli ng as a practical mode of daily urban travel is due almost entirely to public policies that have greatly enhanced the safety, speed, and con venience of bicycling while making auto use more difficult and expensi ve, The bicycle has triumphed in Germany in spite of rapid suburbaniza tion, rising auto ownership, increasing trip lengths, and rising per c apita incomes, This article shows that, with the right set of public p olicies, bicycling can be increased almost anywhere.