Enhancing Cycling Infrastructure on Green St. Wendel for an Alluring Bike Route System
In the heart of the Saarland, the city of St. Wendel finds itself under scrutiny for its cycling infrastructure. With a population of between 20,000 and 50,000 inhabitants, St. Wendel ranked last in the Saarland, according to recent data.
The city's cycling climate, as assessed by the ADFC cycling climate test, was rated the worst in the Saarland and 437th out of 447 municipalities in the federal comparison. This poor performance was particularly evident in areas such as accessibility of the city centre, open one-way streets in the opposite direction, and fast cycling.
Michael Müller from ADFC St. Wendel has criticised the lack of implementation of cycling-friendly measures by Mayor Klär (CDU) since the completion of the cycling concept at the end of 2021. He provides Beethovenstraße as an example of the policy of obstruction and lack of enabling better accessibility of the city centre.
The state government and St. Wendel did not take actions to improve the attractiveness of cycling in 2022, which is a concern given St. Wendel's ambition to present itself as a sustainability city. Uta Sullenberger, chairwoman of the St. Wendel district of Bündnis 90/Die Grünen, expressed astonishment at the poor cycling infrastructure and appealed for action to consider the interests of cyclists more strongly in future urban traffic policy.
The state government failed to draw any of the 12 million euros available from the federal government for the expansion of the cycling infrastructure last year. This oversight has contributed to the city's poor cycling conditions, with simple measures, such as opening one-way streets for cycling in the opposite direction, not being implemented.
Bündnis 90/Die Grünen St. Wendel have appealed for action in response to the ADFC cycling climate test results. They believe that the city and its mayor, Peter Klär, are responsible for making inner-city cycling connections attractive and safe. St. Wendel, as a city that likes to present itself as a sustainability city, should contribute to the urgently needed mobility transition.
The 55% CO2 reduction target set for the Saarland is far behind the other federal states due to the poor cycling infrastructure. The people of St. Wendel deserve good and safe paths, according to Bündnis 90/Die Grünen. The grade of 4.6 from ADFC is a heavy blow for cyclists in St. Wendel, particularly in terms of accident prevention.
To get detailed and accurate information about the specific measures taken in St. Wendel and the critiques by Bündnis 90/Die Grünen, it would be necessary to consult local government reports, Green party statements, or news coverage focusing on St. Wendel's cycling infrastructure initiatives.
- The poor cycling infrastructure in St. Wendel has raised concerns, especially in the context of the city's ambition to present itself as a sustainability city.
- The city's cycling conditions were rated the worst in the Saarland, according to the ADFC cycling climate test, and simple measures like opening one-way streets for cycling in the opposite direction were not implemented.
- Bündnis 90/Die Grünen St. Wendel have criticized the lack of implementation of cycling-friendly measures and called for the city and its mayor, Peter Klär, to make inner-city cycling connections attractive and safe.
- The state government's failure to take advantage of the 12 million euros available from the federal government for the expansion of cycling infrastructure has contributed to the city's poor cycling conditions.
- Uta Sullenberger, chairwoman of the St. Wendel district of Bündnis 90/Die Grünen, has expressed astonishment at the poor cycling infrastructure and appealed for action to consider the interests of cyclists more strongly in future urban traffic policy.
