Safe and Attractive Infrastructure Traffic Law in Practice

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Safe and Attractive InfrastructureTraffic Law in Practice

Prepared by Difu, presented by Tilman Bracher.

Pardubice, 22nd February 2012

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Content

1. Cycling in Germany’s Federal structure: divided responsibilities and funding on the national / regional / local levels and between the municipalities

2. Traffic law and Infrastructure rules - legal framework for road safety and mutual respect

3. Other issues in the legal environment to encourage cycling

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22nd February 2012

Administrative District

Regional Level: Länder

Federal Level

Community Level (Cities and Municipalities)Responsible for Cycling: planning and implementation of specific projects

Government structure in Germany

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10. 000, - 98% belonging to 350 administrative districts

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Compulsory responsibilities in Transportation

Municipalities / districts upkeep and construction of municipal roadways and paths Land use planning

Länder (regional) (16 lander) upkeep and construction of state roads regional trains; school education; building standards

Federal level (1) Motorways and Federal highways (including cycle paths) Road safety Legal framework (eg. traffic code & standards, taxation) Indirect: climate protection, health care, environment

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policy documents and specific projects (political decision & administratice capacity)

Local Local policy documents (eg. cycling plan, mobility strategy) specific projects (campaigns, parking stands)

Länder (regional) policy documents (integrated & cycling) specific funds (eg. Bike & Ride provision at stations) Specific projects (e.g. tourism routes, coordination of joint

municipal working group)Federal level

Nat. Cycling Strategy, provision of tools, capacity building Pilot projects & research (e.g. on public bicycles)

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Funding non-investment measures

Administrative District

Regional Level: Länder

Federal Level

Local Level (Cities and Municipalities)Responsible for Cycling: planning and implementation of specific projects

Investment Funding

Funding principleEU sources

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Division of Responsibilities: Other stakeholders

Federal Level bodies and stakeholders: FGSV - Road and Transport Research Ass.: Road and Cycling

Manuals

BASt –Federal Road Office – Safety research, UBA Federal Environment Office – Climate Protection strategy, ….

Deutscher Verkehrssicherheitsrat / Deutsche Verkehrswacht – School education / pool of volunteers

NGOs, Bicycle industry and sales

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Policy papers, design manuals, legal standards

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National Collaboration body B/L-AK

Government-Länder joint Working Group formed in 1998Coordination by BMBVS unit in charge of cycling Members representing: Several Federal Ministries All Länder Leading Municipal Associations Deutsche Bahn (German Railways) Cyclist Associations Difu Other Players

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capacity building by Bicycle portal www.nrvp.de

Public repository of pooled know-how with 5000 entries onResearch % documentsfederal initiatives and funding measures, (inter)national practical examples literature database News, calender

Internal area for cooperation and coordination among experts working on the federal level.Newsletter to 1500 recipients

English section www.nrvp.de/en CyE download section news updates international practice

examples

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General Objectives• Increase the cycle traffic share in

Germany by 2012• Promote cycling as a part of

sustainable, integrated transport policy

• Promote modern socially acceptable and environmentally friendly local mobility in line with the mission statement „city of short distance“

• Improve road safetyNon-investive project fundingSecond NRVP 2013-2020 abead

Germany‘s firstNational Cycling Plan (NRVP) 2002-2012

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Campaigns funded by NRVP 2002 - 2012

Non infrastructure project funding from >2 Mio € in 2002 to ~>10 Mio. € in 2009

Bicycle Friendly Personality 2009Klaus Töpfer / Source: wikipedia.de

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Bicycle Academy Special Program in Berlin & all lander

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Capacity building: New highway code information in 2009

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Issue of harmonization between Design Manual and rules for administration

• Cycle lane application• Cycle path & lane standards• Road marking standards• (cyclists) safety prior to (car) traffic

flow

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Responsibility for cycling within the local administration

Autonomy of Municipalities Primary responsibilitiy for urban and transport planning and

policyHow to integrate bicycling in the public administration?

No single bicycle coordinator - getting bicycling into the mainstream (e.g. Münster, München)

Bicycle coordinator at the major’s office (if major is committed), for cycling a cross-cutting task

Bicycle coordinator within planning or engineering unit (eg. Nuremberg, Leipzig)

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Consortium of Bicycle-Friendly Cities, NRW (AGFS)

Succes StoryAGFS offers array of brochures on

specialist topics Conventions Competitions guideline for new

members with its view on how to pursue a successful cycling policy

57 members of the AGFS on the 1st of March 2010 in red (cities) and orange (municipalities).

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€money

Level of target

Attitude

Level of target

Historic examples: train, car, speed limit, low emission zones, (re)integrating cycling, integrated transformation of roads

Low hanging fruits are easy to harvest

The first steps are mostdifficult

First, a comment on the principles of funding

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Funding structure

• Infrastructure construction, maintenance and operation• Data per Kilometer / per Inhabitant

• Cycling expenditure• German communities range from 0.5 to 8 €/Inhabitant p.y. • Example of Berlin 2010: 3 €/inh.• Best Practice (NL): 20 €/inhabitant p.y.

• Lander + Bund (each): 1 €/inhabitant p.y. • Best Practice (BB): 5 €/inh.

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traffic law principles• Road law: all roads are for

general public use • Specifications for Federal

long distance roads• Traffic code: Rules for

behaviour of motorists, cyclists and pedestrians

• Rules for traffic authority (eg. on signalling and standards)

• Imlementation, control standards & sanctions

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Legal Practice

Existing traffic law incorporates a change of paradigm •Accepting cyclists as full members of traffic; •Safety prior to traffic flow•No longer: Cycle paths should cyclists out of way of motor traffic

•Lack of implementation of existing law: updated regulation widely not known (nevertheless responsible for legal issues).

– Lack of capacity building in municipal staff – Deficits in actual knowledge– (inefficient) priorities of control not according to accident

profilesExpertenforum NRVP am 16. Juni 2011 in

Berlin

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20 years discussion on mandatory cycle paths

Accident hot spots•on-board cycle paths at intersections (blind angle)•In particular when driving on the left side•On-board cycle paths not suitable in dense conditions (lack of space, loading, parking…)Recommendations>> differentiated result fromreseach (e.g. car frequenciesversus mixing the modes >> no cycle path sometimes better than a poor quality one

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2nd amendment StVO in Germany in september 2009 (repeatition summer 2012)

Criteria for better cycling facilites in administrative instructions (VwV-StVO),closely linked with state of the art on cycling facilities (ERA 2010)

„mandatory use“ only in exeptional casesContra-flow cycling in 30 kmh roadsCycling streets at 30 kmhCyclists on bus lanesBetter protection of pedestrians, ……..

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Cycling law issues identified in Czech Republic In 2011: Cycle

Conference (www.cyckloconference.cz) with 5 subjects, to identify the potentials for the Czech legal framework

Some comments (for further debate)

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Cycling issues identified in Czech Republic and corresponding experiences in Europe

1. Turning: between road and sidewalk (pedestrians + cyclists have priority), combined right of way (not with pedestrians), one-way streets (> priority for on road bicycle lanes at intersections)

2. Signalized intersections and bicycle lanes (> joint signalization, free right turns (> practice, but not legal)

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Cycling issues identified in Czech Republic and corresponding experiences in Europe

3. Riding in lanes: multipurpose lane (“advisory safety lane”) good experience;roundabouts without cycle lanesbicycle streets rare

4. Crossing: cycle path at minor street good marking, colored pavement, bicycle box for advanced cycle use, indirect left turn as a second option

5. Relation among users: speed reduction 70 kmh on minor rural roads, 30 innerurban, common space with pedestrians for access traffic needed, priority to pedestrians

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Other issues in the legal environment to encourage cycling

Technical standards for bicycles / pedelecs (EU)

Taxation system (Belgium: subsidies for employees, red. VAT for repair (EU permission))

House construction legislation (Berlin: quality bicycle parking)

Land use plans (formal road planning procedures)

Public transport plans and contracts

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Difu GmbH

Tilman BracherJörg Thiemann-Linden

Zimmerstrasse 13-1510969 Berlin

++49 30 39001-138www.nrvp.de, cycling-expertise@difu.de

Thank you.