Thuringia Cycling Programme 2008

The Thuringia Cycling Programme was established by the Thuringia cabinet on 17thJune 2008, it is supposed to be a guiding principle for the local administration and should give municipalities advice how to support and strengthen cycling in Thuringia.

The Thuringia Cycling Program consists of the text part and seven Attachments.
Together with the Program there has been processed a policy for Cycling in Thuringia
(Richtlinie zur Radverkehrswegweisung für den Freistaat Thüringen - ThürRadWW-RL). The policy will be published shortly.

Contents:

  1. Aim and Structure 6
  2. The aim concerning transport policy6
  3. The structure of the Cycling Program7
  4. Realization of the Cycling Program9
  5. Cycling support10
  6. Cycling potentials in Thuringia10
  7. Action level11
  8. Federal Measures12
  9. Measures of the Thuringia State12

2.4.1. Foreword12

2.4.2.Planning and infrastructure 13

2.4.3. Combination of the means of transport14

2.4.4. Knowledge transfer and coordination17

2.4.5. Improvement of the safety of cyclists 19

2.4.6. Support opportunities for cycling23

2.4.7. Regulatory framework and jurisdiction25

2.4.8. Public relations and health care27

2.4.9. Data management and quality assurance28

2.5. Municipal measures31

2.5.1. Fields of action31

2.5.2. Cycling friendly use of traffic law33

2.5.3. Examples of solutions and activities 36

2.6. Other measures39

2.6.1.Responsible bodies according to ÖPNV (public transport law)

and transport companies39

2.6.2. Tourism organisations41

2.6.3. Employers, citizens, associations and media42

3.Cycle lane networkfor tourism44

3.1. Target group44

3.2.Network organisation and target network45

3.3. Quality standards49

3.4.Achieved level51

3.5. Coordination and priorities concerning the following realization52

3.6.Marketing54

3.7. Combination with the other means of transport54

3.8. Use of former railway lines56

4.Cycling on the national and local roads58

4.1. Initial situation58

4.2.Need for action59

4.3. Construction schedule60

5.Sign-posting in Thuringia63

5.1.Importance and function of sign-posting63

5.2. Sign-posting standards64

5.3.Competent jurisdiction for the implementation of sign-posting66

5.4. Technical implementation of sing-posting67

5.5. Sign-posting management68

5.6. Financing of the sign-posting system68

5.7. Network and target system69

6.Indexes and sources73

6.1. List of illustrations73

6.2. Index of charts73

6.3. List of abbreviations 74

6.4. Index of sources74

6.5. Index of attachments75

6.6. Imprint76

  1. Aim and structure
  2. The aim concerning transport policy

One of the important political aims of the ThuringiaState is to strengthen every day and leisure cycling in the State and to assure that cycling has the equal status comparing to other means of transport. It is due to the multiple benefits associated with cycling:

  • cost-effective and health promoting mobility for individuals
  • recovery function in leisure travel and tourism
  • environment friendly, space efficient and only small cost-causing transportation
    in the municipalities
  • economic factor in tourism
  • contribution to climate protection by avoiding the contamination effect of motorized traffic

ThuringiaState seeks to the future better and safer cycling and also to popularization of this type of movement in everyday life and tourism.

This cycling programme is designed to implement the aforementioned objectives particular in the following areas:

  • making the natural beauty and cultural potential of Thuringia easier to experience for the visitors and citizens, as well as strengthening the tourism industry in Thuringiathroughexpansion and qualitative upgrading of the local cycling network
  • a system based on a professional priorities program should make cycling on federal and state roads safer and more comfortable
  • environment friendly and more attractive cycling through better connection with public transport
  • the municipalities will be supported by the State of Thuringia while strengthening cycling and developing the potential of this mean of transport. The assistance shall include, inter alia, the transfer of knowledge, regulatory framework and financial support
  • standardized sign-posting according to federal norms should facilitate future guidance while leisure and ever-day cycling
  • the cooperation of municipalities, the State of Thuringia and the third parties for building a common database will lead to the development of cycling
  • more frequent use of modern media as internet in public relations and communication

1.2. The structure of the Cycling Program

The ThuringiaState pursues since 1991 in cooperation with municipalities a program for leisure cycling and since 1999 a program for cycling at national and local routs.

Thuringia Cycling Program 2008 has been agreed by Landesregierung (Federal State Government), it updates and expands the two aforementioned programs, merges them and implements the requirements of Landesentwicklungsplan (Local Development Plan). Moreover through its Cycling Program 2008 the State of Thuringiamakes a contribution to the implementation of the objectives of Landesverkehrsprogramm für den Freistaat Thüringen (the state transport program of Thuringia). Thuringia has also implemented the framework for the next 10 – 15 years concerning cycling routs network.

  1. Cycling support
  2. Federal Measures

One of the main federal measures to support cycling in Germany is the National Cycling Plan (Nationale Radverkehrsplan) presented by the federal government in 2002. This plan broaches the issue of the possible federal, national and municipal measures concerning everyday and leisure cycling and makes the contribution to the cycling friendly climate. The Federal Government avow itself to be a facilitator for the plan and perceives the plan as a possibility for the broad social dialogue about the strategy of implementation and the new approach to the National Cycling Plan. The general objectives of the Federal Government are:

  • The increase in cycle traffic in Germany till 2012
  • The support of cycling an integral part of the strongly integrated transport policy
  • The support of the modern, social and environmentally friendly local traffic following the concept “The city of short ways”
  • The improvement of road safety

Monitoring and evaluation is being carried out by the Federal-local-research group for Cycling with representation of the federal, of states, of organisations and experts. All of the news and contact persons are available on the website

The Federal government together with the States seek an cycling friendly amendment of the road traffic act (Straßenverkehrsordnung) and some administrative regulations associated with it.

2.4Measures of the ThuringiaState

2.4.1 Preliminary remarks

The following measures of the ThuringiaState should contribute to implementation of the objectives listed in the chapter 1.1 and also the objectives of the Gender Mainstreaming Account. These measures complement and broaden the already existing ones. A part of the measures of the ThuringiaStateconcerns the activities of Thuringia the rest of the measures concerns the actions of other players, especially municipalities.

2.4.2 Planning and infrastructure

The proper design of the infrastructure will give the possibility to reach the background for the safe and easy cycling. This idea concerns both the measures specially designed for cycling and the general measures concerning traffic, urban development and building.

2.4.3 Combination of the means of transport

Combination of the different means of transport should be first of all seen as the combination of cycling and public transport, i.e. the possibility of using the bicycle while going to the railway station, to the bus stop, to the tram station or while coming back. There should be also the possibility of taking the bicycle into the public transport means as well as borrowing or leaving the bicycle at the station (bike and ride). Every of the aforementioned aims requires special infrastructure and organizational conditions.

2.4.4 Knowledge transfer and coordination

Experience shows that the same conditions concerning land and the length of the possible cycling routs can give different conditions for cycling. This is the reason why expert knowledge is so important, as it gives the possibility of using the potential in the best way. The States of Thuringia supports knowledge transfer between the bodies responsible for cycling by:

  • Better consideration while establishing the plan for traffic development
  • Planning of the traffic network in the State
  • Planning of the traffic network by municipalities
  • Common digital database
  • Quality standards
  • Performance reviews
  • Assessment of cycling routs
  • Consistent standard of cycling routs
  • D-Netz – German cycling network

2.4.5 Improvement of the safety of cyclists

Initial position

Over the year 2006 there have been 1385 cyclist who had an accident in Thuringia. The number of the casualties has been stable since 1999, however it was relatively smaller in the previous years. It is also worth noticing that despite the increase of cycling a decline
of accidents is possible, as the example of other States shows.

Measures

Measures to improve traffic safety have to target at infrastructure, automotive engineering, as well as behaviour and risk knowledge of car drivers and cyclist. The State of Thuringia together with other partners endeavours to the considerable decrease in rout accidents. The number ofcasualties concerning cycling should decrease in the same manner as decreased the number of injured in Thuringia road traffic in general. The main objective of the whole strategy is that no longer a man is killed or seriously injured in road accidents (“vision zero”).

  • Professional planning
  • Traffic calming
  • Traffic control areas
  • Special analysis of road accidents
  • Elimination of infrastructure-related accident risks
  • Advanced training
  • Study group
  • Strengthening of knowledge and acceptance of traffic rulesby drivers
  • Increase the awareness of drivers of the vehicles in their driving lessons
  • Control of regulatory compliance by the police
  • Strengthening of knowledge and acceptance of traffic rules by cyclists
  • Improvement of the risk knowledge level while cycling
  • Mobility training
  • Police
  • Codification
  • Improved vehicle technology for cars
  • Improved vehicle technology for bicycles

2.4.6 Support opportunities for cycling

The main objective of the State of Thuringia is to assure the satisfactory funding of measures supporting cycling, also those measures taken by the municipalities and or other paries involved. All the information about the support instruments is available on the webpage

2.4.7 Regulatory framework and jurisdiction

Cycling roads run trough streets and roads of different property developers. This is the reason why while developing the cycling plan many different legal principles and acts have to taken into account. In Thuringia these are:

  • das Bundesfernstraßengesetz und die „Grundsätze für Bau und Finanzierung von Radwegen an Bundesstraßen in der Baulast des Bundes (ARS vom 02.05.1980)“ sowie die Ortsdurchfahrtenrichtlinien für die Bundesstraßen,
  • das Thüringer Straßengesetz für die Landes-, Kreis- und Gemeindestraßen sowie die sonstigen öffentlichen Straßen,
  • die Bestimmungen des Thüringer Waldgesetzes für das Radfahren im Wald (auf festen Wegen und Straßen erlaubt) sowie die Kennzeichnung von Radwegen,
  • die Bestimmungen des Thüringer Naturschutzgesetzes für das Radfahren in der freien Landschaft (auf Straßen und Wegen zulässig) sowie die Kennzeichnung von Radwegen.

2.4.8Public relations and health care

The aim of public relations is to popularize the benefits of cycling and to provide information about development of cycling. Meanwhile, the decision makers should be integrated within the information network in order to improve the knowledge about the professional development and to enable discussions about the next steps.

Because of the fact that cycling keeps people healthy, it also of great importance for health policy to support cycling development.

2.4.8 Data management and quality assurance

The best possible data management and quality service is of great importance while reaching the cycling network. These two factors are crucial creating the network but also after the new cycling roads are ready.