30 cents for every kilometer of the one-way journey to work, capped at 80 euros per month, similar to the public transport travel allowance: "This is a great incentive for employees of the district administration to cycle to work," says Tina Prietz, who is responsible for the "climate-neutral administration" area in the climate protection team at the Ludwigsburg district administration. "In view of the ongoing climate change, it is important to the district administration to reduce greenhouse gas emissions at all levels," adds District Administrator Dietmar Allgaier.
The arguments speak for themselves: cycling is not only a very climate-friendly form of mobility (approx. 138 g of CO2 are avoided per kilometer cycled), it also promotes health. A Dutch study shows that employees who regularly cycle to work are absent from work on average more than one day less per year. The district authority also benefits financially from a higher cycling mode share, both through the potential savings in parking spaces and the increased health and fitness of employees. In addition, the district could benefit from a positive image as a "bicycle-friendly employer" when recruiting staff and live up to its role as a role model in climate protection.
Currently, around 13% of employees at the district administration office (according to the 2020 survey) use a bicycle for their daily commute, although over 60% live within a "cycle-friendly" distance of less than 15 kilometers. The aim is to increase this proportion to 24% by 2030. The introduction of a bicycle mileage allowance, which still has to be approved by the district council, is another important step towards a climate-neutral administration.
