Weilheim: ADFC boycotts "City Cycling"

Created: 06/20/2022, 08:00

By: Magnus Reitinger

The ADFC district board is disappointed with the activities of the city of Weilheim in terms of cycling promotion: (from left) René Blind, Jan Meyer, Dieter Schleiermacher, Ernst Roeckl and Ina Benesch.

© adfc Weilheim-Schongau

The passionate cyclists of the ADFC have always been among the pillars of "city cycling" in Weilheim.

But this year they are boycotting the campaign - out of frustration: the city is doing far too little to promote cycling, the ADFC district association criticizes, the "city cycling" is a "fig leaf campaign".

Weilheim

– Next Saturday, June 25th, the three-week “City Cycling” event will start.

Weilheim is there for the twelfth time.

The city invites everyone who lives, works, goes to school or does voluntary work here to "pedal together for climate protection and the local promotion of cycling".

But perhaps the most active cyclists in Weilheim are not at the start this time.

The district association Weilheim-Schongau of the General German Bicycle Club (ADFC) has decided "for the time being no longer register a team for city cycling because we do not want to support a pure 'fig leaf campaign'", as stated in a press release.

“Unfortunately, the intentions have hardly been followed by deeds”

In previous years, the district association had always started with its own team, the "ADFC Allstars", and collected an average of almost 15,000 kilometers by bike per edition for the city of Weilheim.

"We always had the hope that the city of Weilheim would not only participate in city cycling as a municipality, but also promote cycling in the long term," writes the ADFC, referring to "numerous declarations of intent" in this regard.

For example, the city commissioned a cycle traffic concept that has been available for a good year and contains many suggestions for improvement.

In 2019, the city council also made the fundamental decision to invest 350,000 euros per year in cycling.

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"Unfortunately, these intentions have hardly been followed by deeds," complained the ADFC board.

“Announced cycle paths, for example on Deutenhausener Strasse or on the east side of Münchner Strasse in the direction of Aldi/Mediamarkt, are still missing and only a small part of the agreed investment volume has flowed so far.

A few bicycle lanes have been designated in recent years, but somehow half-heartedly and with such modest markings that many cyclists and even more motorists don't even notice it."

Doubts about the political will

With reference to the tight finances, planned or promised measures are being postponed year after year, the ADFC states.

"Only: why do you promise something if it can't be implemented at all?

Or is there just a lack of political will and the willingness to set appropriate priorities?

The latter could be assumed.” But symbolic actions would be of no use if cycling “is not promoted at all or only insufficiently,” complain the board members – and ask whether “city cycling” is “pure green washing” act.

"Concrete and recognizable measures" required

The city of Weilheim should "prove over the next few months and years that it is serious about the sustainable promotion of cycling and that the declaration of intent is now actually being quickly translated into concrete and recognizable measures," concludes the letter from the ADFC activists: "Then we would be the first to call for participation in urban cycling again and to nominate a team.

It would at least be desirable for this year's city cycling that the city councilors themselves take part in full or in majority and not just with a minority as before."