Yesterday New Cycle Lanes Opened Officially

Neue Schutzstreifen wurden gestern offiziell eingeweiht

Hofweg with new cycle lane

The countdown for European Green Capital 2011 runs. Hamburg improves the cycle infrastructure just before Europe comes to the harbour city and will check cycle traffic critically. Most of the old cycle tracks still have to be abolished. Yesterday representatives of the state traffic administration, the district administration and the local cycle club handed over 530 meters new cycle lanes to cyclists in Hofweg between Averhoffstraße and Winterhuder Weg.

Hofweg with cycle lane

Hofweg with cycle lane

Hofweg with cycle lane

Compared to the former narrow cycle tracks the new cycle lanes make cycling easier and more comfortable. Keeping cars away from the new cycle lanes is desirable for future time. Yesterday cyclists seemed to be satisfied with the new lanes. Cyclists of all ages took over them. The old cycle tracks were converted into sidewalks yesterday. Sidewalks will be wider, no conflicts between cyclists and pedestrians any more.

End of cycle lane in Hofweg

New cycle lane and erased old cycle track

Cycle track converted into sidewalk

Cycle track to sidewalk

The comfortable cycle lane stops in the middle of the long street and cyclists need to watch out carefully to pass by parking cars. Hopefully the bad cycle tracks in extension of Hofweg, in Papenhuder Straße, will be abolished as soon as possible, too. Those cycle tracks are even more unsatisfactory than the old ones in Hofweg and unusable. It will be a challenge not to miss out the difficulties in Papenhuder Straße in order to earn the right being European Green Capital and increase number of cyclists in Hamburg up to 18% as planned.

More about Hofweg: From Cycle Path to Cycle Lane: New Cycle Lanes in Hamburg´s Uhlenhorst

Warning: Never take the switch to the old cycle tracks at the end of Hofweg to Papenhuder Straße! Otherwise you will pass the next stations . . .

Papanhuder Straße: So called "cycle tracks" still remained

Papenhuder Straße yesterday

Papenhuder Straße some years ago

Papenhuder Straße some years ago

Papenhuder Straße yesterday

Papenhuder Straße 2010 at evening

Papenhuder Straße 2010 at evening

Papenhuder Straße yesterday with Danish cargo bike

Papenhuder Straße 2010 early evening

Papenhuder Straße 2010 later evening

Papenhuder Straße yesterday

Papenhuder Straße some years ago early evening

Papenhuder Straße some years ago late evening

Papenhuder Straße 2010

Papenhuder Straße yesterday

Papenhuder Straße yesterday

Papenhuder Straße yesterday

Papenhuder Straße yesterday

Papenhuder Straße yesterday

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Hamburg Started Undoing Dangerous Eyesores (2)

Typical crossing situation for cyclists in Hamburg. Cyclists take a shortcut via the sidewalk. Stresemannstraße at Ruhstraße some years ago.

Hamburg has a huge lack in building good bicycle infrastructure. Most of the cycle tracks are too narrow, at intersections cyclists need to do detours, pedestrians walk on the cycle tracks and car drivers don´t watch out for cyclists often enough.

At Stresemannstraße a very bad crossing had been moderated as renewal of the cycle tracks are still going on along that street up to Bahrenfelder Chaussee.

Due to the bad running of the cycle tracks at intersections cyclists do not follow the cycle track, but shorten the way via sidewalks. The new crossing for cyclists calm down conflicts between cyclists and pedestrians and don´t make car drivers uncertain about behavior of cyclists.

Stresemannstraße at Ruhrstraße before renewal.

Stresemannstraße: The normal cycle track in Hamburg is not made for trailers or cargo bikes.

Same intersection: Stresemannstraße at Ruhstraße after renewal 2010

How to Design a Rather New Cycle Track Useless Step by Step - or how to Waste Money

For several month a rather new Hamburg cycle track close to my home was veiled behind a construction site. Now the cycle track is born again since a few weeks. Another Hotel completes the site, now four hotels are next to the cycle tracks, and in front of each hotel the sidewalks are so tiny that pedestrians are always on the cycle tracks. The road lanes are not affected of course.

Latest redesigned part of the cycle track at new hotel.

At the newest hotel the parking lots are widened, cycle track is moved towards the new building and the sidewalk became smaller, a bench to watch cyclists and some flower buckets.

Hotel site with the straight road lanes.

Some years ago on the opposite side some advertisement was placed just between cycle track and road lane at a crossroad, where now visibility between cyclists and car drivers is affected. The City and the police don´t want to remove advertisement. Since 2007 I am waiting for the first victim.

The cycle track close to the buildings.

Some years ago with the former straight running cycle track.

Billboard covers visibility.

Billboard hides cyclists coming up.

The hotel-line, the cycle track along the hotels is often affected, and the sidewalk too of course.

The planning guidelines for cycle tracks of the City of Hamburg:
PLAST 9
"Eine verkehrssichere Radverkehrsführung in Knotenpunkten wird erreicht durch hohe Anforderungen an die

* Erkennbarkeit
* Übersichtlichkeit

[...]

Grundsätze für die Radverkehrsführung in Knotenpunkten

[...]

Gute Sichtbeziehungen zwischen Radfahrer/innen und anderen Verkehrsteilnehmer/innen sind für die Verkehrssicherheit von entscheidender Bedeutung."

Untitled from Stefan Warda on Vimeo.

Green City - Hamburg Going to Be European Green Capital

Green City - Hamburg wird "Umwelthauptstadt"

Lübecker Straße in July 2010: This green cycle track got a new design only a few years ago to go along with the German regulations combined with the obligation to use a cycle track. As long as a cycle track has to be used it should be two meters wide and should be maintained. The City of Hamburg lists this cycle track as one of the good examples of new cycle tracks built with special funds of the bicycle strategy for Hamburg from 2007/2008.

Hamburg is a green waterside metropolis. The Hamburgers love their parks and the many trees in the streets. As always in summer Hamburg becomes the green city. Then no other metropolis in Europe has so many green cycle tracks than Hamburg. Next year Europe will visit Hamburg and discover Hamburgs invention, the green cycle track.

Compared with other cycle cities Hamburg is ahead in designing the streets. Copenhagen for example has narrow streets only with road lanes, broad cycle tracks and sidewalks, but the streets in Hamburg even have lots of trees and parking lots additional.

Lehmweg in July 2010: Cyclists take care of the old green cycle track. Cycle track without obligation to use.

Cyclists in Hamburg know what to do with green cycle tracks. Visitors can watch cyclists all around, but not on the cycle tracks. It´s very common to cycle on the sidewalks next to the green cycle tracks, and some cyclists take the road lanes to keep the green cycle tracks safe. Visitors won´t understand why the police allows cycling on the sidewalks next to the green cycle tracks in the face of German traffic rules. Cycling on sidewalks is not allowed generelly. It seems schizophrenic, but if cyclists will be caught on other sidewalks without green cycle tracks besides they will be sentenced. Visitors will need some time to get familiar with Hamburg´s secrets of cycling, so be prepared until you will visit Hamburg in the year of being the European Green Capital.

Critical media:

08.07.2010 MoPo: Das grüne Blablabla des Hamburger Senats

Lehmweg in July 2010: Cyclists go besides the new green cycle track, without obligation to use, designed in 2004 at a part of Lehmweg without cycle tracks before

Ulzburger Straße in 2008: Rather new, and the greenest cycle track of Hamburg, with obligation to be used. Take care about it.

Maria-Louisen-Straße in July 2010: Green cycle track has to be used.

Maria-Louisen-Straße in June 2010: Cyclist besides the green cycle track with obligation to be used.

Maria-Louisen-Straße in June 2010: Cyclist is gentle and keeps distance to the green cycle track with obligation to be used.

Maria-Louisen-Straße in July 2010: Hamburg invented the green cycle track. The green cycle tracks secret is the wideness. They can be so small that you will never find it. But at least they exist and Hamburg can offer many trees and lots of parking lots in the streets, more than other cities do. Look out for the little mirror next to the tree.

Maria-Louisen-Straße in July 2010: As a little help the green cycle track is marked on this picture. Only a few cyclists take the road lane. Here I let out another secret: More than a decade ago the former cycle track had been where the parking lots are today. At that time todays green cycle track had been part of the sidewalk. Many cycle tracks have been convertes into todays parking lots over the last decades.

Maria-Louisen-Straße in July 2010: Most of the cyclists take the sidewalk besides the green cycle track.

Hammer Landstraße in July 2010: This green cycle track has the obligation to be used into both directions. It is layed out for a wideness of 1.20 meters. Cyclists in Hamburg are very talented to pass without running into each other.

Hammer Landstraße in July 2010: The same green cycle track from the beginning, 1.50 meters wide.

Eilenau in July 2010: Another green cycle track with the obligation to be used into both directions.

Kieler Straße in July 2010: Lovely green on both sides of the cycle track makes the cyclists feel much better, if there are no nettles. Obligation to be used. I know this green cycle track in this condition about more than 15 years.

Holstenstraße in July 2010: The traffic sign shows the obligation to use the green cycle track. Very reliable, every year upcoming in wonderful green.

Nagelsweg in July 2010: Savannah on the cycle track without obligation to be used. Cyclists are invited to pick off some grass and make fantastic bouqets for their friends.

Nagelsweg in July 2010: No obligation to use this lovely little curve of green cycle track.

Steindamm in June 2010: Also very reliable, helps pedestrians to hide. When the run after the green light to cross the main road they run from the right to the left and play with the cyclists.

Amsinckstraße in July 2010: Attention for cyclists. Every year try limbo on the cycle track near the headquarter of the German automobile association, of course with obligation to be used.

Hammer Landstraße in July 2010: Old green cycle track with obligation to be used.

Friedrichsberger Straße in July 2010: Green cycle lane with obligation to be used. Try it with a cargo-bike.

Lehmweg in July 2010: No obligation any more to use this nice and meager green cycle track. Isn´t it astonishing how wide streets can be with such a bonsai-like cycle track?

Sievekingdamm in July 2010: Between tree and curb the little green cycle track is located with the obligation to be used. The police station is located in that street and keeps watching out for the blue traffic signs with the white bicycles.

Sievekingdamm in July 2010: Also here between tree and curb the green cycle track with the obligation to be used. Even parking lots can be arranged.

Washingtonallee in July 2010: Here you can see the future for many of Hamburg´s cycle tracks. Cyclists are here allowed to use the sidewalk on the left, they can even try to use the cycle track in the middle, and also the road lane on the right is free. Take the big freedom. Does it help to launch more cyclists?

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