https://nltimes.nl/2026/05/25/amsterdam-houten-experiment-20-kmh-speed-limit-bike-paths
"Amsterdam and Houten will soon start experimenting with a 20-kilometer-per-hour speed limit for cyclists. The goal is to increase safety on bike paths, where bicycles, e-bikes, fatbikes, and mopeds all ride at different speeds. Amsterdam’s experiment starts in September. Houten will start the experiment on June 8"
I've noticed a significant cultural difference between let's say the USA and the Netherlands in bicycle commuting. For us it is just normal and practical. Everybody does it from young children to elderly people. For the Americans it is something niche, done by mainly (sportive?) people who are idealistic and concerned about the environment sometimes. (And I am as conservative as …. for example.)
But also the speed! I think if you commuting Americans would drive through the center of Amsterdam, the local cyclist would be annoyed by your desire to break your daily commuting time!
And seriously Amsterdam is now experimenting with … a speed limit!
by Outrageous-Past6556
18 Comments
I dont like it. Like, its already not allowed to go dangerously fast, and 20km/h is awfully slow as a max speed for commuting in my opinion.
>And seriously Amsterdam is now experimenting with … a speed limit!
*gasp*
Well, at least my larger cogs and small chainring will finally get used.
20km/h seems a bit low, but I guess it is fast enough (similar to car logic: 23 will probably not bring a fine anyway) and if it helps enforce the ban on what are basically chinese e motos, I’m all for it.
This is ridiculous. Mopeds are already banned from bike paths within the ring road. The people riding fatbikes going over 25kmh don’t care already that they’re breaking the law, so why would they care about this one? Any regular cycling is trundling along at 15kmh anyway and of course they don’t have a speedometer. Will be as useless as the “fatbike ban”, a plaster on a symptom rather than addressing the root cause of issues in traffic.
I imagine is more targeted at e-bikes, especially kids who are a bit reckless on them, rather than more fit adult commuters who are on a regular bike
In NYC, many cyclists are entitled men who think no one matters except for them. They think red lights and stop signs don’t apply to them. They treat Central Park like the Tour de France. On the rare occasions they get tickets they cry persecution.
There’s also a large group of of deliverymen on the streets and sometimes on the sidewalks, often on e-bikes.
I can’t imagine many bicyclists in Amsterdam actually have the opportunity to get above 20 km/hr though with how crowded the bike paths are. Is this really a problem that needs to be fixed? Biking in Amsterdam feels like walking in New York City. You follow the person in front of you and match their speed…
In very busy areas this seems reasonable (if a tad low).
Sounds reasonable to me in NL. Cycling here is done by everyone. School children basically *all* cycle to school. There are 4yos on the bike paths. You have many many parents with even younger children in bakfiets. The cycle paths are shared between all and the speed limit has to be appropriate for that. Too many now go too fast and cannot safely give way at pedestrian crossings let alone stop safely in any reasonable distance. Most commuters won’t get up to that speed anyway it’s so packed, the ones who exceed it are going too fast and this would be a much easier way justification for pulling them over and handing out fines. Speed limits for cars are also just a shorthand for safe driving
There’s a surprising number of Americans with pretty long bike commutes, maybe it’s because it’s so abnormal here and many commuters are like you say: idealistic or sport oriented. If there was a 20kph limit on my route I’d have to buy a car as my commute’s about 75km daily.
Will it be accepted for faster cyclists to use the roads instead?
It’s because of speeding e-bikes and the associated increase in injuries because of those high speeds.
Are bikes allowed to go on car roads in Amsterdam? Seems like thats what over 20kph bikes should be doing in crowded areas.
I am just wondering how the Gemeente is supposed to enforce this? You cannot do license plate cameras after all, and I also don’t think the RVV has a clause for this to allow a maximum speed to be put on cyclists unless you do it for everyone
American here, where 20 kph is the floor. Can confirm.
From over here it seems like a test as to how committed the Dutch are to their mixed-modal ways. Also maybe a filtering mechanism for high-powered e-bikes which are really mopeds.
Hmm I feel like it’s seen as acceptable for cars to go 10 km/h above the limit… So it’s only fair that it’s also acceptable for bicycles 😄
But I’ve never been in Amsterdam, so I don’t know how the traffic there is.
Does this mean calibrated speedometers are mandatory for bicycles in Amsterdam now?
Or is it my own responsibility that I ensure I’m not breaking the law by installing a properly working speedometer?