Bicycle - Saxony follows in city cycling
Riding bikes for a good climate - this is the idea behind the action Stadtradeln, which finds more supporters every year throughout Germany. In Saxony, 18 cities are participating in this year's event. That's more than last year (11), but in comparison to other federal states, it's still not as deeply rooted in Saxony. "Stadtradeln is not as established in Saxony as it is in other federal states," explained Sebastian Reisch, spokesperson for the Climate Alliance.
The goal of the action is for people to ride their bikes for as many of the 21 days as possible. Riding bikes as an eco-friendly mode of transportation is meant to raise awareness. A commune participating in Stadtradeln can join in. The kilometers ridden are recorded. Each year, winning communes are recognized in various categories.
Leipzig and Dresden have been participating for a long time
Leipzig was the first city in Saxony to participate in the action in 2009. The following year, it ranked third among cities with over 500,000 inhabitants. Over 3.5 million kilometers were ridden by Leipzig residents during the action period. Dresden is also among the pioneers of Stadtradeln, according to the Climate Alliance.
Compared to other federal states, the 18 participating Saxon cities are relatively few. In Rhineland-Palatinate, a state similar in size to Saxony, 124 communes are participating this year. In Saxony-Anhalt, there are 31 communes, and in Thuringia, there are 36.
"One reason for this could be that Saxony, as the only landscape state, does not financially support the participation of its communes," explained Bundnis-spokesperson Reisch. In many other federal states, support has led to increased participation. Saxony-Anhalt began funding the campaign in 2023 with noticeable results. The year before, only four communes had participated.
Free State examines funding
The Saxon Transport Ministry stated that it welcomes the Stadtradeln campaign and recognizes its positive impact. However, it has not been able to financially support the participation fees "for various reasons" so far. "Intensive discussions are currently underway on how the support for Saxon communes can be designed in the future." Since the administration is committed to efficiency and frugality, the administrative costs must also be considered.
Nationwide, 2,835 communes participated in Stadtradeln last year. Approximately 1.1 million people took part. They rode a combined total of 228 million kilometers.
- Despite the increasing popularity of Stadtradeln in Germany, Saxony-Anhalt has recently started funding the campaign, leading to an increase in participating communes from four to an unspecified number.
- Saxony, with its 18 participating cities in this year's Stadtradeln event, lags behind Rhineland-Palatinate, which has 124 communes participating, in terms of commitment to the eco-friendly initiative.
- Leipzig and Dresden, both located in Saxony, have been active participants in the Stadtradeln action, with Leipzig ranking third among cities with over 500,000 inhabitants in 2010, and Dresden also recognized as a pioneer by the Climate Alliance.
- Cycling advocates believe that one of the reasons for Saxony's lower rate of participation in Stadtradeln is its lack of financial support for communes joining the action, unlike many other federal states that offer funding reimbursements.
- Participation in Stadtradeln extends beyond Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt, with Thuringia having 36 participating communes last year, contributing to the nationwide total of 2,835 communes and an approximate 1.1 million participants who collectively rode 228 million kilometers during the 21-day event.
