"You're closer to other people on a bike"

Professor Heather Kaths on the benefits of inner-city cycling

"When there are more bikes and fewer cars on the road, there are a lot of benefits, including for health, quality of life and environmental impact," says Professor Heather Kaths, who has held the Chair of Cycling at the University of Wuppertal since 2021. "You perceive the environment differently and have a good feeling when you get to work."

Using the better mode of transport for the planned route

The road to becoming a cycling city is still a long way off, and the expert repeatedly has to fight the 'car driver versus cyclist' battle in interviews. "It's annoying," she says firmly, "it's kind of a story that's stuck, but it's rubbish! I'm one person, I'm both a car driver and a cyclist, I do both. Many people also travel on foot or by bus, it's mixed. And then you have to find solutions as a society where the better means of transport for certain journeys, i.e. shorter or longer journeys, are promoted. For me, this is not a question of political opinion, it is logical and efficient, beneficial for safety and the environment and beneficial for society. We need to work on this. All players in the same direction and not against each other."

Tasks of the chair

"So far, there is still very little knowledge about the possibilities of cycling in the Bergisches Land region," explains the scientist. With a simple bicycle, this was often not feasible for many people in the hilly landscape. "But now there are e-bikes, and that is suddenly a possibility, an opportunity for this region to promote cycling." Kaths' initial task in teaching is to introduce students to the various possibilities of cycling as a mode of transport. Situations are simulated and trialled in real-life laboratories, and existing problems are modified or even discarded. "The scientific findings come almost exclusively from regions that are flat, such as Münster or the Netherlands," explains the researcher, "where cycling runs like clockwork. But there is so little knowledge about the difficulties with a mountain, or with a road that is really steep or narrow and winding." And then, of course, she also works in basic research and asks questions about the function of cycling, the behaviour of cyclists and their decision-making processes. "In comparison with motorised traffic, we know far too little. We know everything about car traffic, how to avoid traffic jams by recommending speeds on the motorway, we know what is cosy and comfortable in a car, how you want to sit, how safe a car is, etc. We know very little about cycling, and that has to change. That's my job in the basic research area."

The bicycle is more communication-friendly

Transport also involves communication and, in Kaths' opinion, this is clearly better achieved by bike. "When I'm travelling in my car, I'm sitting in a metal box. And you know how it is, a person is driving behind you and you can hardly tell whether it's a man or a woman. If you're on a bike, on the other hand, you can use your whole body more easily, stretch out your arm or even speak, you're closer to other people."

E-scooters as a source of danger?

The 2024 annual police report for Wuppertal, Solingen and Remscheid confirms an increase in traffic accidents, including those caused by e-scooters. "You first have to teach people the rules and behaviour, and that takes a while," explains Kaths, as the e-scooter rental systems are still very new in the city and the two-wheelers don't have a proper place where they can be ridden properly. "They can ride on a cycle path if we had more, they shouldn't ride on the pavement, but they might not know that or simply do it because it seems safer than riding on the road." In addition, these vehicles are also travelling at altitude, which raises a new research question about the safety of these scooters. "I often see young people on the road where I live, speeding down the hill, and that's dangerous."

Helsinki with 0 road deaths in 2025 - a role model

Recently, there was some wonderful news from Helsinki. The Finns recorded zero road deaths in the capital in 2025, which was achieved through consistent 30 km/h speed zones, further expansion of cycle paths and increased police checks. The city has 665,000 inhabitants, more than Remscheid, Solingen and Wuppertal combined. And yet our statistics look different. "Theoretically, it would work here too, you just need the will to do it, because we know the measures that can improve safety. The fact is, eight people die on the roads in Germany every day." The main problem here is the unspoken acceptance in Germany of the risk of driving fast. At this point, Kaths says clearly as an expert: "We need to change the rules, the behaviour or the options, at least in cities, but actually everywhere, so that the focus is really on safety. That's also a really strong argument, because people want safety, they want to see that their children can go to school safely and don't feel like they have to be constantly on their guard. Incidentally, that was also the lever in the Netherlands 50 years ago." Even back then, the Dutch recognised the dangers of cars in urban traffic and took measures. "They then gradually lowered the speed limit for cars in city centres, made fewer parking spaces available and created more space for pedestrians and cyclists. And today they have city centres that are simply different. And if you look at Helsinki, they've gone even further."

30 km/h zones are implemented only hesitantly

Since a decision by the traffic light government in late summer 2024, it has been easier to implement 30 km/h zones on many roads. "There will not be a nationwide 30 km/h speed limit," emphasised a spokesperson from the Federal Ministry of Transport at the time. Many town halls are nevertheless reluctant to implement the new options. "It's always a political question," says the scientist: "Many don't want to tackle this because it makes people angry at first, as they are then no longer allowed to drive fast. They also have to get used to new regulations first. This willingness to change things is not so great here." She had different experiences in Munich, where the city administration was more open-minded, but the framework conditions were also different. It is therefore difficult to compare cities. "The people are different, the financial situation is different, the opportunities, the number of people travelling by bike is also different. There are many people in the city councils who, in turn, have framework conditions that are also very difficult or not supportive of changing things. I think people are a bit more conservative when it comes to transport. They like travelling by car, and if transport connections are not good and you have no alternative, you stay in your car." The system itself needs to be rethought, Kaths suggests, public transport is the be-all and end-all, and this needs to be expanded. If users had options, they could switch to public transport for short journeys or use the bicycle as another alternative component.

Positive examples can make cycling attractive

Helsinki is promoting more cycling through the expansion of cycling infrastructure, the opening of a cycle tunnel and the goal of increasing the share of cycling to 20 per cent by 2030. There is a public city bike system called Helsinki City Bikes and other initiatives to make cycling attractive. Originally, Wuppertal also offered the use of e-bikes, but the bikes were hardly ever booked and were therefore cancelled after a short time. In Finland, there were certainly more financial opportunities and therefore more to try out, but in Germany the considerations took far too long, even though they knew exactly how to create a cycle path. "It's also about showing experiences and making it clear to people how nice it can be. Before the northern railway line existed, cycling had a different meaning. We need positive examples so that I as a citizen can see where I can cycle or go for a walk. This is simply a benefit for my city and for my life." Despite all the ideas for improvement, the scientist says the following about Wuppertal: "We have a public transport system that works well, we have some streets where cyclists also travel with less car traffic, but it's not as bad as in other cities. We can see from the example of the Finns that there is still a lot of room for improvement."

A secure parking space and financial support

Around 70 per cent of Helsinki's population own bicycles in good working order. Some improvements are still needed to make it more attractive for Wuppertal residents to switch from car to bike. "Many people in Wuppertal have a problem with parking spaces, i.e. the question of where I can park my bike. There are many old houses or flats where you don't necessarily have a bike garage and a bike would also be stolen on the street," says Kaths, explaining the situation. The prerequisites are therefore safe, attractive and accessible shelters, significantly more designated cycle paths and charging facilities for e-bikes. "And I also think it's important," she concludes, "to receive financial support to buy a bike. Buying an e-bike or cargo bike is not cheap."

Uwe Blass

Prof'in Dr.-Ing. Heather Kaths is head of the Cycling Transport teaching and research area in the Faculty of Architecture and Civil Engineering at the University of Wuppertal.