Research project to increase bicycle use in collaboration with the cities of Mainz, Munich and Münster - guidelines applicable throughout Germany planned
Increasing the attractiveness of biking through improved operational maintenance of the bike path networks is the focus of the research project AllRad at Mainz University of Applied Sciences, which is one of twelve projects nationwide to receive funding from the German National Cycling Plan. The project is expected to be completed in March 2023. The total scope of the project is 109,810 Euro, 80% of which is funded by the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (87,848 Euro), with the remainder coming from Mainz University of Applied Sciences' own funds.
"The aim of the project is to increase bicycle use in everyday life. This is to be accomplished by improving the maintenance of bike paths with winter road maintenance, cleaning and landscape maintenance, together with optimized coordination of the various maintenance groups. This will not only increase the convenience of bicycle use, but also its safety," stated project director Prof. Dr.-Ing. Rainer Hess, who holds the professorship for Civil Engineering at Mainz University of Applied Sciences.
By including local differences, the project aims to develop a generally employable strategy for improving the condition of bike paths and increasing bike traffic in other cities as well in the future.
The research project consists of several phases: First, the situation and needs will be analyzed in discussions with the public and the maintenance depots responsible for bike path maintenance. This will be followed by the development of a coordinated concept that will be implemented in the pilot cities for twelve months. Seasonal fluctuations can be identified and taken into account during this one-year period. The results will then be evaluated and translated into a guideline for communities that is intended to be employable nationwide.
To keep in constant dialogue with the residents, the project to implement the National Cycling Plan will be accompanied by communication measures from the very beginning. A planned web and social media presence will keep the cities of Mainz, Munich and Münster up to date and inform the public about the progress of the research.
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