Hamburg: A model city in the mobility transition

ECF welcomes the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg to Cities & Regions for Cyclists, a network that brings together local and regional administrations actively promoting cycling as a mode of transport and leisure.

The Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg intends to play a pioneering role in the mobility transition, on a local, national, and international level. In the coming years, Hamburg will focus on further expanding cycling in all fields of action of the National Cycling Plan, from infrastructure to digital service to communication. The city has set ambitious mobility targets, in which the bicycle plays a key role, and has earmarked significant investments towards achieving them. The Senate of Hamburg has invested about €87 million in 2020 and about €91 million in 2021 for cycling infrastructure, services and communication. This translates to approximately €49 per capita per annum.
 

Alliance for cycling: Hamburg’s cycling strategy

In 2016, the city adopted its first cycling strategy, the Alliance for Cycling, which was updated in 2022 to include pedestrian traffic The strategy includes a variety of projects to improve – among other things – infrastructure, communications and services. To ensure successful implementation, annual work plans and budgets are developed with the relevant stakeholders in the public administration, currently a total number of 28 partners.
 

One of the key features of the strategy is the Veloroute network for urban bicycle traffic. Fourteen Veloroutes connect the different parts of the city, a trunk cycling route network spanning a total length of 280 km (190 km of which have already been completed).
 

Source: Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg
 

An ambitious target by 2030

As part of wider efforts to decrease CO₂ emissions in the mobility sector, Hamburg aims for 80% of all trips to be made by walking, cycling or public transport, and only 20% by private car, by 2030 (compared to a modal split of 64% vs. 36% car traffic in 2017).   
 

In order to achieve this ambitious goal, the city is:
 

• expanding infrastructure for pedestrians and further developing the city´s cycling network;
• developing the transportation networks of bike, urban rail and metro, to ensure greater accessibility;
• increasing number of Bike+Ride facilities and availability of bike parking spots;
• bolstering its extensive bike-sharing system, which includes cargo bikes;
• fostering on-demand and sharing services for zero-emission modes;
• digitizing infrastructure, e.g. for bicycle traffic to ease maintenance and reporting activities;
• running a triennial marketing campaign to promote cycling.

Hamburg is also the proud host of the UITP Global Public Transport Summit in 2025 and 2027.