Cyclists overpower the Rhine River Tunnel each year during the ADFC star ride, with a impressive 3000 participating.
In the heart of North Rhine-Westphalia, over 3000 bike activists from various regions across Germany gathered in Düsseldorf on Sunday, 4th of May, for a cycling event with the motto "Stop talking - start acting!". The event, held four months before the local election in North Rhine-Westphalia, was a protest against the slow progress in improving cycling infrastructure in Düsseldorf.
The participants started from over 80 different points, including Münsterland, the Ruhr area, Bergisches Land, the Lower Rhine, the Rhine region, and Bonn. The cycling demo, which covered around 18 kilometers, included crossing two Rhine bridges and the Rhine tunnel, which was exclusively for cyclists for a few minutes.
Daniela Günther, the new chairwoman of the ADFC Düsseldorf, emphasized the need for immediate action on cycling from politics. She was joined by Susanne Niemann, chairwoman of the ADFC state association NRW, who called for politicians who prioritize safe bike lanes.
Vera Konrad, an ADFC member from Mönchengladbach, collected signatures to restore a protected bike lane that was withdrawn by the city administration. Konrad presented three central demands for all cities and communities in NRW: immediate clarification of dangerous spots, concrete measures for speed in cycling infrastructure, and more space for cycling lanes, parking spaces, and courage.
The search results do not provide specific information about the current demands of the General German Bicycle Club (ADFC) for improving cycling infrastructure in North Rhine-Westphalia or Düsseldorf. However, based on what is generally known about the ADFC's advocacy, it typically calls for the expansion and maintenance of safe, continuous, and well-marked bike lanes separated from motor vehicle traffic. Improved intersection design to ensure cyclist safety, enhanced bike parking facilities, better integration of cycling with public transport, promotion of bike-sharing systems, and measures to reduce car traffic dominance and promote modal shift toward cycling are also key demands.
Since Düsseldorf is a major city in NRW, these demands would logically include specific local improvements like more extensive bike lane networks on major routes, traffic calming measures, and investment in cycling infrastructure aligned with the city's urban planning. For the most current and detailed demands from the ADFC specific to NRW or Düsseldorf, consulting official ADFC NRW communications or local policy documents would be necessary, as the search results mainly include general information on bike-sharing systems and cycling promotion bodies, not the ADFC's advocacy positions.
A family bike with three seats, called the Tridem, was seen during the demo, with claims that it can reach an average speed of 30 kilometers per hour with two adults and one child on board. The event also highlighted a folding bike as a viable alternative to a car for daily transportation, connecting bike routes and public transport.
Surprised motorists were held back by the police in favor of the cycling demo. The event concluded with a call to action for politicians to prioritize cycling infrastructure and make Düsseldorf a safer and more bike-friendly city.
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