BIKE: Someone who doesn't come from Tübingen wonders at the sight of the structure: Why is the bridge blue?
Boris Palmer: "Tübingen goes blue" has been the name of our climate protection programme since 2008. Blue roofs are photovoltaics. Blue sky, good weather, blue planet stands for climate protection. And about ten years ago, I once asked: Is the colour of cycle paths in Germany fixed or can you choose them? And surprisingly, there is a gap in the regulations. Most cycle paths are red, but you don't have to do it that way. We then looked at a few shades of blue and all the cycle paths in Tübingen are now the blue colour of the bridge.
In the past, coloured cycle paths or cycle lanes were often slippery when wet. Presumably you checked this beforehand with the blue colour?
This is a very grippy surface, no difference to a black one. And we already have ten years of experience with it, so there's no problem.
Copenhagen was the model for Tübingen
Is there a concrete model for the bridge?
Yes, there is the so-called Cycelslangen in Copenhagen. We visited and travelled on it with the municipal council in 2016 as part of a delegation trip. I was already enthusiastic about the bridge beforehand, but even more so afterwards, and the idea that we could and should do something similar in Tübingen never left me. When the federal government then launched a suitable funding programme with very high grant quotas, we applied and were successful, which led to planning and construction.
When planning the bridge, did you have a target figure for how many users would make it worthwhile or justify the expense?
In the first year, we expect around 2000 users per day. It was difficult to make an actual forecast because this route did not exist before. But I believe that there is still a lot more potential. 300 metres away from the bridge, at the cycle tunnel, we have already counted 1.5 million cyclists this year, which is an increase of 30 per cent compared to 2019 and on peak days that's 6,000 to 7,000 cyclists.
"If you want to motivate people to switch, cycling has to be safe and fast"
What are your experiences after the first few weeks?
I only meet happy cyclists. Sure, there are a few grumblers and people who ask whether so much money is needed for cycling and a bridge like this. But those who use it are delighted. That's a lesson from the example set in Copenhagen: you can definitely tell cyclists "you're important!". If you want to motivate people to switch, then cycling must be safe and fast, it must be convenient, and it must also include a gesture of appreciation, which is what this bridge expresses. Cycling is important to us in Tübingen. I think it's a very good investment.
In view of the route, one could come up with the idea that the bridge could have been significantly shorter and therefore cheaper. Does the curved route fall under the keyword "convenient"?
It's true, The bridge could have been made shorter, but then the federal government would not have given any money. It stipulates a maximum gradient of six per cent for such a cycle connection. The result is a very comfortable route, it has to be said. The six per cent gradient is very pleasant to ride, even without an electric drive. This gradient requirement indirectly determines the route, because if you want to get by with a maximum gradient of six per cent, you can't do without the bends.
The bridge crosses a main road and a railway line - does that save a lot of time?
How much time and metres do you save by taking the bridge?
That depends very much on the traffic situation. The railway barrier closes between four and eight times an hour, so you're standing quite often, which is four minutes. Then there is a traffic light, which is another 90 seconds depending on the cycle. If you're lucky, you might need three to four minutes for the journey, but if things go badly, it could be eight minutes. You can certainly ask whether five to ten minutes' time saving justifies this investment. But if you look at other transport investments, five to ten minutes for a single measure is a real effect.
Why is the bridge right here?
It is in an extremely important strategic location. For historical and topographical reasons, we have a difficult situation for cycle traffic in the city in connecting the large residential districts in the Neckar Valley with the university in the Ammer Valley. There was not a single good cycle path connection on the main cycle routes. The bridge now spans the main road and the railway line. Together with the existing bridge over the Neckar and the cycle tunnel through the mountain, it is now possible to overcome all three previously almost insurmountable obstacles in one go in three minutes. There are 3,000 jobs and 3,000 school places right here - the bridge also provides a safe and attractive connection for these people. We wouldn't build five such bridges, there's no need for them, but here, right here, it's extremely important.
Is carriageway heating also useful for cycle paths?
Many critics saw the heating of the carriageway as the epitome of a waste of money. Some media outlets poked fun at this with a smug undertone, and the comments on social networks ranged from malicious to aggressive. What do you think of the criticism?
We use 100 per cent green electricity from the municipal utility company to heat the carriageway to three degrees. This ensures that the bridge can be used and travelled on at all times. Otherwise it would be impossible to time it so that the bridge is always cleared and gritted in good time. Wet conditions freeze much faster on a bridge like this. That's why there are automated defrosting systems on motorways; nobody gets upset about that, because otherwise there would always be accidents. This is our defrosting system, which also doesn't need any salt, which means that the structure lasts much longer. Ultimately, it makes sense and only offers advantages.
Do you encounter a lot of resistance from the car lobby or the motoring public with your form of cycling promotion?
Interestingly, this has not been an issue at all in recent years. This is not the first cycle bridge that we have built in Tübingen, but already the third. A fourth will go into operation next year, as well as a new large cycle subway. This was largely uncontroversial in the urban community. Most people know that cycling is the main mode of transport in Tübingen and that the bridge is a really important connection. Previously, cyclists had to take the route completely into nirvana, stop at a railway crossing and at traffic lights, cycle on a four-lane road and take long detours. I would never have let my children ride on that stretch of road. Schoolchildren can now cross the bridge without any worries.
"Cars are so slow in the city that you are always better off with a good cycle infrastructure."
In your opinion, should motorised traffic be reduced more or is it enough to promote cycling?
Promoting cycling is quite enough. However, this creates conflicts over space. Incidentally, we avoided this with the construction of the bridge, as it is now in place without taking anything away from car traffic. But of course it is often the case that when you build a cycle path, you have to take space away from either pedestrians or cars, for example by removing a parking lane. This is often interpreted as if the car drivers are being harmed. In reality, however, it is an unavoidable redistribution of space. Cars are so slow in the city that it is always better to have a good cycle infrastructure. The average speed for cars in German cities is 20 kilometres per hour. On a well-developed cycle path, you can easily travel faster, provided it is free of junctions and you are not stuck in traffic jams and at traffic lights like car drivers. A key feature of our cycle path concept is that you can cycle long distances from the city to the outskirts without having to stop if you have priority and no traffic lights.
In your opinion, what are the three most important criteria for promoting cycling?
Safety comes first. The criterion is: Would I let my children cycle there? If the answer is 'no', the cycle path is no good. The second criterion is comfort, which also means: is the path fast and direct, speed counts. I don't want to have to stand around at traffic lights all the time. And the third criterion is sufficient width. An 80 centimetre narrow cycle path where I feel crammed in between buses and cars is subjectively and objectively dangerous. We have established a minimum standard of four metres for two-way cycle paths.
How important are sufficient bicycle parking spaces?
Parking spaces are an important issue, but not quite as important as the route. When in doubt, cyclists also park their bikes on lampposts. This may bother other people, but it's normal for cyclists; many do it even if there are enough parking spaces in the immediate vicinity because they want to be faster. It was different at the railway station, where we actually had chaos with hundreds of bikes that couldn't find a space. We have also invested heavily there. The bike station has an underground car park with 1100 spaces. We now offer a total of 2000 bicycle parking spaces at the station, which has brought a huge leap in quality, especially for commuters who also want to park an expensive bike safely.
"I drive around 5000 kilometres a year"
What is your personal relationship with the bicycle? Is it primarily a problem solver for you and a building block in the mobility transition, or do you also have an emotional connection to cycling?
The bike is my favourite piece of sports equipment, I cycle around 5000 kilometres a year. A lot of it is everyday cycling, but it's also an opportunity for me to give it some thought. I feel good after a quarter of an hour of cycling uphill. When it suits my job and family, I spend my summer holidays in the Alps and cycle over mountain passes for days on end. The more metres in altitude, the better.
What kind of bike do you ride?
With a normal trekking bike, on the road, so that you can also take luggage with you. The bike is also emotionally important to me personally. Perhaps in the same way as a car is for others. My "holy metal" is my bike.
Where did that come from? Was there a particular experience?
That has developed. As a student, I didn't cycle much, which surprises me looking back, because it was six kilometres to school, which I would always cycle today. I actually only started cycling during my studies after I always travelled by bus in the first semester and found it too slow and too crowded. Once I realised how much more relaxed, comfortable and flexible it is than the bus, I never stopped. I didn't go on my first bike tour until I was at university, once across the Alps. After that, I was hooked and had to do it every year.
How many bikes do you own?
Three. One is my company car (a Cube S-pedelec with the word "company car" on it, editor's note). I only use it when there's no other option. For example, after the coronavirus infection, when the doctors told me to give sport a miss. I thought to myself, then I'll just ride an electric bike. I don't normally use it, only when I have to go particularly fast or particularly far. Otherwise, I have a bike for transporting children and my trekking bike, which I use for sporty cycling.
What was your longest company car journey by bike?
The battery doesn't last more than 50 kilometres. So I mean: If I need the S-Pedelec, then I also need the full power, otherwise I can leave it alone. And if you pedal at full power, it's finished after 50 kilometres. But if you want to know exactly: The longest business trip was for the inauguration of the mayor of Hayingen, which was 38 kilometres from Reutlingen station, steeply uphill. The journey took two hours, after which the battery was recharged and it was back the same way again.
No company car for Boris Palmer
Keyword "S-Pedelec". You can see an additional sign on the cycle path signs everywhere in Tübingen with the inscription "Free for S-Pedelecs". Is this a special Mayor Palmer regulation or have you found a loophole? Is the use of S-pedelecs on cycle paths normally prohibited in Germany?
In 2010, I got rid of my company car for good and my "company car" is the S-Pedelec. I then took a closer look at the fact that I am constantly travelling illegally in the city. As mayor, you don't really want to do that. Legally speaking, S-pedelecs are motorbikes that are not allowed on cycle paths. As a consequence, this means that riding through the cycle tunnel is prohibited, but permitted on four-lane federal roads and in car tunnels. That's when I said, people, I'm not a suicide. I'm not going to cycle through a four-lane road tunnel. This regulation can't be right. Then I set about finding an exception. It went back and forth for a few years, with letters to federal and state transport ministers, until at some point the state transport minister said he wouldn't object if we put up a sign like that. Then we just put it up.
Has any other municipality in Germany done the same?
As far as I know, no. Switzerland is exemplary here, where it is generally permitted to ride an S-pedelec on the cycle path. That is the crucial point. In Switzerland, 20 per cent of all e-bikes sold are S-pedelecs, in Germany two per cent. The reason is that people aren't crazy enough to ride legally through federal road tunnels. Nobody does that. In principle, you're not allowed to ride them anywhere except on the road. That makes them useless. Yet they are actually ideal vehicles for commuters. You don't ride them on the cycle path in town at 45 km/h all the time. It's like banning a Porsche driver from driving through a traffic-calmed zone because he could theoretically drive at 300 km/h.
Has the number of S-Pedelecs in Tübingen increased since the cycle paths were opened?
In my opinion it is, but this is within the realm of observation, unfortunately I can't prove it.
The new cycle bridge in Tübingen
The "blue bridge" in Tübingen is 365 metres long and connects the southern districts with the city centre across the railway tracks. It reaches a maximum height of ten metres and overcomes a gradient of six percent. The four metre wide carriageway can be heated so that the connection can be used safely all year round. The absence of road salt extends the service life of the structure. The bridge cost 16 million euros, of which the city of Tübingen had to pay around 4.5 million euros; the remaining sum came from federal and Baden-Württemberg state subsidies.
About the person
Boris Palmer is 52 years old and comes from Waiblingen. He has been Lord Mayor of the university city of Tübingen since 2007 and was confirmed in office with an absolute majority in both the 2014 and 2022 mayoral elections. He was previously a member of the Baden-Württemberg state parliament as a member of the Green Party/Alliance 90. Following an internal party dispute, he left the party in 2023 and has been a non-party member ever since. The eloquent and opinionated politician is a frequent guest on talk shows. Palmer is married and has three children; his eldest daughter is from his previous relationship with Franziska Brantner, the new national chairwoman of the Alliance 90/The Greens party since November 2024.
Thomas Musch
Publisher
