Autobahn for bikes

[Plazma Inferno!]

Germany already has the superhighway for cars: the Autobahn. Now, the country is developing a 60-mile highway just for cyclists, informally dubbed the "Bicycle Autobahn".
The highway is currently under construction, with 5 kilometers freshly opened for public usage. Ultimately, it’ll connect 10 Western cities including Duisburg, Bochum and Hamm, as well as four universities.
Also, its goal is to reduce cars on roads by up to 50,000 vehicles per day.
http://weburbanist.com/2016/01/06/bike-autobahn-germanys-60-mile-highway-for-cyclists-only/

 

[Edont Knoff]

Interesting that I get to know this from an international forum, rather by my newspapaer. But still, interesting.

For those who don't know german topography too well, the area in question is rather flat and well suited for using a bicycle. The area is also like a megacity, well, several cities are there growing into each other. This means that reducing pollution from cars is more valuable there than in a rural area with less traffic.

With the invention of the pedelec, a bike with electric motor help, bikes became incresingly popular over here, also, or better, particularly in the less flat regions.

Air condition in cars has become common, but it never was seen such a "must have" as in some other countries. About half the year is naturally good for biking, not too warm and not too cold, and the frequency of rain decreased in the past years, likely a side effect of the global warming. Last year had two three-month periods with only one rain day in each. Bad for famers, good for pedestrians and bicyclists, and so the pressure to use a car because of bad weather has shrunk.