Recently, Germany opened the first 5 kilometers of a new “bicycle autobahn” system that is planned to cover the country with 100 kilometers of routes. The bicycle-only highway will use old railways and incorporate bridges and overpasses for safety. Ten cities and four universities will be connected by the system, which is projected to take 50,000 cars off the road each day.
Climate Protection: Reduces emissions by decreasing the number of cars on the road
Energy & Mobility: Gives alternative transportation options for longer distance travel
Jobs & Assets: Allows for more affordable transportation
Health, Well-Being, & Safety: Increases activity levels and provides a safer option for bicyclists
Connection: Brings people out to explore the countryside and other cities in a more active way
This post is part of a series on examples of multisolving, or climate-smart policies that simultaneously work to mitigate climate change while providing co-benefits such as the ones described above. The multiple benefits analysis was done using the FLOWER framework.