Having returned to the capital of Germany, Berlin has seen a substantial increase in motorized traffic, with the classic deadly cocktail of bumper to bumper traffic, traffic jams, chemical and noise pollution, etc. and etc. Traffic on major roads is heavy; in general, however, less so than that typical of Italian cities. There are very few pedestrian zones.
In Berlin there is an extensive network of bike paths; the streets are very wide, as are the sidewalks that almost always include a lane for cyclists designed in red brick (or slate grey). Sometimes, for unfathomable reasons, the widest sidewalks do not include a bike lane, but Berlin cyclists, behaving more like Italians than Germans, use them all the same.
Unfortunately the condition of these bike lanes is not always the best; the roots of trees and other sources tend to make the surface so broken up that sometimes it is preferable to travel in the street in the middle of traffic, just to have a better road surface.
Bike racks are located almost everywhere, in front of all public buildings, at large stores, and at many shops.
The number of Berliners who use bicycles to get around the city is very high, although certainly not to the level as Amsterdam; still, they comprise a substantial minority.
Unusual, with regard to human-powered vehicles, is the presence of the velotaxi, pedal-powered taxis driven by robust cyclists who can transport up to two passengers from their back seat; they are especially prevalent along the beaten track of tourists (the Alexanderplatz, the Brandenburg Gate, etc.) and perform a function similar to that of horse-drawn carriages in Rome or gondolas in Venice. Really odd is the Bierbike bar-vehicle which you pedal while drinking beer.
