Spectrum: Not without envy, many German city cyclists keep looking north to our neighbors in Copenhagen or Amsterdam. There you will find a bicycle infrastructure that you can only dream of in this country. But maybe that could change soon – at least in Berlin. A small group of architects and cultural experts have now published a proposal for a 9km long covered cycle path across downtown Berlin. One of the city's landmarks is to be used for this: the U1 subway line.
The U1 in Berlin is known far beyond the city limits of the German metropolis, be it from film and television, musicals, from visits or from thousands of iconic photos. The 120-year-old elevated railway is undoubtedly one of the symbols of the German capital. The construction made of metal and concrete stretches several meters high and carries the trains of the U1 line with thousands of passengers every day - and below? Mostly wasteland. The Radbahn initiative now wants to change that: In the future, a separate traffic artery for the city's bicycle traffic is to be created on the 8,9 km between Zoo and Warschauer Straße.
The idea is simple and sounds extremely plausible at first glance: Large parts of the space under the elevated railway viaduct are empty and unused. There would be more than enough space for a two-lane bike path, which would serve as a roof for the subway, providing protection from the scorching sun, cold rain or slippery snow. But in keeping with the city's self-image and image, the Radbahn should be much more than just a boring bike path: A hip cultural area with bike cafés, rest areas and mobile service stations is to be created along the route, which leads through the trendy districts of Kreuzberg and Friedrichshain can quickly repair a flat tire or similar defects.
However, the team behind the Radbahn also touches on a few modern ideas in the associated concept, which some would describe as daydreams, others as courageous visions of the future. This includes, for example, the idea of adjusting the traffic lights along the route to cycle traffic and not to car traffic. Digital displays along the Radbahn should then show the optimum speed for the 'green wave' at all times. A bold proposal in a country like Germany, where the automobile lobby is stronger than in most other European countries. One of the even more daring ideas is a pressure-sensitive surface that is supposed to generate electricity for the shops and stands along the Radbahn.
The concept was only presented online a few days ago, but the media are now reporting on it from far beyond the city limits and the idea is also finding its first supporters in politics, including, for example, the Greens politician Hans-Christian Ströbele. The ADFC also praises the initiative and the concept on Facebook corresponding page now more than 8.000 fans. On Monday, the Radbahn was also awarded the federal ecodesign prize in the 'Concept' category. All good, then, if there weren't a few hurdles that shouldn't be underestimated that still need to be overcome.
On the one hand, of course, the financing is still completely unclear at this early stage. Even if the people behind the concept repeatedly emphasize that only small, 'smart' investments are required to make large parts of the path usable, there is still a big question mark. There are also some structural challenges along the route, such as bridges or stairs under the viaduct. It still has to be checked whether this problem can be solved as simply as suggested in the concept – the plan here is to simply hang the cycle path on the viaduct.
So there's still a lot to do, but it always starts with an idea - and we think it's great. The Radbahn in Berlin would be a huge step for the bicycle infrastructure throughout Germany and we keep our fingers crossed that two-wheeled traffic will roll through the capital under the stilts of the U1 in the near future.
More information about the project can be found on the official website: