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The redesigned cycle route, Source: City of Hamburg

Bikes have priority over cars on lakeshore street in Hamburg

Bikes have priority over cars on lakeshore street in Hamburg

The An der Alster is one of the busiest cycling routes in the Free Hanseatic City

Today, Hamburg local authorities officially opened a new bicycle road by changing the rules on the An der Alster, the most popular cycling route in the city. It will now be part of a comprehensive cycling network surrounding Outer Alster lake.

According to a statement by the local government, cars will still have access to An der Alster, but they will no longer have priority, subject to a Tempo 30 zone. That means that the maximum speed limit is 30 kilometres per hour and motorized vehicles need to yield to bikes and cannot overtake them.

Times for cars, they are a-changing

The An der Alster is one of the most popular cycling routes in the Hanseatic City and sees traffic of around 15,000 bikes on a peak day. As the NDR reported last year, Anjes Tjarks, Senator for Transport and Mobility Transition, explained that 20 years ago, the same route saw around 20,000 cars, a signal that times have changed.

The An der Alster now offers a 900-metre stretch that is made safer for pedestrians and cyclists alike. Additionally, the banks of the Outer Alster lake will become quieter and less polluted, since the city has redesigned them to feature more green spaces.

Furthermore, authorities have laid down red signal asphalt at both ends of the road, to let drivers and cyclists know they are entering a cycling zone. The asphalt itself does not contain microplastics, making it a sustainable choice for infrastructure located close to a major body of water.

Senator Tjarks was quoted in a press release, saying that these measures would create more space, comfort and safety for pedestrians and cyclists. He continued: “With the new bicycle street An der Alster, we are responding to the wishes of the Mitte district and the St. Georg district advisory board for consistent, more comfortable and safer bicycle traffic.”

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