Karlsruhe starts bicycle offensive: More space and better safety!

Karlsruhe starts bicycle offensive: More space and better safety!

On June 4, 2025, a cycling action day took place at the Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences (HKA) and the Karlsruhe University of Education (PHKA), which offered a wide range of activities to promote cycling and sustainable mobility. Employees and visitors had the opportunity to test different bicycles, plan bicycle parking facilities and make suggestions for improvements. Claudia Hille, professor of cycling at the HKA, emphasized the crucial role of the bicycle not only as a means of transport, but also as a subject for teaching and research.

As part of the action day, participants were able to try out the university library's desk bikes, visit information stands about cycling and health and take part in bicycle repairs with expert instructions. In addition, students from the Helmholtz-Gymnasium designed a bicycle course that invited active participation.

Promoting bicycle use

The main goal of this cycling action day was to promote cycling and establish a sustainable mobility culture. Birgit Neuer, Professor of Geography at PHKA, emphasized the contribution to sustainable mobility and climate protection. Over the next two years, the “Bicycle-Friendly Campus” project will be implemented, which includes numerous measures to make the use of bicycles easier.

The plan is to build a secure network of parking spaces, provide more company bikes and create changing rooms and bicycle workshops. This project is scientifically supported by the Institute for Transport and Infrastructure at the HKA and the Institute for Transdisciplinary Social Science at the PHKA. The initiative also receives financial support from the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection as part of the National Climate Protection Initiative.

Important infrastructure measures

The focus is particularly on attractive and functional bicycle parking facilities. Loud Environmental Evangelical The design of these systems is crucial for user acceptance. Stability-promoting support bars are recommended to prevent the bicycles from falling over. In addition, the equipment should be designed so that bicycles can be securely chained to the frame. In addition, the parking spaces should offer enough space to make it easy to park and unpark.

The locations of these parking facilities are chosen strategically: They should be in central locations, easily accessible from the cycle path or the street and ideally not block the paths of pedestrians or people with reduced mobility. Particular attention is also paid to the consideration of e-bikes and cargo bikes in order to meet increasing demand.

Karlsruhe as a pioneer in bike-friendliness

In recent years, Karlsruhe has developed into one of the best cities for cyclists in Germany. In the ADFC bicycle climate test, Karlsruhe took second place among the larger cities with an overall score of 3.09. The proportion of bicycle traffic has doubled in the last 20 years, and numerous measures, such as converting parking spaces into bicycle parking spaces, have contributed to improving the infrastructure. An elaborately designed bicycle parking garage in the city center even won a German bicycle award.

The city actively promotes an environment that supports cycling and is working with eight Karlsruhe universities as part of the Climate Pact to make mobility sustainable. Compared to other cities, like Muenster, where there are a large number of bicycles per population, Karlsruhe has set the course for a progressive cycling culture.

With projects and campaigns such as the Cycling Action Day, the universities and the city of Karlsruhe are sending an important signal to promote cycling and support environmentally friendly mobility. The path to a more bicycle-friendly campus and sustainable urban transport planning seems clear.