In February 2017, the city of Berlin made good on its commitment to bicycle travel, approving 13 new two-wheel superhighways where bike commuters won’t have to dodge cars, trucks, or pedestrians. The first two of these new routes will be more than 3.1 miles (5 km) in length and will allow Berliners to get in and out of the city center much faster and much more safely. Like an interstate highway in the United States, or Germany’s famous Autobahn, cyclists will be encouraged to keep moving on these uber bike paths, which will be at least 13 feet (4 m) in width.
Get your motor running:
- There is already a similar thoroughfare dedicated to cyclists in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, and another is planned in Munich. These projects are credited with reducing commute times and traffic fatalities.
- Funding for a 64-mile-long (103 km) stretch of bicycle heaven, connecting Dallas and Fort Worth, has been approved in Texas, and a similar route is being considered between Raleigh and Durham in North Carolina.
- The idea of bike superhighways has been discussed since the late 19th century.