Safe and Attractive Infrastructure Traffic Law in Practice

Safe and Attractive Infrastructure Traffic Law in Practice Prepared by Difu, presented by Tilman Bracher. Pardubice, 22 nd February 2012 1

Content 1. Cycling in Germany’s Federal structure: divided responsibilities and funding on the national / regional / local levels and between the municipalities 2. Traffic law and Infrastructure rules - legal framework for road safety and mutual respect 3. Other issues in the legal environment to encourage cycling 2

Government structure in Germany Federal Level Regional Level: Länder 1 16 Administrative District Community Level (Cities and Municipalities) Responsible for Cycling: planning and implementation of specific projects 10. 000, - 98% belonging to 350 administrative districts CMB Expert Seminar, Pardubice, 22 nd February 2012 3

Compulsory responsibilities in Transportation Municipalities / districts § upkeep and construction of municipal roadways and paths § Land use planning Länder (regional) (16 lander) § upkeep and construction of state roads § regional trains; school education; building standards Federal level (1) § Motorways and Federal highways (including cycle paths) § Road safety § Legal framework (eg. traffic code & standards, taxation) § Indirect: climate protection, health care, environment 4

policy documents and specific projects (political decision & administratice capacity) Local § Local policy documents (eg. cycling plan, mobility strategy) § specific projects (campaigns, parking stands) Länder (regional) § policy documents (integrated & cycling) § specific funds (eg. Bike & Ride provision at stations) § Specific projects (e. g. tourism routes, coordination of joint municipal working group) Federal level § Nat. Cycling Strategy, provision of tools, capacity building § Pilot projects & research (e. g. on public bicycles) 5

Funding principle EU sources Federal Level Regional Level: Länder Investment Funding Administrative District Funding noninvestment measures Local Level (Cities and Municipalities) Responsible for Cycling: planning and implementation of specific projects CMB Expert Seminar, Pardubice, 22 nd February 2012 6

Division of Responsibilities: Other stakeholders Federal Level bodies and stakeholders: § FGSV - Road and Transport Research Ass. : Road and Cycling Manuals § BASt –Federal Road Office – Safety research, UBA Federal Environment Office – Climate Protection strategy, …. § Deutscher Verkehrssicherheitsrat / Deutsche Verkehrswacht – School education / pool of volunteers § § NGOs, Bicycle industry and sales 7

Policy papers, design manuals, legal standards Cycling policy documents (National cycling plan, state and local mobility and cycling strategies, projects & campaigns • Target and Commitment • Funding crucial • Integration & harmonization with other policies necessary Design Standards • Set up by planning experts (engineers, …) within Road Research Society FGSV • Compulsory manuals for Urban Roads implemented by government paper • Cycling Manual „Recommendation“ status, but „State of the Art“ (court) Road Law, Traffic Code & rules for implementation • Drafted by insurance and law experts , decided by Parliament • Compulsory for state and local road authority • Inconsistencies due to polictical decisionmaking, lack of resources and funding 8

National Collaboration body B/L-AK Government-Länder joint Working Group formed in 1998 Coordination by BMBVS unit in charge of cycling Members representing: § § § § Several Federal Ministries All Länder Leading Municipal Associations Deutsche Bahn (German Railways) Cyclist Associations Difu Other Players 9

capacity building by Bicycle portal www. nrvp. de Public repository of pooled knowhow with 5000 entries on § Research % documents § federal initiatives and funding measures, § (inter)national practical examples § literature database § News, calender Internal area for cooperation and coordination among experts working on the federal level. Newsletter to 1500 recipients English section www. nrvp. de/en § Cy. E download section § news updates § international practice examples 10

Germany‘s first National Cycling Plan (NRVP) 2002 -2012 General Objectives • Increase the cycle traffic share in Germany by 2012 • Promote cycling as a part of sustainable, integrated transport policy • Promote modern socially acceptable and environmentally friendly local mobility in line with the mission statement „city of short distance“ • Improve road safety Non-investive project funding Second NRVP 2013 -2020 abead CMB Expert Seminar, Pardubice, 22 nd February 2012 11

Campaigns funded by NRVP 2002 - 2012 Non infrastructure project funding from >2 Mio € in 2002 to ~>10 Mio. € in 2009 Bicycle Friendly Personality 2009 wikipedia. de CMB Expert Seminar, Pardubice, Klaus Töpfer 2012 22 nd February / Source: 12 12

Capacity building: New highway code information in 2009 Bicycle Academy Special Program in Berlin & all lander ? 13

14 Issue of harmonization between Design Manual and rules for administration • • Cycle lane application Cycle path & lane standards Road marking standards (cyclists) safety prior to (car) traffic flow CMB Expert Seminar, Pardubice, 22 nd February 2012 14

Responsibility for cycling within the local administration Autonomy of Municipalities § Primary responsibilitiy for urban and transport planning and policy How to integrate bicycling in the public administration? § No single bicycle coordinator - getting bicycling into the mainstream (e. g. Münster, München) § Bicycle coordinator at the major’s office (if major is committed), for cycling a cross-cutting task § Bicycle coordinator within planning or engineering unit (eg. Nuremberg, Leipzig) 15

Consortium of Bicycle. Friendly Cities, NRW (AGFS) Succes Story AGFS offers § array of brochures on specialist topics § Conventions § Competitions § guideline for new members with its view on how to pursue a successful cycling policy 57 members of the AGFS on the 1 st of March 2010 in red (cities) and orange (municipalities). 16

First, a comment on the principles of funding € money Attitude Low hanging fruits are easy to harvest The first steps are most difficult Level of target Historic examples: train, car, speed limit, low emission zones, (re)integrating cycling, integrated transformation of roads CMB Expert Seminar, Pardubice, 22 nd February 2012 17

Funding structure • Infrastructure construction, maintenance and operation • Data per Kilometer / per Inhabitant • • Cycling expenditure German communities range from 0. 5 to 8 €/Inhabitant p. y. Example of Berlin 2010: 3 €/inh. Best Practice (NL): 20 €/inhabitant p. y. • Lander + Bund (each): 1 €/inhabitant p. y. • Best Practice (BB): 5 €/inh. 18

traffic law principles • Road law: all roads are for general public use • Specifications for Federal long distance roads • Traffic code: Rules for behaviour of motorists, cyclists and pedestrians • Rules for traffic authority (eg. on signalling and standards) • Imlementation, control standards & sanctions Attitude Capacity Rules 19

Legal Practice Existing traffic law incorporates a change of paradigm • Accepting cyclists as full members of traffic; • Safety prior to traffic flow • No longer: Cycle paths should cyclists out of way of motor traffic • Lack of implementation of existing law: updated regulation widely not known (nevertheless responsible for legal issues). – Lack of capacity building in municipal staff – Deficits in actual knowledge – (inefficient) priorities of control not according to accident profiles Expertenforum NRVP am 16. Juni 2011 in Berlin 20

20 years discussion on mandatory cycle paths Accident hot spots • on-board cycle paths at intersections (blind angle) • In particular when driving on the left side • On-board cycle paths not suitable in dense conditions (lack of space, loading, parking…) Recommendations >> differentiated result from reseach (e. g. car frequencies versus mixing the modes >> no cycle path sometimes better than a poor quality one 21

2 nd amendment St. VO in Germany in september 2009 (repeatition summer 2012) Criteria for better cycling facilites in administrative instructions (Vw. V-St. VO), closely linked with state of the art on cycling facilities (ERA 2010) „mandatory use“ only in exeptional cases Contra-flow cycling in 30 kmh roads Cycling streets at 30 kmh Cyclists on bus lanes Better protection of pedestrians, ……. . 22

Cycling law issues identified in Czech Republic In 2011: Cycle Conference (www. cyckloconference. cz) with 5 subjects, to identify the potentials for the Czech legal framework Some comments (for further debate) 23

Cycling issues identified in Czech Republic and corresponding experiences in Europe 1. Turning: between road and sidewalk (pedestrians + cyclists have priority), combined right of way (not with pedestrians), one-way streets (> priority for on road bicycle lanes at intersections) 2. Signalized intersections and bicycle lanes (> joint signalization, free right turns (> practice, but not legal) 24

Cycling issues identified in Czech Republic and corresponding experiences in Europe 3. Riding in lanes: multipurpose lane (“advisory safety lane”) good experience; roundabouts without cycle lanes bicycle streets rare 4. Crossing: cycle path at minor street good marking, colored pavement, bicycle box for advanced cycle use, indirect left turn as a second option 5. Relation among users: speed reduction 70 kmh on minor rural roads, 30 innerurban, common space with pedestrians for access traffic needed, priority to pedestrians 25

Other issues in the legal environment to encourage cycling § Technical standards for bicycles / pedelecs (EU) § Taxation system (Belgium: subsidies for employees, red. VAT for repair (EU permission)) § House construction legislation (Berlin: quality bicycle parking) § Land use plans (formal road planning procedures) § Public transport plans and contracts 26

Thank you. Difu Gmb. H Tilman Bracher Jörg Thiemann-Linden Zimmerstrasse 13 -15 10969 Berlin ++49 30 39001 -138 www. nrvp. de, cycling-expertise@difu. de 27