Leipzig, in the heart of former East Germany, is not a bad city to host a transport summit. Banners on buses proclaim that they run “mit biogas.” Bicycles are everywhere in the downtown area – and race at breakneck speed along dedicated lanes on sidewalks that casual strollers mistake for pedestrian use. A good portion of Mitte – downtown – is closed to traffic, making a stroll that much more pleasant.
But all that eco-friendliness may be offset by the astounding speeds German motorists routinely rev up to for very short distances before screeching to a stop at intersections. It’s like that small stretch just before the hairpin turn at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, where F1 racers open it up full-throttle and it invariably looks like they can’t possibly brake in time to make the turn. But they do.
Hardly seems worthwhile, though.
