Germany is as famous for cars as Switzerland is for watches, yet in the German capital Berlin, an ambitious plan is underway to create twelve new bike superhighways.
These superhighways will provide improved car-free access between the city and the suburbs. This is good news for local cyclists. From a survey of 40 cities, the German Cyclists’ Association recently rated Berlin fourth-worst for biking. Berlin currently invests about 3.80 EURO per citizen on bicycle infrastructure compared to the average of 25 EURO for cities like Amsterdam, Copenhagen and Paris.
Other aspects of Berlin’s new bike reform include car-free zones in the city centre, as well as barriers between bike and car lanes. Safety is not the only concern. Germany has made big promises on tackling the global pollution problem and Berlin's new plan will go a long way to reducing car emissions.
Improving air quality improves health and quality of life
Ninety percent of the world’s population lives in areas where the air quality is below the World Health Organisations recommended limit. Air pollution kills an estimated 6.5 million people annually. The impact of respiratory illness on the global economy is immense. For example, the United Kingdom's government estimates that it costs the country over £11 billion to deal with healthcare and unemployment problems caused by respiratory illness.
European mayors, having pledged to reduce air pollution, are now looking at Berlin’s plan as a model for city infrastructure.
Sources: Huffington Post; British Lung Foundation
Photo: Pixabay
