Why is cycling so popular in the Netherlands?
1–10 of 380 posts
Re: Why is cycling so popular in the Netherlands?
#2It's mild and flat.
Re: Why is cycling so popular in the Netherlands?
#3I wish more cities would push for the infrastructure and culture required for this to work... in my city there are few bike lanes (and not all interconnected, so you have to switch between bike lane and normal traffic lanes) and both cyclists and motorists are equally ignorant of how to behave around each other. (At least in enough quantity to make it a problem)
Re: Why is cycling so popular in the Netherlands?
#4It's mild and flat.
The US has mild and flat cities; none of them touch the Netherlands when it comes to cycling support.
Re: Why is cycling so popular in the Netherlands?
#5Amazing infrastructure for cycling (at least in Amsterdam).
Its also pan flat, so it is very practical to get anywhere by bike, in the way that San Francisco's hills makes it very impractical.
Re: Why is cycling so popular in the Netherlands?
#6Grade separated bike lanes.
Re: Why is cycling so popular in the Netherlands?
#7From having completed the London to Brighton bike ride at the weekend I have a good idea of what really makes the difference and that is having roads closed to motor vehicles. The London to Brighton route is closed to traffic and some of the rural stretches are as wide as a Dutch bike path. Up until now I have believed sharing the roads is how to go but now I know that cycling infrastructure is needed. It is the experience that matters and cycling away from the cars is a totally different thing to dodging traffic. It makes cycling more like walking in a park.
As an aside, I have thought about putting money down for an electric car but then I look at electric bicycles and finally settle for a normal bicycle. I hope more people question why the big box and get a two wheeler powered by a 5kg battery or their own oomph.
Re: Why is cycling so popular in the Netherlands?
#8One thing the article doesn't mention is how long the bicycle trips are. Surely the relative compactness of their cities are a major contributing factor!
I live in America and commute on my bicycle almost every day. For me the biggest obstacle isn't the hills (which there are plenty of) or even sharing the road with cars (which is admittedly extremely unpleasant) but the fact that in the quasi-suburban area in which I live, everything's so damned spread out that bicycling is very impractical.
Re: Why is cycling so popular in the Netherlands?
#9Why wouldn't it be?
It's faster than the tram; a bike is cheap and cycling is free; its way easier to park than a car; its healthy; there are cycle paths everywhere (inside and between cities); and everyone else does it, so you usually have company.
Re: Why is cycling so popular in the Netherlands?
#10A couple of other factors; I don't think the Netherlands has ever had more than a tiny car or oil industry.