Dresden on the bike: Positive interim results and endangered cyclists!

Dresden on the bike: Positive interim results and endangered cyclists!

In the beautiful city of Dresden, cyclists draw a consistently positive interim assessment of the current cycling situation. According to the current report of the Weekly Courier The Saxon state capital performed well in the bicycle climate test conducted by the General German Bicycle Club (ADFC). The city came sixth in the ranking of 15 large cities with more than 500,000 inhabitants, with the overall rating of the cycling situation being 3.93 on a scale of 1 to 6. According to the survey, which was carried out between September and November 2024, Dresden has improved significantly compared to previous years.

Despite this positive development, 78 percent of those surveyed still feel that they are at risk on Dresden's streets. Cyclists are particularly concerned about the aggressive atmosphere in traffic: 82 percent find this stressful. In addition, 83 percent of participants report that cars often overtake them too closely, while 87 percent regularly experience conflicts with drivers. Interestingly, arguments rarely occur among cyclists themselves, with 64 percent reporting rare conflicts.

Bicycle rental system on the rise

A ray of hope for cyclists in Dresden is the bike sharing system “MOBIbike”, which is putting the city in Saxony at the top. With 87 percent of positive feedback, users consider the rental system to be easy to use, reliable and inexpensive. The ADFC also estimates this in its annual Bicycle climate test, which surveys the satisfaction of cyclists in German cities. The test is now one of the largest surveys on bicycle friendliness in the world and is intended to give traffic planners important information on how to improve the infrastructure.

Overall, cyclists are critical of how they interact in traffic. With a rating of 4.05, the assessment of traffic behavior is rather poor. This topic is particularly important when you consider that more and more cities that actively promote cycling are also doing better ADFC results show. Large cities such as Frankfurt am Main and Hanover perform excellently here, while the rating in Berlin has fallen due to a lack of commitment.

Outlook for future developments

It remains to be seen how the cycling situation in Dresden will develop. The results of the ADFC bicycle climate test play a crucial role as they help political decision-makers and transport planners to improve the quality of life for cyclists. A greater focus on coexistence in traffic could help alleviate cyclists' concerns and make cycling in the city even more attractive.