During the pandemic my family would take long walks around our neighborhood in Berlin. As nearly nothing was open, it was our entertainment and we wandered far and wide, through forests and meadows, parks and gardens. As the pandemic-measures wore on, playgrounds re-opened in Berlin – yet our boredom grew. We dusted off our bikes as spring and summer took over and continued to ride further out.

One of the places we would roll past in wonder is a miniature traffic course with lights and lanes and sidewalks. It was fenced in and closed like everything else, but my husband knew what it was from his time as an Erzieher (KiTa teacher): Jugendverkehrsschule. Translating to “Youth traffic schools”, these schools prepare young Germans to be knowledgeable bike riders. I was fascinated, but as my kids were too young and it was closed until  after the pandemic I forgot about it til recently.

We are back to taking walks as the weather has improved and walked by this busy school in Pankow recently. Fascinated, we entered, biked and learned. Here are some of the things I discovered about German youth bike schools.

Jugendverkehrsschule Pankow Berlin PHOTO: Erin Porter

History of Jugendverkehrsschule
Youth traffic schools or JVS emerged in both East and West Germany in the 1950s. Recognizing a need for standard bike safety info, most places actually opened these type of schools including Austria, Switzerland and most of Europe. One of the oldest in Germany is in Rostock and one in Frankfurt is even equipped with a tram.

While once there was a reported high of 800 of these facilities throughout Germany in 2013, numbers have dwindled somewhat down to 700. This is due to fewer resources, tightening budgets, and the deterioration of the buildings. Pictured above is the school in Pankow which was no looker, but certainly got the job done. The course itself was in good condition, and when the lights went out on another afternoon visit, the team there were able to get them working again. In response to some of these complaints, there are some mobile youth traffic schools that have popped up that serve remote or underserved areas.

These schools are usually operated in conjunction with the area’s police so they are up on the latest safety measures. Numbers have once again been climbing since the lows of the Covid years and in 2022, Berlin traffic schools welcomed around 300,000 participants. Today in Berlin, there are 25 youth traffic schools in Berlin alone so there is probably one in your neighborhood.

Schools are guided by the following principle: be independently mobile, be safely mobile, be mobile responsibly, be health-consciously mobile, help shape future-proof mobility.

Access to Jugendverkehrsschule
I was pleasantly surprised to find that access to the bike school was free. You also don’t need a bike to participate at there is a fleet of bikes to ride, along with helmets. My 4-year-old also got the chance to ride one of their scooters which he promptly lost interest in. Ugh, kids. (Note that while siblings are welcome, dogs are not).

The school is geared toward school-aged kids, particularly 4th graders as they replace weekly swim classes with traffic lessons. However, kids of all ages can explore the course and the working traffic lights. We were there on a busy day where nearly all the bikes were out and workers were giving light instructions, but it was mostly kids pedaling around and trying not to run into each other.

Generally, schools are open to the public in the afternoon and Saturdays.

Young bike riders wait their turn. PHOTO: Erin Porter

Information at Jugendverkehrsschule
It makes sense looking at Germans confidently gliding by on their bikes that they went through a whole educational course. Apparently there are 81 million bicycles in Germany!

The youth traffic schools offer:

• Cycling as a motor exercise program for small children
• Learning to ride a bike for children and adults including seniors and migrants (though the focus is on youth riders)
• School cycling training including the cycling test
• Project days and workshops on topics such as starting school, road safety, etc.
• Events for teacher training
• E -Bikes, special bikes for people with disabilities and cargo bike offers
• Bicycle check “road-safe bike” (Note: no repairs!)

We were able to go in, get outfitted with bikes, and have the kids roll around, but some parents preparing their children for the 4th grade exam were able to request a printed map with routes, points to be tested, and additional signage. For students that pass the grade 4 cycling test, they receive the coveted cycling license.  If we had spotted this sign with an overview of rules on our way in, that also would helped our understanding.

Bike Safety Info PHOTO: Erin Porter

We will have to visit again soon and study the safety sign before taking to the course. In the meantime, we will keep riding.

Here are some basic bike safety tips to be aware of:

Bike Requirements:

• Front and Back Lights – StraBenverkehrs-Zulassungs-Ordnung (StVZO) approved non-blinking front light and backlight. The front light should be white and the backlight should be red.
• Reflectors – White reflector at the front and a red reflector at the back of the cycle. Both pedals should have two yellow reflectors. Both tires must be integrated with reflector stripes, preferably orange. Or you can have orange reflectors on the spokes of each wheel.
• Bell
• Brakes – Must be equipped with two independently functioning brakes with front and back wheels.
• Helmets are not required
• Ride in the correct bike lane (not sidewalk)
• Children 9 and younger should not use the bike lane and may use the sidewalk but they still need to follow all the traffic and safety rules
• Cannot be impaired by alcohol or medication while riding
• Wearing headphones is not allowed
• Keep right when riding
• One person on a bike (they’re not Dutch, after all)