Why more people are walking again despite crowded sidewalks

Schoolchildren, teenagers, and adults of all ages do it: Unless they are limited by a disability, they walk. They enjoy it, say eight out of ten people, and they're doing it more and more often. Step by step, the simplest of all modes of transportation is experiencing a renaissance in Germany, although the conditions for it are far from ideal everywhere. Pedestrians still die in traffic; 397 died in Germany in 2024. But at least the number is slowly declining.

More than a quarter of all journeys in this country are made on foot, not including trips to and from other modes of transport. This is shown by the current study "Mobility in Germany." Since the previous survey conducted by the Federal Ministry of Transport in 2017, the proportion of pedestrians has grown from 22 to 26 percent last year – more than any other mode of transport.

The increase was particularly noticeable in cities. Roland Stimpel, chairman of the German Pedestrian Association (FUSS eV), has two main explanations for this. One of them is demographics. "The boomers are now reaching the age where they're walking more again," says Stimpel.

He cites the trend toward urbanization as a second reason. "There's a persistent stereotype that walking is a small-town thing or a casual activity. But in reality, it's a very urban, metropolitan thing. Especially in big cities like Paris, New York, or Tokyo, it's very dense, and a lot of walking takes place there."

When it comes to the reality of pedestrian traffic in German municipalities, Stimpel sees some room for improvement. "Like 100 years ago, most cities still view sidewalks as a kind of dumping ground," he criticizes. "Whatever you want to drop in public space, you put on the sidewalk – parked vehicles, telecom outlets, special uses for restaurants, advertising displays, signposts, parking meters, and now, increasingly, charging stations."

However, with the new road traffic regulations – and specifically the administrative regulations adopted in March – a new era is dawning. Municipalities now have significantly more freedom of choice and flexibility in their traffic planning. This also applies to road safety for pedestrians. For example, installing zebra crossings and 30 km/h speed limits on main roads will be easier, and traffic calming measures in residential areas will also be easier to enforce.

High curbs also pose a real obstacle in these situations. Lowering curbs is therefore another measure that traffic and urban planners must consider. To identify problematic pedestrian passages, many municipalities now conduct pedestrian checks. In these checks, traffic planners and residents walk through the city together, noting stumbling blocks, difficult crossings, or poorly lit passages.

Traffic lights also often cause problems. Especially on wider streets, the light intervals are often too short to allow pedestrians to reach the other side of the street, making this particularly difficult for older or slower pedestrians. What could help: longer green phases or a central island for pausing.

Roland Stimpel, Chairman of FUSS eV

Source: RND

Pedestrian traffic expert Stimpel often even considers zebra crossings to be the better alternative. This is despite the fact that many people initially perceive zebra crossings as less safe because they can't accurately assess the behavior of other road users. "At traffic lights, however, everyone thinks: When the light is green, the way is clear. But that's not true – even if we learn that in kindergarten." At an intersection, a driver can also turn the corner when the light is green.

"Because people pay less attention to each other, many unpleasant accidents occur at traffic light intersections," says Stimpel. At zebra crossings, however, everyone knows that, when in doubt, you should act defensively. "Even at zebra crossings, a speed limit of 30 km/h is now possible everywhere. This makes them even safer."

This plays a major role in school routes. In addition to zebra crossings, there are other options for children to get to school independently. Examples include the city of Kiel with its school and children's route concept, which even offers play elements, and the Berlin district of Kreuzberg-Friedrichshain.

There, particularly busy school routes have been additionally secured, and the area in front of school entrances has been redesigned to reduce traffic. So-called temporary school streets are being tested. On school days, the entire street is available to students – residents then have to move their cars. Elsewhere, too, the speed limit now applies: 30 km/h must be the rule on busy school routes, and 50 km/h the exception.

Several organizations, including the Changing Cities network and the German Transport Association (VCD), demonstrated in May, demanding that Germany's cities be made more child-friendly and routes to school be made safer. In a Europe-wide study of 36 cities, Munich, Berlin, Cologne, and Hamburg only landed in the middle of the pack, between 12th and 18th place. Paris and London were ahead. "Our European neighbors show that things can be done differently," says VCD Chairwoman Kerstin Haarmann.

The federal government has also taken initial steps to better promote pedestrian mobility. In February, the Ministry of Transport, then headed by Volker Wissing, presented its first pedestrian traffic strategy . "It's great that it exists," says Stimpel. This marks the first time that pedestrian traffic has officially become a federal policy issue. This must now be followed by a concrete pedestrian traffic plan. "And also an endowed professorship. There isn't a single chair for this in Germany yet."