Advantages of the bicycle in traffic

According to a study by the Ministry of Mobility and Public Works, around half of all trips made by car in Luxembourg are shorter than five kilometers. This places a heavy burden on the transportation network, which has also grown rapidly in recent years and is increasingly concentrated in metropolitan areas. In addition, there is an unusually strong need for mobility due to the workforce commuting to Luxembourg from the greater region on a daily basis.

Faced with such challenges, a fundamental rethink is needed on mobility issues, at the individual, societal and political levels. The bicycle plays a key role in these challenges - it allows approaches to solving individual everyday problems and at the same time offers advantages on a societal level.

From an individual perspective, the bicycle offers the following: 

• A free, flexible and comparatively fast way of getting around.
• A more intensive and attentive perception of the environment
• An increased awareness of nature and landscape
• The promotion of physical and mental health.

On a social level, the bicycle is not only a means of transportation, but also the symbol of an improvement in coexistence that can be achieved by creating more living space in villages and cities. It is the vision of a public space that puts people, not cars, at the center.

A policy that supports cycling also supports the following goals:

• A reduction in exhaust fumes and noise
• An improvement in social cohesion through a fairer distribution of public space
• The promotion of a more sustainable form of mobility.
• Less space for cars also means more safety for pedestrians. However, this can only be the case if existing infrastructures are adapted.