Manual Mobility Transition of Berlin

Traffic calming

Since the end of August 2020, cars are no longer allowed to drive along Friedrichstrasse between Leipziger Strasse and Französische Strasse. Instead, a wide cycle lane has been created. The space for pedestrians has been expanded and the quality of time spent on the street has been significantly improved with new seating and plant containers.

- Change in air pollution: Reduction in NO2 pollution of 10 µg/m³

Pop-up cycle lane

In summer 2020, the longest pop-up cycle lane in Germany, 3.6 kilometres in each direction, was completed. This is protected from flowing traffic by parking spaces in the middle of the road. The pop-up cycle lane was created at the expense of a lane for motor vehicles. This made it possible for the first time to create a continuous, comfortable and safe cycling route between the trade fair grounds at the Berlin Radio Tower and the Zoologischer Garten railway station.

- Reduction in NO2 pollution of up to 7.6 µg/m³
- Reduction in motor vehicle traffic by 22 percent
- Increase in cycling traffic by 232 percent

Traffic Calming

The Bergmannkiez neighbourhood and Bergmannstrasse in particular are to be transformed into the car-free neighbourhood of the future. The project began in May 2021 with a ban on through traffic in the neighbourhood (exceptions: Friesenstrasse and Zossener Strasse) and a 20 km/h speed limit.

In June 2021, the following additional redesign measures were taken in the neighbourhood: A protected two-way cycle lane, installation of green elements, reduction of the speed limit to 10 km/h, one-way street regulation, additional delivery areas and crossing areas for pedestrians.

In the third quarter of 2021, through traffic was also banned along Zossener Strasse and Friesenstrasse, a one-way street system was introduced, the entrance areas to the Bergmannkiez were redesigned, and pedestrian zones were established at Chamissoplatz.

- On various sections of Bergmannstrasse, motor vehicle traffic decreased by 77 and 46 percent respectively
- Increase in cycle traffic on Bergmannstrasse by almost 12 percent
- Reduction of NO2 pollution by 12.5 percent

Pop-up cycle lane

30 km/h speed limit

In April 2021, construction work began on the U6 underground line and a separate bus lane was needed for the rail replacement traffic. This was achieved by establishing a temporary cycle lane with clearance for bus traffic. In the area between Alt-Tempelhof and Alt-Mariendorf, all car parking spaces on the right-hand side of the road were removed. After completion of the construction work on the U6, the lane was preserved as a pure cycle lane.

- Reduction in NO2 pollution of 4.6 µg/m³
- Reduction in motor vehicle traffic by 8 percent
- Increase in cycling traffic by 63 percent

Pop-up cycle lane

In May 2020, an unprotected pop-up cycle lane with a length of approximately 450 metres was established on Frankfurter Allee on the northbound carriageway towards Alexanderplatz. This defuses the conflict between cyclists and pedestrians at the entrance to the Samariterstrasse underground station. By moving the cycle lane onto the road, an improvement was above all achieved here for pedestrian traffic.

Pop-up cycle lane

In April 2020, 2.5 m wide temporary pop-up cycle lane were established on both carriageways of Lichtenberger Strasse (between Holzmarktstrasse and Strausberger Platz). These were made permanent in November 2020.

- 14 percent increase in cycle traffic
- 23 percent decrease in motor vehicle volumes

Pop-up cycle lanes

The pop-up cycle lane on Kottbusser Damm and continuing northwards on Kottbusser Strasse in Berlin, creates a connection between the central junctions of Kottbusser Tor and Hermannplatz. The cycle lane is one of the first pop-up cycle lanes in Germany and was established on both sides of the road and along the full length of both roads in April 2020.

- Reduction in NO2 pollution of 8.7 µg/m³.
- Reduction in motor vehicle traffic by 13 percent
- Increase in cycling traffic by 40 percent

Pop-up cycle lane

30 km/h speed limit

Hermannstraße is a 2.6-kilometer-long main road connecting the central Hermannplatz square with the A100 motorfreeway in the Berlin district of Neukölln. In May 2021, a speed limit of 30 km/h was established for the entire length of the Hermannstraße. In a first construction phase, an 860-meter long section of the bicycle lane has been built in the southern part of Hermannstraße between Glasower Straße and Thomasstraße since the end of October 2021.

Bicycle lane

A bike lane protected by bollards was built on Müllerstraße at the expense of a parking lane for motor vehicles. Since June 2023, cycling traffic now has its own infrastructure along the entire 3.7 kilometers of Müllerstraße for the first time.

• Immediate increase in bicycle traffic by 31 percent
• Decrease in the number of motor vehicles by up to 17 percent