Calling for better public transport and cycle lanes, approximately 8,500 cyclists prevented motorists from using a stretch of Germany’s autobahn. The cyclists covered a distance of 40 km (25 miles). Moreover, the demonstration took place between Frankfurt and Wiesbaden.
Bicyclists included a vast variety of people
From children to old people, the bicyclists included a vast variety of people. Some of them had traveled as much as nine hours just to participate in the protest. The Verkehrswende Hessen organized the protest in order to make transport in the German state of Hesse climate-neutral by 2030.
Frank Masurat, chairman of the German Cyclists Association (ADFC), said, ”For decades, tens of thousands of people have been fighting for better conditions for bicycle traffic at our annual protests.” They highlighted that it is time for Berlin to implement plans for a new bike lane network and mobility transmission. Masurat said it is time for deeds.
The German government had declared that hundreds of kilometers of safe bike lanes will be installed by 2026. They aim to protect cyclists from motorized traffic. ADFC’s Susanne Grittner said her organization celebrates ”the bicycle as a fast, healthy and climate-friendly means of transport.”