The grey-haired gentleman with the cane is disenchanted. “I believed the Germans had higher management of such issues,” he says and laughs. Bruno Dickens comes from Pennsylvania and is presently stopping in Cologne along with his bus tour group. His first ideas: Stunning cathedral. Stunning Rhine. However then this site visitors scenario on the Rhine promenade. “Loopy,” says the American and shakes his head. “All I can do is flip round each few seconds and hope I get via right here in a single piece.” In spite of everything, he was too sluggish to keep away from it.
The promenade is packed on this sunny spring afternoon. A bunch of English-speaking vacationers disembark from the Viking Vali, greeted by two feminine racing cyclists who pace in direction of the cathedral a number of centimeters in entrance of their noses. A younger man confidently steers his rickshaw via the gang; a pedestrian jumps in shock because the automobile rushes previous her. Conflicts between cyclists and pedestrians are a relentless challenge on Cologne’s promenade alongside the Rhine. As of late, when the solar is luring the individuals of Cologne outdoors once more, when buses and cruise ships are more and more disgorging crowds of vacationers on the banks of the Rhine, the issue is apparent.
The cycle path ends in a northerly course on the Resort Maritim.
Copyright: Alexander Schwaiger
“The scenario right here makes me indignant,” says Ursula Clean, who’s strolling on the Rhine promenade along with her walker. She’s not mad on the cyclists who simply select the route that is provided to them. However on politics. “The subject is ceaselessly previous. And nothing occurs,” says the Cologne native. The various e-scooters would have made the scenario even worse. “There must be clear areas for bicycle site visitors and clear areas for pedestrian site visitors,” says Friedhelm Evers, who recurrently walks alongside the Rhine and has been observing the scenario for years.
Ursula Clean is indignant that there’s nonetheless no resolution for biking and strolling on the banks of the Rhine.
Copyright: Simon Westphal
One chance for this might be: Opening of the Rheinufertunnel to bicycle traffic. Security laws have to date prevented the challenge. Solely a basic renovation of the constructing might create the required circumstances. The tunnel is meant as an answer within the metropolis middle biking idea. There is no such thing as a particular schedule.
A rickshaw driver additionally rolls via the stream of pedestrians.
Copyright: Alexander Schwaiger
The identical applies to the part between the Chocolate Museum and the Rhine Financial institution Tunnel. Plans for a everlasting cycle lane have been already in place, costing 1.6 million euros. Shortly earlier than the native elections, the town council postponed the choice. The audit workplace had expressed clear criticism of the template and criticized the shortage of proof and reviews in addition to an inconclusive value calculation. And in addition the momentary two-way cycle path dismantled the city in November. The working prices – 3,775 euros per 30 days – have been too excessive for the town given the strained finances scenario. Now cyclists have half the width at this level. Opposite to what’s permitted, cyclists touring out of city typically intuitively flip onto the slender strip, which then turns into even narrower and extra harmful.
No getting via on the Rheingarten
Tom Richter recurrently crosses the town middle on his e-bike on the way in which to work. Within the space in entrance of the tunnel, the momentary cycle lane labored effectively till November 2025. “Three automotive lanes should not completely mandatory right here,” says Richter. He intentionally avoids the direct route alongside the Rhine in massive areas. “There’s no method via there.” Earlier than the Rhine financial institution tunnel, he prefers to take the route in direction of Heumarkt, previous the Maritim Resort after which via the previous city.
Tom Richter drives across the previous city on the banks of the Rhine on his approach to work.
Copyright: Simon Westphal
“The scenario is tough for everybody,” says Christoph Schmidt, board member Cologne district association of the General German Bicycle Club (ADFC). If the closely touristic foot site visitors on a European one Long-distance cycle path and commuter site visitors, that may’t go effectively. There may be nonetheless no enchancment in sight. Bicycle site visitors was merely not taken under consideration when planning the Rhine financial institution tunnel. The ADFC had already introduced the imaginative and prescient of a high-cycle path into play in 2019. “Maybe this concept needs to be taken extra severely,” says Schmidt.
“No space for vacationers” in Cologne
“Cologne presents itself as a vacationer metropolis, however doesn’t present any areas the place vacationers can transfer round,” says Anne Grose, chairwoman of Fuss eV in Cologne, angrily. The house accessible on the Rhine promenade is urgently wanted by foot site visitors. From their viewpoint, an answer should be discovered to have the ability to use the tunnel, particularly for quick biking site visitors – individuals with e-bikes or racing bikes. She can also be in favor of a everlasting cycle lane between the Chocolate Museum and Rheinuferstrasse in each instructions.
So long as the town takes motion, highway customers will resort to lower-threshold options. “Simply ring the bell on a regular basis,” recommends a person on a rickety Dutch bike. “If everybody rang the bell, there could be fewer issues.” One other good concept to decelerate: simply get off and push.