Canton continues to make improvements for cyclists

The city and canton of Zug are trying to encourage increasing use of cycles as a form of transport. The latest statistics, albeit relating to 2011, showed that cyclists accounted for 6% of traffic in the city of Zug, whereas in other cities it is as high as 14%. Even so, the afore-mentioned 6% is still 1% higher than the Swiss average of 5%.
 
Recent improvements for cyclists made on the city’s roads include the marked waiting area on Zugerbergstrasse near the library (photograph). It is here where they can wait in an area specially demarcated for them, separate from other vehicular traffic, enabling them to be able to turn with greater safety into St Oswalds Gasse. There is another similar area allocated for cyclists on Aabachstrasse planning to turn into Chamerstrasse. In two other areas, footpaths will also able to be used by cyclists in future, for example by Gubelstrasse and Alte Baarerstrasse.
 
A so-called masterplan to improve conditions and safety for cyclists was initiated almost three years ago by the members of the Alternative CSP party on the city council, including Astrid Estermann, who has been particularly pleased with what has been achieved so far.
 
For his part, Urs Raschle, a member of the core city council, was also pleased to announce that further improvements to enhance the safety of cyclists would also be made on Industriestrasse, on Postplatz, and in the area of the V-Zug site in the future.
 
Hazards for cyclists remain, however, in other areas of the canton, as Victor Zoller, the co-chairman of the Pro Velo Zug Association, outlined, mentioning the road through Walchwil and on into the canton of Schwyz, where there is currently no special provision for cyclists. Similarly, the section between Neuägeri and Unterägeri with its incline and curves is not easy, either.
 
Stefan Bürgler of the Canton of Zug Advisory Centre for Slow-moving Traffic said that, wherever it came to renovation of roads, as much as possible would be done to make special provision for cyclists. For financial reasons, it was not possible to do so throughout the canton. As to those areas where other cantons are involved, too, all Zug can do is encourage the authorities there to act, but it cannot force them to, of course.