How does new cycling infrastructure affect the behaviour of cyclists and drivers? We explored this question in the MERIDIAN research project – funded under the mFUND programme and carried out with Region Hannover, TU Braunschweig and Università di Padova (2021–2024).
The method
In the Blumenau district of Wunstorf, we recorded traffic on video before and after a new cycle path was built. We measured overtaking distances and speed differences between cars and cyclists automatically from the footage.
The results
67 % of cyclists use the new path, and overall cycling volumes have doubled. We published the results at EWGT 2025.