Commuting - Bikes in Berlin

Laugh, or cry?

Half a million Berliners commute to work by bike, and there are so many bicycles that the lines back up at the traffic signals.

But part of the reason is that the public transit system has got so lousy.

http://www.reuters.com/article/GCA-BusinessofGreen/idUSTRE56U00Y20090731

Having said Berlin does do things well for bikes. Lots of bike lanes, and lots of respect for bikes. It's a slow haul -- wear your work clothes, carry a briefcase, enjoy the commute.

Very interesting, thanks for posting this. One thing that sometimes gets lost in the comparison: U.S. utility/commuting vs European utility/commuting is the distances. If your average trip distance is only 1.5-3 miles (Europe) vs 4.5 - 9 miles (US), you get a lot more people on bikes....

Interesting article. So 13% of trips in Berlin are by bicycle, which compares to about 4% for the most bike friendly US cities. I think my city is probably around 1%. The thing is that it has probably doubled in the last 2 years and for the same reason that is has doubled in Berlin - climate stress concerns, health reasons and gas prices.

We are definitely in the midst of a new bike boom. :)

In my town, if it wasn't for the immigrant population, bicycling numbers would be in the negatives! It's so car-centric that the ratio of bikes-to-cars in town is worse than in the whole state! (yes, hyperbole)

i was in berlin 2 days ago (2nd time). the city is wide and flat, with many parks inbetween (that you can ride through). there are plenty of designated bike lanes and huuuuge sidewalks. cars and pedestrians yield to bikes.

it is a great bicycling city. the public transportation isn't bad either, especially compared to the US.

Half a million Berliners commute to work by bike, and there are so many bicycles that the lines back up at the traffic signals.


It's a slow haul -- wear your work clothes, carry a briefcase, enjoy the commute. And these are good things?..