Münster traffic taming

from Germany's
bike capital

This poster, recently published by the City of Münster Planning Office, shows the street space taken up by the same number of passengers using cars, buses or bikes. Hardly surprising; Münster is known as Die Fahrradstadt, or The Bike Capital, of Germany. Bikes or Leezen, as they are known locally, are the most common means of transportation in the city.

Each day over 100,000 Münster residents ride their bikes. In fact, with around 500,000 bikes in Münster, the number of cycles is nearly double the number of residents. And more than 60% of the population travels by train, bus, bicycle or just walks.

Münster has one of the country's most extensive bike paths’ networks. The city's Promenade with its special bike lanes is unique in Europe. A complete network of wide bike paths and roads open exclusively to cyclists can be found throughout Münster. Many of the city's one-way streets can be used by bikes travelling both directions.

A special underground bike park at Münster's main train station, the largest in Germany, has secure space for over 3,000 bikes along with a rental service. As a result, Münster has become the international leader in alternative transportation: more than 30% of all those who travel locally now use bikes.


That's the equivalent of 900,000 bikes on the streets of Chicago!