Bonn “Bike-Night” Pedaling for bike courtesy
Bonn · Saturday was an important day for bikers in Bonn. City, police and the ADFC bike club held an initiative to promote courtesy towards bikers. It included two evening bike tours, one for smaller riders and one for adults.
When Anton Sander from Oberkassel rides to school, Friedrich-Ebert-Gymnasium, the 15-year-old has to bike through the former government district. He says this is a place where he has to be especially cautious because motorists often do not give way to bikes. Attending the third Bonn “Bike-Night”, he said “People are on their way to work and have their foot on the gas pedal more than on the brake.” He wishes they would have more consideration for those on bikes.
This is the case for many bicyclists who are pedaling in street traffic. The bike club of Germany, ADFC held a third annual “Bike-Night” to call attention to the issue. ADFC spokesperson Werner Böttcher and his team were at Münsterplatz on Saturday, with photos on display to illustrate examples of traffic situations creating unsafe circumstances for bikers. The City of Bonn, the bike club and police were all part of the bike campaign to promote awareness and consideration for bikers. They set up part of an obstacle course, which could be used by schools to teach youth how to bike safely.
In the early evening, around 50 younger children took part in a shorter group bike ride over Reuterstraße , along the Rhine and back to the city. Later in the evening was a 20-kilometer bike tour for adults, taking them through the former government district, on the B9, along the Rhine, over the Kennedy Bridge, to Schwarzheindorf, through Endenich and Poppelsdorf and back to the Beethoven statue on Münsterplatz. Approximately 200 bikers participated.
“Ride of Silence”
This Wednesday, the ADFC will hold the first Bonn “Ride of Silence.” Beginning at 6 pm in the green meadow area of the Hofgarten at the University of Bonn, the ride is to remember all those who have been killed in bike accidents.
(Orig. text: Stefan Knopp, Translation: ck)
