Cycle paths can improve health, local economies, safety and the environment. This has been measured and demonstrated in ICLEI Member Berlin (Germany), one of the most populated cities in the European Union. From October 2020 to November 2021, a study conducted by the NGO Deutsche Umwelthilfe (DUH) on newly installed pop-up bike lanes showed significant reduction in car traffic and, consequently, in emissions and human exposure to harmful nitrogen dioxide (NO2).

Supported by the ICLEI Action Fund, DUH’s project “Pop-up Republic: New Mobility Berlin” collects, processes and analyses environmental data to enable objective discussions about sustainable mobility and traffic transition in the German capital. In this case, DUH measured and evaluated data on traffic and air quality along the longest pop-up cycle lane in Germany – 3.6 kilometres in each direction – using data from the Strava Metro mobility platform.

“DUH’s study has technically demonstrated the benefits that this type of urban infrastructure brings to air quality and sustainable mobility. This work shows the importance of monitoring environmental quality on a local level to transparently communicate results to citizens and inform policy makers to make better decisions. It comes at a perfect moment when cities in Europe and around the world are being called to be more ambitious in reducing NO2 concentrations to meet the new World Health Organization air quality guidelines,” said Alis-Daniela Torres, Senior Officer for Sustainable Resources, Climate and Resilience at ICLEI Europe.

The DUH study shows that, after the introduction of the pop-up bike lane in summer 2020, the number of bicycles per day along the route increased from 1,500 to more than 5,100, representing a 232 percent increase in bicycle traffic! In addition, the amount of motor vehicle traffic on the route decreased by 22 percent.

To conduct the study, DUH set up four NO2 measuring stations along the route, and monitored the air quality over a period of one year (October 2020 to 2021). The calculations show considerable air quality improvement, with a reduction of around 10 µg/m³ of NO2, which is emitted by diesel exhaust gas. These numbers refute initial concerns that the pop-up cycle path would lead to more traffic jams and thus to increased NO2 pollution.

Furthermore, the DHU study demonstrated that the decrease in pollution went beyond the so-called “corona effect”, which refers to the general trend of less road traffic and pollution in Berlin as a result of COVID-19 restrictions.

“Our cities are clogged by car traffic. To meet climate targets, reduce noise pollution and improve air quality, we need safe bike lanes throughout urban spaces and half as many cars in the short term. By installing pop-up bike lanes, more and more cities are showing how easily and quickly cycling can be promoted. Our research shows that it works”, explained Hanna Rhein, Project Manager at DUH.

DUH’s results are available in an analysis report published in English and German. In the report, DUH calls for further actions, such as the rapid restructuring of cities to protect people’s health and the climate through measures that can be implemented in the short term, such as pop-up bike lanes.

This study complements previous research that DUH has done analysing a car-free street in Berlin. The organisation will be publishing additional research on sustainable mobility measures in Berlin in the coming months.

To learn more about the ICLEI Action Fund that supported this invaluable work, visit action-fund.iclei-europe.org.