Saxony plans to cut bicycle path funding to 1.3% of road budget, down from 7.4% in 2024, ADFC warns

The proposed cuts

Saxony's draft budget for 2027/2028 earmarks €4.3 million for bicycle path construction, a reduction of €2.4 million compared to the current double budget. Infrastructure Minister Regina Kraushaar (CDU) intends to shrink cycling's share of total road construction spending to 1.3% by 2028, down from 7.4% in 2024. The ministry said the remaining funds would be targeted at closing gaps in the supra-local cycling network.

ADFC reaction

The ADFC Saxony sharply criticized the planned cuts, warning they would bring bicycle path construction to a standstill.

With the planned cuts, bicycle path construction in Saxony threatens to grind to a halt.

The cycling club is demanding that the state parliament allocate a multiple of the proposed funds. The ADFC argues that the sharp drop from 7.4% to 1.3% of road construction funds undermines years of progress in expanding cycling infrastructure.

Budget trajectory

The current double budget, covering 2025 and 2026, provided €6.7 million for bicycle paths. The draft for the following two-year period slashes that to €4.3 million. The ministry has not publicly detailed the rationale for the reduction, but the ADFC sees it as a reversal of the state's commitment to sustainable transport.

Political context

The budget proposal now moves to the state parliament, where the ADFC hopes lawmakers will restore or increase the funding. Saxony's cycling network has been a focus of infrastructure policy in recent years, with the state aiming to close gaps in the supra-local network. The ADFC's intervention comes as several German states are reassessing transport spending amid tight fiscal conditions.