In the state-wide competition for a pedestrian traffic check, the NRW Ministry of Transport and the  "Future Network Mobility NRW (opens in a new tab)" have selected the city of Bonn as a participating municipality. These checks support the municipal promotion of pedestrian traffic. They are intended to help create safe and attractive footpaths in the municipality and raise awareness of walking in politics and administration. In this way, a new "walking culture" can develop, which will have a positive effect on the quality of life in Bonn.

In a kick-off workshop with representatives from initiatives, politics and administration, the route was developed and initial problem areas identified. This was followed by two public walkabouts in which many people from the neighborhood took part. The local expertise of residents helped to focus on both safety-related issues and accessibility. The group immediately discussed initial proposals for measures and solutions.

A specialist planning office presented the content and results of the inspections in a final workshop and discussed initial solutions and possible measures. This external office will accompany the pedestrian traffic check and prepare a final report. This is to be presented to a political committee by March 2024.

The suggestions for improvement focus on

• Safety,
• greater freedom of movement,
• attractiveness.

The discussions focused on the Heerstraße/Maxstraße and Adolfstraße/Vorgebirgsstraße junctions, as these are particularly relevant for schoolchildren. The participants also discussed the width of the sidewalks and the fair use of space. Innere Nordstadt is a district that is already of great importance for pedestrian traffic, gastronomy and design.

In the ongoing process, the administration is planning to embed initial pedestrian traffic measures into existing projects, such as the  Nordstadt parking concept or the  Bönnsche Viertel project.

Particularly in the vicinity of schools, maximum safety must be guaranteed for pupils in traffic. The fundamental question is how best to organize all types of mobility around educational institutions. Parents who take their children to school by car often pose an increased risk. In some cases, safe crosswalks and so-called "school streets", which are temporarily closed to other traffic at the start of lessons, are good solutions.

At the end of September 2023, the Om Berg elementary school in Holzlar and the Marktschule elementary school in Pützchen began setting up temporary school streets as part of a pilot project run by the City of Bonn. The project is being monitored and evaluated in collaboration with Bochum University of Applied Sciences.

Six elementary school in Bonn are now reducing the amount of traffic parents have to pick up and drop off their children, thereby increasing their safety on the roads:

• Om Berg elementary school, Holzlar/Hoholz
• Marktschule, Pützchen
• Gottfried Kinkel School, Oberkassel
• Paul-Gerhardt-School, Beuel center
• Andreas School, Rüngsdorf
• Bodelschwingh School, Friesdorf

Passage for residents and their guests remains possible.

In addition to road safety and improving the infrastructure, the focus of school mobility management is also on promoting the mobility behavior of children and young people so that they are trained to use all their senses in traffic and reach their destination safely.

An urban and attractive city thrives on a diverse range of outdoor dining options. Nevertheless, planning must consider where exactly public space may be used commercially by private entrepreneurs. In the city center in particular, there needs to be a good mix in the distribution of space so that pedestrians have sufficient room. This is the only way that everyone can move freely and spend time in public spaces - even without consuming anything.

The successive implementation of the  parking space concepts means that the minimum footpath widths are kept free of stationary traffic. The concept also provides for a fixed number of car parking spaces to be converted into bicycle parking spaces. This means that more bicycles can be parked properly and do not block the footpaths.

The city of Bonn is planning more cycle lanes in the city. At the same time, more space for pedestrians will be created at these locations. As bicycles will have more space on the road, there will be fewer conflicts. As part of the design process for the cycle lanes, traffic planners will also check the width of the sidewalks in these streets and develop measures if they are too narrow.

The  Rhine embankment promenade in the city center will be renovated in three construction phases from 2023. A new traffic concept will also be developed and implemented as part of this. Among other things, this will ensure and improve pedestrian crossing options and accessibility from the city to the promenade.

The beautification of the Rhine embankment promenade is part of the  Innere Stadt master plan. Behind this title lies a funding program and, in principle, the basis for the development of Bonn's inner city over at least the next 15 years - including more greenery and more space for pedestrians and for people to linger.

In the participatory process  "Bönnsche Viertel - Vibrant spaces for people", the city worked with residents to develop sustainable mobility in Bonn's residential areas. In 2023, various activities took place in two model districts - the Inner Nordstadt and the Combahnviertel - to engage in discussions with local people about active, safe and barrier-free mobility in their residential areas. One important goal is to create a barrier-free pedestrian transportation network.

In 2021, Endenich Allee was renovated in the section between the highway overpass and Alfred-Bucherer-Straße. In the course of this, the side areas were widened, the surface was renovated and green spaces were created and planted.