The Federal Ministry of Digital and Transport (BMDV) has announced a second funding round of up to €100 million for the expansion of the Radnetz Deutschland, the national bike network. The program is being implemented by the Radnetz Deutschland office at the Federal Office of Logistics and Mobility.
According to Dr. Volker Wissing, the Federal Minister of Digital and Transport, the funding will support the development of bike paths on the 14 routes of the Radnetz Deutschland, with the aim of creating a nationwide, safe, comprehensive, and attractive network of national bike routes.
The new funding round is open from May 3 to August 31, 2023, and eligible entities can submit applications to the Federal Office of Logistics and Mobility (BALM). The funding is available for projects to be completed by the end of 2024, with up to €45 million allocated for the 2023-2028 fiscal years, and an additional €55 million available for projects that can be completed by the end of 2024. The federal government will provide up to 75% of the financing for eligible measures, and municipalities, counties, and other legal entities of public and private law are eligible to apply.
The funding program supports investment in infrastructure improvements, marketing and non-investment measures to increase the attractiveness of the Radnetz Deutschland. The program covers the twelve D-routes, the Radweg Deutsche Einheit, and the German portion of the Iron Curtain Trail.
The Radnetz Deutschland office, established by the BMDV at BALM, implements the funding program and other projects in the fields of infrastructure, digitization, and marketing. The office also operates the Radroutenplaner Deutschland, a website for planning bike trips, and coordinates projects to expand the digital bike network in collaboration with the federal states.
The first funding round, which ended in December 2022, approved 91 projects nationwide, including the widening and improvement of bike paths, the renewal of surfaces, and the construction of rest stops, with a total federal grant of around €49 million.
For more information on the funding program and application process, visit https://www.balm.bund.de/DE/Foerderprogramme/Radverkehr/RadnetzDeutschland/InformationenzumVerfahren/InformationenzumVerfahren_node.html. Additional information on bike infrastructure and other bike funding programs is available on the BALM website under “Förderprogramme”.