Bike lane raises some heated discussion

Anyone who drives along the General-Guisan-Strasse in Zug could think they were on a highway. It’s now four lanes wide between the Parktower and the Aabachstrasse roundabout, and still three lanes as it continues towards the Bossard Arena. You would have thought there was also enough space for slow traffic. The city has recently demarcated and indicated a bicycle lane along the General-Guisan-Strasse, from the Aabachstrasse roundabout to the Allmendstrasse roundabout.

But nobody seems to be happy with the finished solution. Reader Philipp Meier wrote to our newspaper: "This new path is dangerous for cyclists. You have to brake very hard and pull out of the lane, because the bicycle lane is very narrow, has high curbs and an extreme turning angles,” says Meier. He is not alone with his assessment.

The theme is also known to Pro Velo Zug, which has already received some negative feedback from cyclists, and has forwarded this to the authorities in the city and canton, emphasizes Victor Zoller, co-president of Pro Velo Zug. "There were no markings at first. The entrance angles to the bike lane at the Aabachstrasse roundabout are now very tight, and the road is so narrow that you can hardly ride through, for example, with a bike trailer”, says Zoller. In addition, the bike path from the Zug railway station along the Gubelstrasse and General-Guisan-Strasse streets is unfortunately impractical. Again and again, cars, cyclists and pedestrians have got in each other’s way.

More suitable for experienced cyclists: the newly designed bicycle path on the General-Guisan-Strasse.

According to Pro Velo Zug, the solution could be a separate bicycle path, as is already the case along the Industriestrasse, by the Parkhotel. There, cyclists are led onto a cycle path separated from the road, which in turn is separated from the pedestrian walkway by a green strip. "If you set up a separate cycle path along the entire road from Zug railway station to the Bossard Stadium, there would be no conflict with the various road users," says Co-President Victor Zoller.

City councillor Eliane Birchmeier comments on the request in writing: It has already been recognised that floor markings with a bicycler symbol leads to uncertainties, and these will be removed. After the Aabachstrasse roundabout, cyclists could continue towards the Arenaplatz in three directions. ", There is a bicycle track parallel to the pedestrian crossing that can be used to get to the forecourt of the KBZ. There is a second possibility for access to the forecourt after the hedges. Alternatively, you can continue straight on General-Guisan-Strasse”, says Birchmeier. When asked how the planning and approval process for a bike path works, the building department did not provide an answer. They also did not wish to comment on the statement that the new bicycle path on the General-Guisan-Strasse road brings a higher accident risk with its high curbs and a steep steering angle.

Pro Velo Zug and Philipp Meier have also addressed their concerns to the city several times. A response from an administrative employee states: "We tested the exit lanes. These are rather narrow, but certainly safe and easy to ride without pulling out at a normal cycling speed.