Münster
Hailed as the national “capital of bicycles”, Münster ranks as Germany’s foremost bicycle-friendly city. Although infrastructure still needs some upgrades to catch up with the top performers, the city’s compact urban layout, its large student population and significant financial investments have contributed to half of the city residents choosing the bicycle as their primary mode of transportation.
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Two thirds of Münster’s streets enforce 30 km/h speed limits and roughly 40% have protected cycle tracks. Additionally, investment in cycling infrastructure and facilities is robust and consistent: for the past five years, the city has spent an annual €33 per resident. During post-pandemic years, the city made improvements on existing infrastructure and developed new cycle tracks, most notably the scenic 20km “Kanalpromenade”, whilst maintaining existing bicycle corridors such as the iconic tree-lined “Promenade”. Like many German cities, Münster has started coating their bicycle streets, “Fahrradstraßen”, with red paint and traffic-calming signage, indicating that these zones prioritize cyclists as the designated occupants. Though high by global standards, the quality of existing infrastructure remains relatively inconsistent for a city with such exceptional cycling usage. Despite its connected bicycle network, Münster has not yet matched the infrastructural upgrades seen in larger metropolitan areas, and comfort and safety are compromised in places where protection and width are inconsistent. Bicycle tracks remain relatively narrow and often not separated from pedestrians.
What’s most notable about Münster is its solid cycling usage. With an impressive, steadily growing modal share – 43.5% in 2019 to 47% in 2022 – it’s no surprise Münsterländers were Germany’s “least stressed” and most satisfied cyclists in ADFC’s 2024 Bicycle Climate Survey. A large part of this success is embedded in the city’s structure: a young university population and a compact urban layout keep everyday trips rather short. In order to bolster pride, the city tracks and publishes their progress: six permanent counters feed public billboards so that residents can follow ridership and climate trends.
“ In Münster, cycling is stress-free and part of everyday life. ”
To build and maintain Munster’s impressive bicycle ridership, the city should aim to match usage with infrastructure: widen narrow links, and clearly separate cyclists and pedestrians in busy areas. With a growing nation-wide trend to re-position the car at the center of mobility, it is more imperative than ever to support Munster’s cyclists with safe and reliable infrastructure.
