Hamburg Started Undoing Dangerous Eyesores (3) - Less Cycle Tracks

Hamburg startet Abbau von Gefahrenstellen (3) - Weniger Radwege

Steinstraße / Lange Mühren Nov. 2010 avoiding conflict with pedestrians
Steinstraße / Lange Mühren im November 2010: Konfliktvermeideung mit Fußgängerverkehr

Recently traffic management for cyclists in Steinstraße have been changed. At the KAUFHOF department store and the tax office building the very narrow cycle track has been closed. Cyclists in direction to Speersort and city hall are guided from an old cycle track onto the road lane without any alternative. Some parts of the cycle track are still visible at Jakobi church, the Hochbahn building and Speersort. The obligation to use them has been given up.

Steinstraße / Lange Mühren before renewal
Steinstraße / Lange Mühren vor Umbau: Fußgänger stauen sich auf dem Radweg

Steinstraße / Lange Mühren before renewalSteinstraße / Lange Mühren vor Umbau: Fußgänger stauen sich auf dem Radweg

Steinstraße / Lange Mühren before renewal
Steinstraße / Lange Mühren vor Umbau: Fußgänger auf dem Radweg

The bad cycle track caused heavy conflicts between cyclists and pedestrians like nearly no other cycle track in Hamburg. Giving up the cycle track is the consequence, but cycle promotion looks different than cycling with heavy car traffic on the road lanes. Doubling the cycle traffic proportion is a strong climate protection target of the city of Hamburg, but car drivers will not feel addressed to change onto a cycles without any cycle infrastructure like in Steinstraße now.

Former odd cycle track, narrow, lots of conflicts
Ehemaliger Radweg, schmal, viele Konflikte

Cool: Waste deposal exclusively for cyclists
Cool: Abfallbehälter exklusiv für Radfahrer

Conflicts on odd cycle track
Konflikte auf kümmerlichem Radweg

Conflicts on odd cycle track

Conflicts with pedestrians

Conflicts with pedestrians

Conflicts with pedestrians

Pedestrians on cycle track waiting for green light

Conflicts with pedestrians

Conflicts
Konflikte

Very uncomfortable

Contrary to the Hamburg way promoting cycling on road lanes Copenhagen tries to increase number of cyclists with new cycle tracks to the disadvantage of space for car traffic. Copenhagen wants to increase cycle proportion from 36% to 50%, therefore motorists should give up driving with cars. As example this year in Stormgade new cycle tracks were implemented on both sides, therefore one road lane was given up. Copenhagen community welcomed cyclists for cycling on the new cycle tracks after opening last September. Hamburg´s administration and politicians should declare any more that streets of Hamburg are to small for good cycle infrastructure.

Copenhagen Stormgade with four road lanes, no cycle tracks

Copenhagen Stormgade now has cycle tracks on both sides, but only three lanes for car traffic

Copenhagen Stormgade with four road lanes, no cycle tracks
Kopenhagens Stormgade vor Umbau mit vier Fahrstreifen und ohne Radwege

Copenhagen Stormgade now has cycle tracks on both sides, but only three lanes for car traffic
Radverkehrsförderung: Kopenhagens Stormgade hat nun Radwege auf beiden Seiten und nur noch 3 statt vier Fahrspuren