On October 13, the government of the Canton of Lucerne approved the cantonal bicycle route network for daily commuting and recreation, expressly excluding mountain bikes. The regions are to define mountain bike routes in their own plans. These plans are also considered part of the bicycle path network under the Swiss Bicycle Path Act; they will simply be implemented later. According to the draft legislation, the municipalities are responsible for construction, maintenance, and costs, while the canton intends to contribute to the planning costs. It justifies this distinction by noting that mountain bike routes would likely run primarily along hiking trails and have little overlap with the rest of the recreational network. In forests, mountain bikers are currently only permitted to use such trails if they are paved or marked as bike paths. This is stipulated by the Lucerne Forest Act.

A signposted bike path is not sufficient

For the rest of the bike network, Lucerne is adhering to the deadline set by the Swiss Bike Path Act, which expires at the end of 2027. According to the draft bill, the regions’ mountain bike plans are not due until two years after the new trails law takes effect. The law is scheduled to take effect in the fall of 2027. This means the regions would likely have until the fall of 2029 to finalize their mountain bike routes. Only once a route is included in one of these regional plans must an alternative generally be provided in the event of a closure. The fact that it is marked as a bike path is not sufficient for this purpose.

The deadlines are based on the draft bill from March. The canton is currently revising it, so they may still change.