RADNETZ MAINZ
The share of bicycle traffic in Mainz is growing! To support this encouraging trend—not only now but also in the future—the city administration, in collaboration with specialized consulting firms, has developed the MAINZ BIKE NETWORK. It shows city officials, policymakers, and residents where bicycle traffic should be expanded in the future.
RADNETZ MAINZ - What it is and what it is not
On September 9, 2026, the Mainz City Council adopted the MAINZ CYCLING NETWORK as a strategic framework for the administration, policymakers, and citizens. A key component is the plan, which clearly shows everyone where bicycle traffic is to be expanded in the future. In addition, recommendations are provided for bicycle signage, bicycle parking, and other bicycle services.
In doing so, the administration is implementing citizens’ requests and wishes to develop a transparent, uniform, and continuous network of cycling routes. Based on the community-driven “Mapathon” initiative as well as additional route proposals from various groups and citizens (e.g., “Gonsenheim Sets Its Sights on Cycling”), this process began in 2023. Given the public relevance of the issue and the incentives already developed by residents, the public was involved in the process at an early stage through two public participation initiatives.
RADNETZ MAINZ consistently prioritizes the concept of a network: The focus is not on individual infrastructure measures such as bike lanes, but rather on the planning and mapping of an overarching, unified system of bike routes. This lays the foundation for the long-term, citywide development of bicycle traffic. A major advantage of this approach lies in the predictability it offers—both for the city administration and for citizens. RADNETZ MAINZ does not yet specify the concrete design of the network, but rather identifies where bicycle traffic will be of particular importance in the future.
RADNETZ MAINZ - How to understand the plan
At the heart of RADNETZ MAINZ is the division into three network categories, which focuses not on the specific infrastructure but on the transport significance of the respective routes.
The qualities of the network levels differ in criteria such as:
- Continuity & directness
- Waiting times & priority
- Care & maintenance
- Connection to other transport systems (e.g., public transport)...
Main network
Superstructure net
Supplementary network
RADNETZ MAINZ - Procedure
How was the RADNETZ MAINZ developed?
What's next for RADNETZ MAINZ?
RADNETZ MAINZ - Participation procedure
Public participation is a central component of the development of the RADNETZ MAINZ. For this reason, the process includes two phases of public participation.
The first phase took place at the beginning of the process: On September 25, 2024, the first draft of the MAINZ BIKE NETWORK was presented to the public and opened for discussion. In addition, individuals who were unable to attend the event had the opportunity to view the draft online and submit their suggestions.
Subsequently, specialized firms and city officials evaluated the proposals received and incorporated them into a revised version.
As part of the second public engagement session on September 16, 2025, the results of the RADNETZ MAINZ were presented. All attendees had the opportunity to ask questions. In addition, all interested citizens were able to vote—both in person and online—for their favorite routes from the Mapathon and identify junctions in the RADNETZ MAINZ where they saw room for improvement.
The documentation for both events is available for download.