Freiburg

According to the Denzlingen administration, more than 580,000 people in Freiburg borrowed a bike from the Frelo bike rental system in 2022. There are 720 bikes at 92 stations in the city. There are also collaborations with the communities of Umkirch, Gundelfingen and Merzhausen, where there are also rental stations.

Now the Regio Nahverkehr Freiburg (ZRF) special purpose association wants to expand the system to the surrounding communities in Emmendingen and the Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald district. The aim is to better connect settlement areas to the existing local transport network in order to enable commuters to cover the last kilometer to work with a rental bike, said Sarah Berberich from the Endura Kommunal planning office at the most recent Denzlingen municipal council meeting. “The rental bike can replace the car on short journeys,” says Berberich. The office has already prepared a potential analysis in around 45 municipalities in the Emmendingen and Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald districts. Seven locations were identified in Denzlingen, of which the train station, the shopping center and the parking lot in front of the Mach’ Blau fun and family pool are considered particularly suitable, according to Berberich.

With a unanimous decision, the council declared that it would take part in the tender for a cross-municipal bike rental system. In this context, the three proposed locations should be examined in more detail. The bike rental system could then start in 2026. The one-off investment costs are likely to be around 10,000 euros per station, and the annual operating costs for a station with five bicycles are around 5,600 euros, said Berberich.

Endura Kommunal recommends offering both Pedelecs and normal bicycles at every station. For a station with two Pedelecs, the costs would rise to around 7,000 euros. However, the ZRF still wants to examine funding options. Mayor Markus Hollemann emphasized that these were estimates, as it was still unclear how the prices would develop and the total costs also depend on how many municipalities ultimately participate. The decision was an expression of intent; the community is not obliged to participate later.

But rental bikes will be available in Denzlingen from next year. The council also voted unanimously to participate in a two-year pilot project from 2024. This plans to set up a station with five bicycles at the train station and at the shopping center. The funds amounting to 16,500 euros are to be made available in the next budget. Because the systems are not permanently installed during the test phase, no civil engineering work is necessary, explained Damaris De from the Denzlingen civil engineering department. The stations would only have floor markings and appropriate signage.

Daniel Mannhardt (The Party) said he is currently using the offer every day in Lahr, where he works. It would be good for Denzlingen as it would strengthen local public transport. For Jan Paul Elchlepp (SPD), rental stations would be an “important building block in the mobility transition”. From his experience, they would be well received everywhere. Silke Höfflin (Greens) advocated building the stations close to workplaces, as the offer is primarily aimed at commuters from out of town. After all, most Denzlingers would own their own bike. Some other councils expressed some skepticism, but agreed to the expression of will and participation in the pilot project.