Munich: bicycle route capital with 103 new cycle paths!

Munich: bicycle route capital with 103 new cycle paths!

In Munich it rolls on two wheels: the Bavarian capital has the highest proportion of bicycle traffic of all major German cities. Around 21 percent of daily journeys here are made by bicycle, which is particularly noticeable on the commute to work at an impressive 26 percent. The city owes this, among other things, to its extensive network of over 100 bicycle routes, which makes it the “bicycle route capital” of Germany. Mayor Dominik Krause recently visited the 100th bicycle street on Wilramstrasse in the Ramersdorf-Perlach district.

With a total of 103 cycle routes and a total length of over 47 kilometers, Munich has a lot to offer. These specially marked streets give cyclists priority and the freedom to ride next to each other. The maximum speed of 30 km/h ensures that the streets remain safe for pedestrians. Cars, trucks and motorcycles are only allowed with the additional sign “Motor vehicles free”, so cyclists are in the majority. Particularly worth mentioning is the first bicycle-only street in Freiham, which is only accessible to cyclists and pedestrians and is 850 meters long.

Stagnation in cycling and infrastructure in need of investment

The study “Mobility in Germany 2023”, which was published on March 25, 2025, also shows that the proportion of households with electric bicycles has increased from 8 percent to 21 percent and the average distance traveled by bicycle has increased from 3.8 to 4.3 kilometers. At the same time, the number of passenger kilometers traveled per day has also increased and now stands at 118 million.

Potential for Germany as a cycling country

If you look beyond the Munich city limits, Germany has the potential to become a leading cycling country. With support from the National Cycling Plan, the federal government aims to increase the proportion of bicycles in traffic. The scientists at Fraunhofer ISI have created a new potential assessment that takes factors such as the quality of the cycle paths and the perception of safety into account. This analysis is crucial because standard traffic forecasts often underestimate cycling.

The willingness to use the bicycle regularly depends heavily on subjective factors such as the feeling of safety and the quality of the infrastructure. Only if these aspects are improved and a continuous cycle path network is provided can the potential of cycling be exploited. In such a scenario, significant progress could be achieved in the areas of mobility, the environment and health by 2035.

For Munich, this means that the city should continue to work on its bicycle road network and create further measures to improve the cycling infrastructure in order to live up to its pioneering role. There is still a long way to go, but with the right investments, Munich could not only become the capital of bicycle routes, but also a model for a sustainable bicycle country in Germany.

For further information on developments in Munich and cycling issues, you can find the full reports on Munich.de, ADFC and Fraunhofer ISI.