Another look at Germany’s bicycle boom: implications for local transportation policy & planning strategy in the USA

There are conflicting views regarding the substantial growth in cycling in Germany since the early 1970s. Pucher argues that it is almost entirely attributable to public policy. A number of German experts would give planning and public policy far less credit, and attribute this growth in cycling instead to other factors, such as urban congestion, the oil shocks of the 1970s, environmental awareness, and changes in urban form. The article that follows is an attempt to explain the two diverging viewpoints and draw conclusions that nevertheless prove useful in the quest to promote cycling as a legitimate mode of transport. It calls for a more involved type of strategic planning that, in addition to traditional policy measures, seeks to build political consensus and power by strengthening community groups and coalitions. (A)