Cycling has positive impacts on the environment and the climate, as a flexible transport mode it can help to tackle many current and future transport problems and raise the quality of life in cities and people’s health. Therefore, the German Federal Government assigns great importance to the establishment of cycling as part of a modern transport system in urban and rural areas.
In 1998 the Federal Ministry of Transportation, Building and Urban Development (BMVBS) decided to introduce a first capacity building programme on cycling and take joint action with German federal states to start a revival of cycling in German cities: the idea of the National Cycling Plan was born. This plan, which focused on capacity building in cities (based on a prior needs assessment), turned out to be an enormous success in the years 2000 and beyond. More than a hundred projects were realised, with a spectrum ranging from feasibility studies and pilot projects to campaigns such as “Cycling to Work” and the German Cycling Prize. The newly released NCP 2020 covers the period from 2013 to 2020 and adjoins directly to the first NCP (2002-2012).
Download: German National Cycling Plan 2020 in English from the NCPs website.
In terms of content, it is rather an evolution than a simple continuation, since the promotion of cycling is focused on the new transport and societal challenges. As part of an integrated transport and mobility policy, the NCP aims to go beyond the promotion of cycling alone and also encompasses the strengthening of “eco mobility”, including local public transport and walking in addition to cycling.
As in Germany, Beijing’s authorities attach great importance to cycling and its contribution to an environmentally friendly transportation within the city. On 17th September, Beijing’s Municipal Commission of Transport announced the second phase of its walking and cycling system renovation project on. The first phase of the walking and cycling system renovation project had increased bicycle trips by 3.2%. To be completed in 2017, the renovation project shall achieve annual savings of approximately 1.36 million litres of petrol and 3672 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions.
Further information on cycling policies in Germany can be found in our factsheet on Cycling Expertise.
