A 92,000-resident town in Swabia invests more than double Copenhagen per capita in cycling infrastructure. What Tübingen builds, what it costs, and what other cities can learn.
Tübingen spends EUR 79 per resident on cycling. That's not just a German record — it's more than double Copenhagen, the self-proclaimed cycling capital of the world.
| City | EUR/Capita | Cycling Share | Population | Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tübingen | 79 EUR | 30% | 92,000 | Heated bridges, passive-house bike station |
| Utrecht | ~132 EUR | 51% | 361,000 | World's largest bike garage (12,500 spaces) |
| Copenhagen | ~35 EUR | 49% | 644,000 | Cykelslangen, 390 km cycle paths |
| Amsterdam | ~11 EUR | 36% | 905,000 | Historically grown, little new build needed |
| Munster | ~25 EUR | 39% | 318,000 | Promenade ring road |
| Berlin | ~5 EUR | 18% | 3,700,000 | Mobility Act 2018, slow implementation |
| Freiburg | ~15 EUR | 28% | 236,000 | FR3 rapid cycle route |
Sources: City cycling plans, ADFC Bicycle Climate Test 2024, European Cyclists' Federation, own calculations
Important: Amsterdam and Copenhagen have decades of head start. They've been investing continuously since the 1970s. Tübingen compresses this process into a few years — with correspondingly higher per-project costs. Utrecht leads per-capita stats but has 4x the population and corresponding economies of scale.
The federal National Climate Protection Initiative (NKI) funds the Superradwegenetz (super cycling network) with EUR 12.6M (funding period August 2021 to July 2027). The money goes into three of the structures above: the Moshi-Brücke, the Ann-Arbor-Brücke and the underpass at the Alter Güterbahnhof. The Blaues Band (Blue Band) is the continuous route of about 1.5 km between the Moshi- and Ann-Arbor-Brücke via the bus station and bike station; it has been continuous since the Ann-Arbor-Brücke opened in October 2024.
| Street | Year |
|---|---|
| Max-Eyth-Straße | 2014 |
| Eberhardstraße | 2014 |
| Karlstraße | 2015 |
| Fürststraße | 2015 |
| Schleifmühleweg | 2016 |
| Rappstraße | 2019 |
| Westliche Schaffhausenstraße | 2021 |
| Wöhrdstraße | 2021 |
| Brückenstraße Nord | 2023 |
| Waldhäuser Straße | 2024 |
Under conversion: Brückenstraße between Bismarckstraße and Schaffhausenstraße has been turning into a bicycle street since July 2026.
While Tübingen pours record investment into cycling, TüBus schedules are being cut (EUR 1M/year savings). Stadtwerke Tübingen (SWT) operates both — the bus network and the bike station. Critics see a contradiction: if you want climate neutrality, you must strengthen all sustainable transport modes, not pit one against another.
On the other hand: with a 30% cycling modal split (2023), Tübingen already outperforms many major cities. The investments target where demand is highest.
Behind the investments is political pressure. The Radentscheid Tübingen, founded June 22, 2018, is a citizen petition supported by ADFC, VCD Tübingen, and BUND. It demanded concrete measures — many of which are now implemented or in planning.
Tübingen shows that small cities can build world-class cycling infrastructure. EUR 79 per capita sounds like a lot — but in a city of 92,000, it adds up to projects that would cost multiples elsewhere. The heated bridges are a statement. The bike station is a showcase. The question is whether the city can maintain this pace — and whether public transit gets left behind.