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A look at how and why the Netherlands have integrated the bicycle into their national transport system – a pattern stetching back to the 1960s.
I asked decision-makers in the UK whether our country could ever look just like the Netherlands with car-free cities and a casual cycling culture.
It is a timely discussion given the rise of environmental awareness worldwide. It’s becoming increasingly pertinent to try to find an answer to the private automobile in our transport network – in favour for more sustainabale modes of transport such as cycling or walking.
With discussions from the Dutch Cycling Embassy, British Cycling, the Fietsersbond among others.
Images courtesy of the Dutch Cycling Embassy
39 Comments
Car idiots need to go.
One overlooked factor when comparing the UK to Holland is the terrain. Holland is flat. Britain isn't. However, the rise of the e-bike will overcome the difficult terrain here in Britain.
LoL "Revolution", yeah like the American shoe revolution, you find them everywhere..
The Dutch have a different, less competitive society than the UK their bikes are less competitive too, just look at them …. oh and its VERY, VERY, FLAT.
in the UK, the cyclists are VERY different ……. particularly in London, most cyclists are RACING, clad in LYCRA on fast Bikes – you have to get the aggression out of British cyclists before it can work as well as in Holland. For instance, Oxford Road, Manchester, a broad, fairly empty road goes through the university campus, with a bike lane on either side, the cyclists belt through as fast as they can making the cycle lanes the difficult part of the road to cross as a pedestrian. Boris bikes HAVE helped slow the bike traffic in London – I speak as a cyclist.
that plumber could get a cargo bike if he really needed to and I have seen lots of you Tube videos about Different veleomobiles theirs one called the Byo highbread which looks like a small truck that can go on bike lanes but you can peddle it and it also as a barttary so in affect its an E Bike. and of course their is a an Velomobile called The PEBL and the ElF Bike which is in America but I think they have stopped making them. but as the Dutch as shown us Britts it can be Done You maybe interested in watching the Active Towns channel.
The modes of transport held up as environmentally friendly these days are BUSES and PUSH BIKES ……. have you seen all the double decker buses running about with hardly anyone on them between 9:30 and 16:00 and after 6:30 in British towns? …. it would be cleaner to run taxis most of the day.
All those bikes would be stolen here in. US
We’re not Europe
Some of the footage about Dutch people cycling look very old: I see road which meanwhile have their bike-paths widened a lot. I see bikes parked where there are indoor off-street parkings now.
The english spoken by the 'fietserbond'- man is
obviously cringing, at least somewhat embarressing en does not convince too much.
You should have protected this person….
a bit annoyed that all the talks about Groningen were illustrated using scenes from Amsterdam but otherwise nice video
10:30 The city of Utrecht doesn't have 1.3 million people, it has about 360.000. No single city in the Netherlands has over million inhabitants. If you count the surrounding towns that are effectively grown onto Utrecht, you're at around 720.000. The province of Utrecht does have 1.3 million inhabitants; I guess that's where the confusion comes from.
Please contact BTE GROUP. In the Netherlands?
But, who comes home at night? Not here! #brexit #spakenburg #thenetherland
They do that on purpose! Out of that car? Then there is no congestion either!
As a car enthousiast I do not have any problems with reconstructions of streets and roads in favor of bicyclists. I still have the freedom to use my car and if I can't get to one shopping mall by car, I'll just pick another one. I can still get around in the Netherlands by car, I'm not forced to use a bicycle if I do not want to.
That said; I do have a problem with the entitlement of a lot of bicyclists who act like they own the road, who think that traffic rules are mere suggestions of how you should participate in traffic and who will call you all sorts of name when they are at fault and nearly get run over.
But I guess you do grow an attitude when you're so protected that bicycling drunk in the night, without any lights, on the wrong side of the road while running red lights or failing to give way doesn't have any consequences because other people are always liable when they hit you.
I can't make up my mind if it looks like 1980s Beijing or just a Pre-War European City.
What is the name of intro music track ??
welvaart = prosperity
I'm originally from the Netherlands, I always assumed NL had a lot of bicycles because it is flat and other countries have hills. Never realized as such that policy decisions made decades ago also changed the whole city setup. Now I live abroad and, even if I would like to, it would be very difficult to do everything on a bicycle because it is so spread out.
Then here 'The Netherlands'. Its fucking Amsterdam.
I'd just like to say while in the intro it talks about the netherlands not using a bike as a status symbol or fashion object or whatever. If you want that bike cos you think it looks cool BUY IT. If you want it cos you think it looks classy or racey or whatever, BUY IT. If you want it because you saw some celebrity riding one BUY IT.
The planet really doesn't care if you choose to express yourself via bicycle. It absolutely does if you express yourself via car though
Legend
I am at a loss why you let that Bartlett person explain you how we Dutch developed cycling. He is a foreigner and doesn't even speak Dutch. All he does is regurgitate.
Dutch cycling embassy lmao, it's a name he invented to brand himself and sound 'official' and leech off of 50 years of cycling development in the Netherlands. No one knows him.
This video was clearly an ambitious project. I watched all of it, and I did like it.
What I probably liked most about it is your voice as a narrator. Also, your montage of all those short video clips and the accompanying background music were well done, as far as I can tell.
There is one bit of critique I would like to give to you. The hardest part of making a good video must be choosing. In this case: choosing which parts of the interviews to show, and which to leave out. I think all of the speakers had some interesting points to make, but trimming off some of it could actually help improve the whole story, by speeding it up a bit and shortening the whole video. Again, I admit that that may be difficult. And, again, with all of that said, I still liked your video. Please continue making them, and I have no doubt in my mind that you will become very good at it.
Something that is missing here is the fact that the Dutch are people like anybody else in the world.
They only have one head and five fingers in every hand and yes, two legs to pedal a bicycle and walk like all of the rest of us.
The big difference is how they use their brain,and their attitude towards their community.
In America (the entire continent, which includes the country in the north with no name) we still believe that owning a car gives us prestige and places us apart from "the less fortunate".
A new mentality should be included in this not that new way of life.
Driving a motor vehicle it is not a human right, but a privilege and unfortunately for all of us people owning cars are opposed to the idea of taking public transportation,biking and walking.
Holland is a very much a flat country and that helps along,although,thanks to advances in technology we have bikes with up to 21 speeds that can negotiate virtually any hill we might encounter in our travels.
In countries with extreme winters we should have better and more efficient public transportation, but the reality is that the auto makers don't like that and that's why even the trains are disappearing to give way to congested highways and huge trucks.
A new model of society must be instrumented before we lose everything, even our own environment.
The Dutch have realized this concept long ago and yet they keep working on it. We, on the other hand believe that a free society is the one where everyone does whatever they please, in spite of consequences.
Greetings from Toronto.
fietsersbond = bikers union.
l like the almost suicidal attempt for an intro, standing in a cycling lane
Cycling in the Netherlands is one of the first things you learn when you're young and that's been that way for a long time , even before all the 'planning'.
We even have classes in elementary school and get proper lessons on the road.
It's a cheap and independant way of getting around for youth , I've used a bicycle untill I could ride a moped (16 years) . . . still get around on one.
So the idea of bicyclists around you is engraved in your brain even when you get in a car , that's probably the biggest difference with other countries.
We are kind of brought up with them , hence the big support for cycling oriented politics.
I do not recommend Dutch biking philosophy to any country or town. There was said that pedestrians are priority over cyclist.That is not correct. I have never seen any cyclist that would priorities anyone walking. Except that the constant mess caused by bikes dropped anywhere is just beyond. While it's very easy to solve it by disposing them off. Another interesting topic is that people bike in the rain and not all of them have rain coat. I believ I don't have to explain what damp clothes will smell like after being in them whole day. The killed children by cars is unfortunate but not unique issue in The Netherlands. The interesting point is that in other counties it was enough to raise the kids more stricty. And yes it is cultural thing, it's about money.
In America, you use your car to drive to a store 1 block away to get just one product 🦢 If you use a bike, you might get robbed, kidnapped, etc 🐇
Wow the narrator voice is really awesome
I'm a keen cyclist and often do cycling holidays in The Netherlands – I love the ease at which I am able to do this. I would so much like to see a great cycle network here in the UK. I can't safely cycle from my home in Stroud to say – Cheltenham, Gloucestershire or Cirencester but would like to… My husband says that the hills and weather are a massive deterrent in the UK for cycling to take off and for there to be positive change.
Thank you for a great video and the research involved.
Berlin a cycling city? Hahahahaha.
Like Laos or Cambodia
Europe is still in the 19th century, so there are still people moving around the cities on bicycles and trams
What a great film! Thanks Richard for an insight into the UK's challenges with active travel. We have the same issues in Ireland. It is always inspiring to see what the Dutch are up to.
Is it really that hard to draw straight lines, and a more proper bicycle sign on the ground??? Just started???…Come on man😅
I wish people who do public speaking would get educated on how to do it. "UH" and "UM" are not words. It's very difficult to listen to and believe a person who has no knowledge of their own language. You come off as illiterate and lacking knowledge.
1:36
Groningen. Train Station.