Paths to sustainable mobility. Barriers and opportunities for the expansion of supra-municipal bicycle infrastructure in the Darmstadt area

Commuting by bike can be a key element in the transition to more sustainable mobility. To change the mode of transportation, many commuters demand a more bicycle-friendly infrastructure. In a transdisciplinary process, stakeholders from universities, public administration, and civil society organizations collaborated to analyze the implementation backlog in bike-friendly infrastructure in the area surrounding the city of Darmstadt. A document analysis, 23 interviews, and three transdisciplinary workshops were conducted to structure the problem and jointly develop potential solutions. Three key barriers were identified: 1. communication and coordination deficits in inter-municipal cooperation, 2. a lack of political prioritization, and 3. an insufficient legal framework. Networking between municipalities was identified and tested as a possible solution in the transdisciplinary workshop series. Networking can increase the municipalities' ability to develop creative solutions, despite limited financial and human resources. Still, changes at the supra-municipal level are essential to enhance the status of cycling, as is civil society action in the municipalities.