Leverkusen’s City cycling Initiative Gains Momentum

LEVERKUSEN, Germany (AP) — Leverkusen’s annual “City Cycling” campaign is encouraging residents to embrace cycling for health, environmental benefits, and ease of transportation. The initiative, running as 2016, sees residents and those who work or study in Leverkusen log their cycling kilometers to promote enduring ‍transportation.

Increased Participation, Shorter Trips

While the total kilometers cycled decreased slightly from 473,241 in 2023 to 450,944 in 2024, participation rose ‍from 2,062 to 2,125‍ cyclists. The number of individual cycling trips increased significantly, from 37,886 in 2023 to 40,484 in 2024, according to city data.

Mayor Uwe Richrath emphasized the importance of the initiative. “I am pleased when many leverkuseners find that the bike in everyday life is the most uncomplicated and cheapest means of transport – one that should be moved regularly, also as this ⁣benefits personal health and the climate,” Richrath said. ⁢”Only such positive experiences ensure a permanent change in mobility behavior. This means that the more people participate in the action,the more likely something changes for the⁢ positive.”

alexander Lünenbach, from the department for citizens, the surroundings and social issues, noted the campaign’s success in encouraging‍ shorter bike⁣ trips.”So we have achieved an notable ‍goal: We wanted to address ‍more cyclists again to make shorter⁣ distances⁢ by bike,” Lünenbach⁤ said. “Every single⁣ kilometer that is entered via the city cycling app counts-especially if you had‍ otherwise covered it by car.”

Competitive Categories and Easy Registration

Organizers have introduced various competitive categories to encourage participation, including⁢ classifications for primary schools, middle and upper-level schools, and small teams of⁤ 4 to 10 members.

Christiane Jäger, head of the mobility and climate protection⁢ department, highlighted the ease of registration. “Every citizen can participate in Leverkusens and also everyone who works⁤ in Leverkusen, a Leverkusen association, go to school or study. You can⁢ start a team or⁤ join an existing team – whereby two people are already considered‍ to take part,” ⁤Jäger said. Malte Müller,clerk digitization/public relations in the department of mobility⁢ and climate protection,added ‍that vacation bike tours completed‍ during the campaign period can also be logged.

Leverkusen Leaders Encouraged to Participate

Uwe Witte, chairman of the ADFC Leverkusen, hopes local leaders will participate. “I would be happy if the council women and men were a role model with this campaign and⁤ participate in large numbers,” Witte said. He also noted the campaign’s potential to highlight areas for improvement in the city’s cycling infrastructure.

Bike⁣ Sharing⁢ Option Available

For those without a bicycle, the Wupsirad bike-sharing program offers over 600 ⁣bikes at 120 ⁢locations throughout the city, according to ⁣Wupsi spokeswoman Kristin Menzel.Options range from standard city bikes to e-bikes and ⁢e-cargo bikes.

How to Participate

Participants can register on ⁤the City Cycling homepage and log their kilometers manually⁤ or automatically via the city Cycling app. Team results are tracked, and winners are recognized in⁣ various categories. the city also competes against other municipalities, with the primary goal of reducing CO2⁤ emissions.

Commitment to Sustainability

Leverkusen, as a globally sustainable municipality, is committed to the United Nations’ sustainability goals, including climate protection. Participation in City Cycling helps the⁤ city implement its sustainability strategy.