Protected Cycle Lane © Wolfgang W.
The ADFC's Core Demands for a Bicycle-Friendly Country Plus
The ADFC calls for an efficient mobility system that is safe, healthy, climate-friendly, and affordable for all. This includes a seamless cycling network, an infrastructure fund, and an implementation agreement for a C Bicycle-Friendly Country Plus.
Germany needs an efficient mobility system that meets the needs of all people while ensuring the traffic sector is climate neutral by 2045. Efficient mobility and easy accessibility are central to competitiveness, economic success, employment, prosperity, and social participation. A policy that addresses these factors is also essential for reasons related to the climate, environmental and health protection, as well as social justice.
For the 2025 federal election, the ADFC put forward four core demands to the new federal government:
- A master plan for an efficient mobility system
- An implementation agreement for the for the Bicycle-Friendly Country Plus concept between the federal government and the states
- A national cycling network for everyday use and tourism
- An infrastructure fund with a dedicated pillar for cycling traffic
This requires goal-oriented infrastructure planning and spatial development that focuses on enabling all people to reach their destinations safely, conveniently, and at low cost, in a climate- and environmentally friendly manner — regardless of whether they own a car.
1. Master Plan for an Efficient Mobility System
For the ADFC, an efficient mobility system is not limited to everyday and commuter travel. It also encompasses leisure mobility as well as freight and goods transport, creates synergies, and sets standards in terms of service and quality — ensuring that all modes of transport are efficient and sustainable, while avoding unnecessary traffic.
A modern mobility system is in line with Vision Zero to prevent deaths and serious injuries in road traffic. Accordingly, the Road Traffic Regulations and related frameworks must be further developed (e.g. 30 km/h as the default speed limit, easier establishment of superblocks and school streets).
Federal transport infrastructure planning must be developed into an integrated overall strategy for future-oriented mobility. Such a federal mobility plan requires clear objectives and must take all modes of transport and means of travel into account, linking them in a coherent manner. It should incorporate cyclists and pedestrians as an equal pillar and integrate the National Cycling Plan and the National Walking Strategy as sub-strategies.
2. Implementation Agreement for the Bicycle-Friendly Country Plus concept
Germany has the potential to become a pioneering nation for cycling-friendliness within the next ten years — significantly improving not only mobility, but also quality of life and the functionality of cities and regions. To achieve this, the National Cycling Plan must be further developed so that Germany can become a cycling-friendly country in a holistic sense — which the ADFC has named the Bicycle-Friendly Country Plus vision.
The ADFC therefore recommends developing the third National Cycling Plan 3.0 into an implementation concept for the Bicycle-Friendly Country Plus vision — with clear responsibilities for the federal government, the states, and municipalities, and with adequate funding. The National Cycling Plan implementation agreement between the federal government and the states should create a binding commitment to participate and establish financing pro rata.
3. The German Cycle Network for everyday use and tourism
To fully unlock the potential of cycling traffic, the national cycling network must be tripled over the next ten years. Millions of car commuter trips could be shifted to a combination of 'cycling and public transport' if cycling traffic is integrated more thoroughly at train stations and public transport stops through bicycle parking facilities, bicycle storage, and bicycle-sharing systems.
Germany needs:
- A seamless, comfortable system of cycle paths and safe intersections in all cities, towns, and regions
- Safe inter-municipal cycle paths along federal, state, and district roads
- Cycle highways and priority cycling routes for commuters, particularly in metropolitan areas
- Coordinated expansion and maintenance of tourist routes within the German Cycle Network to create premium routes as premium routes with uniform quality standards for cycling tourism and inter-municipal cycling
- One million bicycle parking spaces and 1,000 bicycle parking facilities at the busiest train stations for everyday cycling traffic and cycling tourism.
4. Infrastructure Fund with a Dedicated Pillar for Cycling
The investment funding programmes launched by the federal government as part of the Cycling Infrastructure Expansion Initiative since 2020 have been well established. Funding has been secured until 2030, but at too low a level. The volume of investments in the cycling infrastructure need to be increased. According to the Conference of the Ministers of Transport,the federal government would need to provide (cycle) funding of €1 bn per year to implement the National Cycling Plan, which covers the Special Programme for Urban and Rural Areas, the promotion of municipal cycling infrastructure, the German Cycle Network programme for tourists and the Investive Model Projects. The ADFC strongly supports this demand.
The financing of the cycling infrastructure is — as in the transport sector as a whole — in fundamental need of reform. Cycling too faces a significant investment backlog as well as considerable investment needs in new construction and modernisation. The multitude of parallel funding programmes with different requirements, durations and shares - which are subject to annual budgetary procedures - does not provide sufficient planning and financial security.
The ADFC therefore proposes a cross-modal infrastructure fund that includes dedicated funding pillars for the expansion of public transport and the cycling infrastructure — with transparent criteria and clear objectives. This kind of fund offers planning and financial security for many years and creates simple, transparent structures. Furthermore, cycling traffic needs statutory regulations that allow the federal government to contribute consistently to the financing of the cycling infrastructure to support the states and municipalities.
Ten Good Reasons for a Bicycle-Friendly Country Plus
1. Free-flowing traffic and reduced congestion
2. A competitive economy powered by modern infrastructure for everyone
3. Improved road safety and fewer lives lost
4. Safe school routes and child-friendly communities
5. Healthier citizens through active, everyday mobility
6. An outstanding quality of life and a more relaxed way of living
7. Cleaner air and climate-friendly transport
8. Thriving cycling tourism as a boost to regional economies
9. Affordable mobility and stronger social cohesion
10. Small investment, big impact — the case for cycling infrastructure
