Berlin had millions available for cycling projects last year but only spent a fraction of its budget. With less than six percent of a planned bike network completed since 2017, here’s how local politics have put the brakes on a more bikeable capital.
Recent arrivals from the UK or the US might think Berlin is already bike-friendly, but the German capital is far from meeting its own ambitions for making the city more bikeable.
These are set down in a legally binding plan and supported with dedicated funding and clear targets. Yet the latest figures show the city moving further away from its goals rather than closer to them.
According to the Senate’s latest progress report, around €82.4 million was available for cycling infrastructure in 2025 but only about €27 million was actually spent.
At the same time, just 21.2 kilometres of new cycling infrastructure were completed, down from 32.4 kilometres in 2022 and continuing a three-year decline.
