"Bike-friendly municipality": Holzkirchen still has homework

Created: 09/17/2022, 07:32

How bike-friendly is Holzkirchen?

This was assessed by the jury with Sarah Guttenberger (left), Robert Burschik (5th from right) and Birgit Zehetmaier (4th from left) during a main tour with Mayor Christoph Schmid (5th from left) and location promoter Eva-Maria Schmitz (3rd from left). fl).

© Jörg Wedekind

Holzkirchen wants to become a "bicycle-friendly municipality".

Now a jury cycled through the town to assess whether the market town is ready for full membership in the AGFK.

Holzkirchen

– Holzkirchen was the first municipality in the Miesbach district to apply for certification as a “bicycle-friendly municipality” back in 2018.

During a tour of the town, a commission of three jurors examined whether the market town met all the requirements.

Her conclusion: a lot is true, but there is still homework to do.

There is a relaxed, tense atmosphere in the small meeting room of the Holzkirchner town hall.

People discuss how to promote cycling in Holzkirchen and pour coffee.

Actually, everyone is waiting for Sarah Guttenberger from the Working Group for Cycle-Friendly Municipalities (AGFK), Robert Burschik from the General German Bicycle Club (ADFC) and Birgit Zehetmaier from the Bavarian Ministry of Transport.

The three jurors have retired to the large meeting room to deliberate.

They assess whether Holzkirchen meets the requirements to become a full member of the AGFK.

The AGFK is not a club that you can just join.

Candidate members must be measured against a list of criteria.

Last but not least, the jury's decision is based on the impressions they gained on a bike tour through Holzkirchen, the main tour.

Jury bikes through community with local representatives

With representatives of the community, the Round Table Rad, the district office, the state building authority in Rosenheim and the police in Holzkirchen, the jury led by Guttenberger made its way through the community on Thursday afternoon.

The convoy comes to a halt right at the bridge in Frühlingstraße.

Eva-Maria Schmitz, head of location promotion in the town hall, points to the bollard that separates the lane and explains that markings have been placed on the ground instead of a second bollard.

Guttenberger nods appreciatively: "The markings serve to avoid accidents."

Also read: Holzkirchner local bus now comes via app: Rufbus "Hoki" started

More controversial is the signage on Austraße, which leads past the Frühlingsdorf kindergarten to Industriestraße.

A pedestrian path is marked there, but it is open to cyclists.

However, you are required to do so at walking pace due to the signs.

Burschik doesn't seem to like that, he wishes he could ride his bike freely. While Johann Brandhuber, head of the police inspection, and Johann Bachhuber from the regulatory office in the town hall joined the discussion, the other tour participants continued on their way.

The roundabout on Industriestraße leads to Erlkamer Straße and the connection to the new cycle path to Otterfing.

Here, the jurors propose changes to the floor markings, and the circulation blocks are also criticized.

And Burschik keeps pointing out confusing signs.

Mayor Christoph Schmid (CSU) is grateful despite the criticism: "I haven't seen some things yet, but I'm ready to implement a lot." He sees the advantage of AGFK membership above all in the service that the working group offers.

"We want to strengthen cycling, so we can use the advice of the AGFK."

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“Holzkirchen has a lot of potential”

His personal commitment to cycling was highlighted in the final assessment by jury member Guttenberger: "You're interested," she praises.

And adds: "Holzkirchen has a lot of potential." Public participation and the construction of bicycle parking facilities are rated positively.

The basic decision in the municipal council is also praised.

However, according to Guttenberger in her closing speech, there is still room for improvement.

Also read: Sobering survey: Holzkirchner prefer the car to the bike

Although a cycle network plan had been decided, it must now be implemented.

"It is important that you can also see something outside," adds juror Zehetmaier.

More homework: check the signage and establish a construction site management system so that the permeability for bicycle traffic is guaranteed.

Mountain arrival instead of final sprint

The community has until the end of October 2023 to do their homework.

She has to prove this in a report to the AGFK and can then receive the "Bike-Friendly Municipality" certificate.

"We're using the year to get it done," Schmitz assures in a first reaction.

However, the hoped-for final sprint for certification turns into a somewhat more demanding mountain climb.

Andreas Wolkenstein