Susanne Neumann puts it diplomatically: “We still see a lot of room for improvement with the current winter service for cyclists in Frankfurt,” says the representative of the General German Bicycle Club (ADFC) in the Main metropolis. The city administration had purchased new sweepers and spreaders last year – and this one publicly presented. In addition, the sweeping plans and locations have been adjusted, says Neumann. “In fact, it looks like the cleaning of the cycle paths usually only begins when the winter road clearance has been completed.” And that is often too late for cyclists who want to get to work or training early in the morning. The car continues to have priority over the bike – even when it comes to winter service.
Neumann is not alone in this view. As a (non-representative) survey by the SZ among almost a dozen ADFC district and local clubs shows, there is criticism of the winter service almost everywhere. In Berlin, for example, many cycle paths are “either not cleared at all or sharp-edged grit is scattered,” it says. In Gera in Thuringia, the winter service generally ignores the cycle paths along the road. The ADFC in Stuttgart also reports numerous complaints from cyclists; the winter service there is perceived as “insufficient, since important routes are not cleared”. According to the local ADFC representatives, in the past two or three years the city administration in Dresden has started to set up at least a rudimentary winter network for everyday cycling; the Elbe cycle path in the city area is “reliably cleared”. In Gera, the cycling facilities are “regularly used as a place to deposit snow from the sidewalk,” criticizes Friedrich Franke from the ADFC in Gera. And unfortunately, according to Franke, the city does not intervene.
Rosalie Kreuijer from ADFC Leipzig also reports that cycle paths and lanes are only cleared once there, even during longer periods of snowfall, but not afterwards. The result: leftover snow and ice melts during the day and freezes again at night; the same applies to leftover snow, which cyclists with snow-covered tires would spread back onto the sections that had already been cleared. Within a short time, “another layer of ice” develops, which is a danger for many cyclists. Her verdict: “Compared to real cycling countries like the Netherlands or Denmark, that’s an indictment.”
But if you want to make progress in climate protection and encourage people to switch to more environmentally friendly means of transport such as bicycles, you have to ensure that they can get around safely and at least reasonably comfortably by bike or e-bike in winter, argues the ecologically-oriented traffic club Germany (VCD). in one Position paper on the “Profit Factor Bicycle” the association demands that “winter service and street cleaning should clear and clean cycle lanes with at least the same priority as motor vehicle lanes”.
In a online survey by the ADAC automobile club, which has not been suspected of promoting cycling for many years, from 2020, 61 percent of those surveyed stated that they did not use their bicycles or e-bikes at all in winter. Only eight percent cycled longer than a quarter of an hour on at least three days a week. According to the “Mobility in Germany” study, which the Federal Ministry of Transport regularly compiles, bicycle traffic decreases by around 50 percent in winter.
In the ADAC survey, around 70 percent of those surveyed stated that they found out about the predicted temperatures and then decided for or against the bike. A third of those questioned who rarely or never cycle in winter do not cycle because of the cold and because of the weather conditions. The remaining third give other reasons. However, every second winter cyclist is most bothered by the risk of falling due to ice and loose gravel.
The ADAC, like ADFC and VCD, is therefore appealing to the municipalities to clear cycle paths well and at least the main cycle path network as completely as possible. The clearing service should combat any remaining ice with a saline solution. “Our survey shows great potential for more bicycle traffic in winter,” says Stefan Gerwens, head of the traffic department at ADAC. “The prerequisite for this is increased winter service.”
Experts advocate “black clearance”
However, the devil is often in the details: if, for example, grit is scattered, many cyclists see the risk of falling as increasing – at least if the stones are not swept up quickly after the winter. They also like to dig into the tires and cause breakdowns. Experts therefore advocate the so-called “black clearance”, i.e. clearing the cycle path as completely as possible so that at the end the black asphalt band stands out from the white, snow-covered surroundings (hence the technical term). This also prevents ruts in the slush from freezing to ice when temperatures fluctuate – and thus becoming a danger for cyclists again.
According to the Federal Highway Research Institute (BASt), when clearing black roads, the clearers have to use their vehicles – especially in heavy snowfall – to first roughly clear the cycle path with a (narrow) snow plow, and then use large, rotating brushes to remove the last bits of ice and snow from the asphalt scratch. Anything that cannot be removed with it must be dissolved with salt or brine. However, many municipalities do not have the money to (additionally) purchase such machines.
In order to protect the environment, numerous towns and communities have statutes prohibiting the spreading of de-icing salt, mostly sodium chloride, sometimes also calcium and magnesium chloride – including on cycle paths. However, if the salt is sprayed on instead of spreading it over a large area, the amount applied can be significantly reduced. According to BASt, this was shown by spray tests on vehicle lanes. The problem here too: purchasing and operating such spray attachments costs money.
In addition, some cyclists complain about the use of salt on the cycle path: Because it tends to attack exposed bicycle parts, for example the chain or the sprocket of a derailleur; Rust can then spread more quickly. Experts therefore advise winter cyclists to maintain their drive even more often in the cold season than in summer – and above all, well in advance. So if possible before the chain makes loud running or squeaking noises or even begins to rust.