2,168 participants exceed last year's result by approximately 40,000 kilometers
The 2026 school and city cycling campaign in Darmstadt has ended with a significant increase compared to the previous year . During the three-week campaign period, 2,168 participants cycled a total of 444,849 kilometers . That's around 40,000 kilometers more than last year.
The students from the 14 participating schools alone contributed 88,250 kilometers to the overall result. In total, more than 50,000 individual trips were registered during the campaign period. On average, participants traveled 205 kilometers each.
According to the city, more than 70 tons of CO₂ were saved through the distances travelled by bicycle during the campaign period.
"This year's school and city cycling campaign was once again a great success. The high number of participants shows that Darmstadt is a cycling city," explains Climate Protection Officer Michael Kolmer. He added that the result was particularly remarkable given the high temperatures during the campaign period.
14 Darmstadt schools are participating
School superintendent Holger Klötzner is also pleased with the schools' participation. He says that cycling independently to school, daycare, or leisure activities is an important step towards independence for many children. Those who participated in the school cycling campaign not only gained experience in traffic but also contributed to their health and climate protection.
Mobility officer Paul Georg Wandrey also sees the high participation rate as a sign of the importance of cycling in everyday life. The results align with the latest findings of the survey for the integrated transport development plan "ZukunftMobil" (Future Mobility). In that survey, the expansion of cycling, public transport, and pedestrian traffic was identified by the city's residents as key areas for action.
Award ceremony at the cycling action day
The most successful participants in the City Cycling campaign will be honored on Sunday, September 6, 2026, at 11:30 a.m. at the cycling event on Darmstadt's market square. Awards will be given to the most active teams as well as individual cyclists.
The ceremony honoring the successful participants of the school cycling event will take place in November together with the "Walk to School" campaign.
City Cycling Award Ceremony
When: Sunday, September 6, 2026, 11:30 a.m.
Where: Darmstadt Market Square
Occasion: Bicycle Action Day 2026
(DARMSTADT – RED/PSD/stip)
