Berlin's Cycling Streets

Individual districts have the authority to establish bike-priority streets where cars take a back seat

I was on my way to an appointment on Monday near Hausvogteiplatz in Mitte when I noticed that the Oberwallstraße between Werderscher Markt and Kleine Jägerstraße was now a fahrradstraße (literally “bicycle street”). I don’t know how long it has been this way, but it wasn’t one when I was last in the area about six months ago.

Bicycle streets give priority to bike traffic. Automobiles are prohibited except for vehicles making deliveries and those of people who work or live on the street. This is indicated by the signs saying “anlieger frei” (“residents allowed”). And all traffic is restricted to biking speed, here 30 km/h.

Although many people think of dedicated bike lanes along busy streets when they think of good cycling infrastructure, bike-priority streets are actually a step beyond. When done well, they improve safety for cyclists and the general traffic flow for everyone.

In my travel article about Amsterdam, I mentioned the city’s use of bike-priority streets in their larger ‘plus …