Berlin Unveils Transformative Bike Plan

Comprehensive new plans from Berlin's Green Party could dramatically expand and improve bike and pedestrian infrastructure throughout the city, Fergus O’Sullivan reports in CityLab. Should the plans pass, Berlin would gain 100 kilometers of segregated cycle superhighways on former rail corridors throughout the city. The existing bike lane network would also be expanded to cover one-third of all city streets, up from 18 percent. And on the roads, traffic lights would be adjusted to prioritize buses and streetcars.

Cycling accounts for less than 25 percent of Berlin's work commutes today, but O'Sullivan writes that the city's wide streets and sidewalks, and overall "rangy" layout, make it a good candidate to accept comprehensive bike infrastructure—adding, "If Berlin can’t push through real changes to make it one of the most bike-friendly cities in the world, it's hard to see how anywhere else could."