Cycling and walking at the University of Erfurt

We are committed to this as part of the Thuringian Charter for Cycling and Pedestrian Traffic: Climate protection in practice, research and teaching

Thuringian Charter for Cycling and Walking

At the University of Erfurt, the University Health Management, the Student Council and various university groups have been committed to the issue of cycling and walking for several years. University employees are actively involved in the "Cycle to work" and "City cycling for a climate-friendly city centre" campaigns. Together with various partners, the University Health Management team organised a cycling action day for the fourth time. On 27 April 2023, the "Cycle to work 2023" campaign was launched at the university by health partner AOK PLUS for Saxony and Thuringia.

On the initiative of the Student Council's sustainability department, a cargo bike was procured and will be stationed on campus for all university members to use free of charge from the start of the 2023 academic year. A bicycle repair station was set up opposite the university library on the initiative of the student body. This enables students to carry out minor repairs to their bikes or inflate their tyres themselves.

As far as possible, the company craftsmen use company bicycles to transfer between the locations. Improving the university's cycle path connections is an important prerequisite for even greater use of bicycles by university members for their daily commute to the university. Unfortunately, the current situation is unsatisfactory. The university management is using every opportunity to sensitise the responsible local politicians to the issue and to press for improvements.

The university is very well connected to public transport. The "Universität" tram stop is located directly at the main entrance. The traffic lights have been made more "pedestrian-friendly" at the instigation of the university. Road traffic on Nordhäuser Straße has been restricted to 40 km/h - albeit due to structural damage. Apart from the necessary delivery traffic, the campus is largely car-free and designed to be cycle and pedestrian-friendly. The university ensures that sufficient bicycle parking spaces are provided in all construction projects.

Climate protection is also a focus of research and teaching. The Studium Fundamentale "Sustainability - Improving the world with practical projects", which was launched in 2007, offers students from bachelor's programmes at the University of Erfurt and Erfurt University of Applied Sciences the opportunity to make an active contribution to the sustainable development of society. The new Institute for Planetary Health Behaviour (IPB for short) began its work in June 2023. It puts the focus of research on those who cause and potentially combat climate change: people and their behaviour. The research team also wants to better understand, for example, the acceptance of measures to support system changes.

Further information can be found at www.radfussverkehr.thueringen.de