Saxony's cycle paths: expansion in danger! What does that mean for the future?

Saxony's cycle paths: expansion in danger! What does that mean for the future?

Leipzig, Deutschland - In Saxony, a conflict between the government parties CDU and the SPD is emerging, especially with regard to the new double budget. The planned agreement on the stronger inclusion of the state parliament opposition is perceived as inadequate. This is expressed in the concerns about the financing of important areas such as social issues, culture, schools and clinics. The Prime Minister Conference in Berlin, in which Saxony's Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer (CDU) participates, is all about 100 billion euros from the special fund for infrastructure, whereby an application for distribution according to the Königstein key. However, SPD head of state Henning Homann proposes an alternative procedure, which further exacerbates the tensions between the coalition partners. Sächsische.de reports .

A central topic in these discussions is the Saxon Fund, which is to be set up by the minority government of the CDU and SPD. This is financed from budgetary funds of the Free State and the state proportion of the federal special assets for infrastructure. Henning Homann emphasizes the need for a long -term perspective of five to ten years and invites the opposition as well as municipalities and social partners to work on the planning. However, critical voices come from the Greens and the AfD, which express legal concerns and lack of budget consolidation. Nevertheless, infrastructure minister Regina Kraushaar sees great opportunities through the special fund for the ailing infrastructure in Saxony. mdr.de reports .

cycle path construction in Saxony

The situation around the cycle path construction is depressing. The development of the cycle path network in Saxony will be heavily limited in the coming years, since only 64 kilometers of new routes are planned. This decision was made more difficult by financial bottlenecks and bureaucratic hurdles, which has to be stopped 490 kilometers of planned routes for the time being. Originally, it was planned to create 100 kilometers of new cycle paths every year, but from 2021 to 2023 only fewer than 9 kilometers per year were realized. This slow implementation could not only lead to higher costs, but also impair the safety of cyclists, as the number of fatal bicycle accidents increases. Sächsische.de reports .

Currently there are over 5000 kilometers of touristy routes in Saxony and around 1900 kilometers of bike paths on federal, state and district streets. While some municipalities, such as Leipzig, have their own ambitions to expand their network of cycle paths - it is to be increased from 900 to 1100 kilometers by 2030 - the national expansion remains problematic. A quick progress is often delayed by the high planning effort and necessary permits, which can often take up to eight years. In addition, bicycle traffic is reinforced by the growing interest in e-bikes, which influences both use and the risk of accidents.

Overall, the continued deficit when expanding the cycling infrastructure in Saxony is a signal for the need for more effective and coordinated planning in order to meet the needs of cyclists and increase traffic safety. The coming weeks could be decisive because the political parties discuss further measures to improve the existing infrastructure and to promote safe bicycle traffic.