Inner-city cycling paths
Whoever travels by bike every day – for example on the way to work, to school or to kindergarten – will usually have to deal with the traffic. However, most of the cities in the VVO region offer an excellent network of cycle paths.
The cycle paths are usually separate cycling lanes (or the striped protection lane) on the street or on the pavement. However, sometimes there is no separately marked lane. In this case cyclists must use the right hand side of the lane or if so indicated, share the pavement with pedestrians.
The StVO (German Road Traffic Code) differentiates between obligatory cycling paths and “other” cycling paths.
A traffic sign with a white bicycle on a blue background denotes a cycling path that the cyclist must use. In this case the cyclist is not permitted to cycle on the street. If the sign is not shown after an intersection, then the cycling path ends at the intersection.
“Other cycling paths” do not have a traffic sign. They have been built as a cycling path and are recognisable as such. They only exist on the right side of the street.
Pavements that have the additional sign “free for cyclists” may be used by cyclists, but this is not obligatory. These paths are primarily for pedestrians, which means that cyclists must always watch out for pedestrians and should only cycle at walking speed. Children up to the age of 8 must cycle on the pavement.
One way streets that have a sign saying “free for cyclists”, may be used by cyclists against the direction of the traffic. Without this additional sign, cyclists may only use one way streets in the direction indicated by the traffic sign.
StVO signs: cycle path, common path for pedestrians and cyclists, separate paths for pedestrians and cyclists, pavement for pedestrians with additional sign