The event that was organized under the slogan 'Free rides for free bikes' coincided with the World Environment Day. This is the 35th time the event is organized in Berlin. This year, however, saw some 150,000 participants, making it the largest so far.
19 different bicycle routes -- in a star shaped pattern which covers an overall length of more than 1,000 kilometers -- led into the city center all the way to the Brandenburg Gate, where thousands gathered for a festival on World Environment Day. The aim of the event was to raise awareness to improve urban cycling conditions, as according to the Federal Statistics Office, the number of bike-related accidents has increased.
Julian Fischer, one of the participants and a member of the German Cycling Club said as there is an increase in people riding bikes “we need a better infrastructure for bicycles.”
“The interesting situation is, the more people go by bike, the more safe it becomes for going by bike,” Juergen Trittin, chairman of Greens-Fraction said.Further, with the hike in fuel prices, and people concerned about climate change, the Star-Ride hopes bicycling can become a new trend.