Germany gets a Velobahn

Yes yes. Copenhagen and Amsterdam rock for cycling. We all know it. Well now Germany wants to have a thing to say about that. The first 5km of a new Velobahn have opened up. Keep right except to pass…If you haven’t guessed, a Velobahn is separated bike infrastructure. Unlike the mixed use trails so common around me in California, the path is wide enough to allow faster cyclists to pass slower moving cyclists going the same direction without having to face the folks coming the other direction. Presumably the Velobahn will also be off limits to joggers, skateboarders, and those pesky dogs that want to lick my ankles as I ride by.

We don't need no stinkin' Velobahn!
Why would we need a Velobahn?

Reportedly it even uses overpasses and underpasses where it crosses other roads to eliminate the interactions at intersections – and the need to stop.

Meanwhile here in the US our uber example of the bicycle city of the future – Davis California – seems to be struggling instead with a bicycle theft problem. We’ll just keep cycling our way thank you…