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Cycling Matters How Power

1 Smooth 2 Easy Parking 3 Better Biking Contents

4 Bikes by the Numbers Smart Design 14 5 Cycle of Life Benefits of Better Parking 16 6 Protest Turned Policy One Handshake Away 19 8 A Grown-up Idea Cycling Etiquette 20 9 The Dutch Army Knife Flying Colours 23 10 Perfect Fit for the New Amsterdam 24 13 Ride of a Lifetime Lycra-free by Dutch Design 24

1 2 3 Smooth Easy Better Cycling Parking Biking

GRONINGEN g BIKE-SHARING 2,500 Cycle of Life 736 AMSTERDAM BIKES 483,500 f you’re born in Amsterdam, you are Then, it’s off to school, to study, to work, to KM Ivirtually born on a bike. Babies on bikes are play and, yes, to court another rider in this BIKE LANES TRIPS a familiar sight on our streets. Safely tucked city built for romantic cycling. Until you find away or sheltered by a windshield, our yourself mounting a kiddie seat onto your MAASTRICHT youngest city dwellers swerve through own bike. Indeed, a never-ending cycle of life. 949 KM / YEAR traffic, propelled by the pedaling power of At City Hall, we share a great responsibility = their parents. to provide freedom of movement for every As soon as an Amsterdam child can walk, person living in or visiting Amsterdam. 2.6 KM / 4.4 MIN their parents insist they learn how to ride a Generations of cyclists have shown us the AVERAGE DAILY DISTANCE bike. It is one of the most important rites of way forward: a city where cycling sets the passage in a young person’s life: having standard for healthy and safe mobility, your parent take off the training wheels, and accessibility for work and play, for the getting that final push, and feeling the rush youngest and the elderly. We are working on of moving forward on this wonderful smart ways to reduce traffic in order to twowheeled vehicle, using just the power of allow more space for people on foot and on 2018 your legs and the ability to balance. Freedom. bikes. In Amsterdam, cycling truly matters.

Sharon Dijksma Bikes by the Numbers Deputy Mayor of Traffic and , Water, and Air Quality, City of Amsterdam CLIMATE CONTROL ANNUALLY, CYCLING SAVES

40,000 TONNES OF CO2 THE POSITIVE EFFECTS ON AIR 36% QUALITY ADD UP TO x 9.2 MILLION

CHOSEN MODE OF TRANSPORTATION 24% FROM/TO/WITHIN AMSTERDAM BY RESIDENTS ON BIKE WEEKDAYS PARKING PLACES g 20% 865,187 253,000 INHABITANTS

20%

4 Cycling Matters Cycling Matters 5 Protest Turned Policy

It looks like the definitive record of the How a grassroots movement history of has been written. Marjolein de Lange, formerly boosted Amsterdam’s employee and currently active member of the Fietsersbond (Cyclists Union), headed modal shift a team of volunteers who diligently sifted through some forty metres of archives. They ended up with metres of historical material, which was transferred punk was born, Feddes calls it the ‘most to the in 2019. thorough expertise document regarding From this treasure trove, historian Fred so far.’ Crucially, far from Feddes distilled a 200+ page book, called embracing the contemporary ‘No Future’ Bike City Amsterdam. ethic, the writers accepted the car as a given, but had a long-term vision for a city with Provocative pose more and better space for people. They The cover of the book shows a woman stic- promoted a pragmatic approach rather than king out her tongue at the photographer’s proposing a radical rejection of motorized lens. The black and white photo seems to mobility, and were open to cooperate with reflect the anti-authoritarian attitude of the the city on actual improvements. ‘Alderman era that gave birth to the Cyclists Union. Michael van der Vlis embraced this colla- This grassroots movement proved a formi- borative approach, and step by step many dable force against the automobile lobby, at of the Union’s ideas were implemented on a time when the historic city centre threate- the streets of Amsterdam. Report authors ned to be cut into pieces by four-lane boule- and long-time activists Dick de Jongh and vards. ‘To me, it expresses a carefree, defiant André Guit should have streets named after Bike City Amsterdam, spirit,’ says Marjolein about the image. them. Or at least bike lanes,’ says Marjolein. Fred Feddes with ‘Cycling is not only a rational solution for Marjolein de Lange urban mobility: safe, clean, efficient with State of the Union ISBN: 9789059375345 space, , and resources. It also offers a With some 4,000 paying members – ‘one in great sense of freedom and autonomy.’ 200 Amsterdam citizens is a member’ – and a large volunteer base, the Cyclists Union ME AND MY BIKE Marjolein is a Yes Future is still a force to be reckoned with. For mobility consultant specialising The book provides an overview of the chan- instance, it has – together with the City of in sustainable mobility. At home ging attitude of the city and its inhabitants Amsterdam – recently successfully lobbied she has a choice of a folding bike, towards the bike. It also documents how to ban scooters from bike lanes. De Lange is a city bike, or a tandem bike. She the Cyclists Union evolved from a pro- hopeful for the future as bicycle policy has a lives with her partner in Bos en test movement to a policy partner, in the solid base, both in the population and across Lommer, Amsterdam West, and aftermath of the Sixties. According to De the political spectrum. But she also stresses loves the quiet of the Amster- Lange, the seminal document in the Union’s that the bike city is never finished – there is dam canals early in the morning. archives is the so-called 1977 Bottlenecks always more work to do, new bottlenecks to Report. Published in the same year that be solved, new chances to be taken.

6 Cycling Matters Cycling Matters 7 ll of a sudden I was the afternoon, to present our plans. I would rather stay young for hen I was a teenager, liberate us on so many levels. The Dutch Blueprint for Urban Aworld’s first Junior Bicycle Then a jury elected me Junior a while. W I fell in love with cycling. It You could compare it to a Swiss Vitality. They told me that in Mayor. It started with a talent Bicycle Mayor. That was quite a gave me freedom of movement. army knife. It powers mobility their hometown of Vancouver class at school. They asked us to strange moment. I wondered if I Katelijne tried to get the Dutch All my life the bicycle has been as well as specific social and a cyclist is seen as making a come up with ideas for making was up to the task. But so far, it national rail services to adopt my trusted companion. When I cultural interactions. Events like statement against driving a car. cycling safer and more fun for has been fun. I was invited to kick my idea. They said they were too posted a photo of my new bike Amsterdam Dance Event and the In Amsterdam, cycling is the ‘old children. I did have an idea. See, off a cycling contest. Together busy right now. Bikes for grown- on Twitter, someone dubbed it annual Museum Night, two hugely normal’, which we tend to take in the we have these with Bicycle Mayor Katelijne ups are taking up all of their time. the Dutch minivan. It holds three popular events attracting tens of for granted. During my term as bicycles called OV bikes, or public Boerma I handed out bike lights So, I’m not sure if I will be able to children – two on the back seat, thousands of visitors, would be Bicycle Mayor I helped launch transport bikes, to cover the last to cyclists riding without lights. I ride a junior public transport bike one in front – and still has room unthinkable without the option to the Fietshelden (Bicycle Heroes) kilometres of your journey. You have been interviewed by several before I grow up. In July 2019, a for groceries. In the Netherlands, bike between the many different campaign. Its aim is to ensure that will find them at train stations newspapers, and I have been on new Junior Bicycle Mayor will be the car simply cannot deliver locations in the city. every child in Amsterdam from in many Dutch cities. Renting a the radio. Sometimes it feels like elected. I do hope his or her ideas that kind of freedom. Whereas I recently met Melissa and Chris the age of four to fifteen has the public transport bike is cheap I am doing grown-up things. But will grow up to become reality. a car can become a ball and Bruntlett, authors of the must- skills necessary to navigate traffic and easy. But there are no such I’m still only nine years old, and LOTTA CROK chain, the bike has the power to read Building the Cycling City: in the city. Adults play a big part bikes for children. My family does in making this happen. Our role is not own a car, and not everyone to literally create a safe space for we visit lives close to a railway every one of the 126,000 children station. Sometimes we have A Grown-up Idea The Dutch Army Knife under the age of fifteen in our to walk, take a bus, or a public city. My mission was to get the transport bike. So when we go people of Amsterdam to commit to visit relatives, I have to ride on to this goal. International visitors the back of my mom’s or my dad’s are sometimes inclined to say that bike, which is very uncomfortable. parents with young children had My idea was that we should also better move out of the city. To have junior public transport bikes. me, that is a seriously flawed way Or more and cheaper tandems, of thinking. It would mean that so kids and parents can ride the city loses its youth, its vitality. together. A city that cannot accommodate children is a city without a soul. The organizers of the Junior Fortunately, Amsterdam has Bicycle Mayor competition plenty of soul. picked twenty ideas by kids from KATELIJNE BOERMA different Amsterdam schools. We were all declared Bicycle Heroes and got together one Sunday

KATELIJNE is a programme manager/lecturer at the Amster- dam University of Applied Sciences. In 2017 she was elected as Amster- dam’s second Bicycle Mayor. The Bicycle Mayor Programme is a global programme to accelerate the progress of cycling in cities and help get the next billion people onto bikes.

8 Cycling Matters Cycling Matters 9 SHARING SECRETS Matthieu van der Poel is a Dutch rider who bends the rules of the peloton. He is a very versatile talent, the current world champion cyclo- cross, winner of the Gold Perfect Fit Race, and an ambitious moun- tain-biker. How would he tackle our busy city streets? for the City

Before we get to bikes, let’s talk a bit about phytopathology. Or in plain English: the study of plant diseases. It is the field that Bicycle Infrastructure Manager Martijn Simons was originally trained in, and it still influences his perspective on city planning. ‘To combat plant diseases you need a team of to riding, to interacting with other modalities Most importantly, it has instilled in him a firm virologists, entomologists, pest specialists, and so and users in traffic. In some spots this leads to conviction that tackling complex problems forth,’ says Martijn. ‘It usually affects the whole radical changes, such as the extra wide red is a matter of getting experts from different ecosystem.’ The same goes for today’s challenges asphalt lane providing cyclists with a spacious fields to collaborate. involving mobility. In phytopathological terms, and safe corridor that allows easy access to the Amsterdam has been overgrown by an exotic spe- city centre. Martijn points out how one infra- cies: the car. ‘Our city was never built to accom- structural development affects the other. ‘The modate the amount of that have flooded it. parking garage under the canal next to the Rijks- For over a century, there were hardly any restricti- museum has enabled us to eliminate car parking ons, despite the obvious negative effects on traffic above ground in some surrounding streets, a safety,’ Martijn explains. ‘Also, we allowed cars to transformative intervention.’ Another far- affect the air quality and the sound level. And they reaching example: in parts where Amsterdam is were given a lot of space. Now is the time to dial it expanding, the new norm for car parking is 0.2, back. Cycling is one of the most effective natural meaning that just one in every five households ooth countermeasuresy to achieve a healthier, more etter ME AND MY BIKE Martijn lives with his wife and their will have a space to park their car. Obviously, balanced ecosystem. In a city like Amsterdam, the two children in , a redeveloped district. this has huge implications for the way people Cyci bike is simplyPri a better fit.’ ii He rides a 1960 Fongers bike, which he has owned for get around and the infrastructure needed. ‘We 25 years. He uses it to go to work as well as for lon- are at the frontier of a paradigm shift in urban Frontier spirit ger trips, as far as the city of Enschede, some 170 km transport and urban development. Bicycle infra- Today, Amsterdam aims to facilitate smooth from Amsterdam. His favourite route is the Bretten­ structure is a key factor in that shift and it’s very cycling by optimizing every step, from parking, zone, a green corridor in West. exciting to be part of it.’ j

10 Cycling Matters Cycling Matters 11 Looking ahead a helmet. I am more concerned about One of Amsterdam’s frontier streets is the Ride of a Lifetime staying on the right side of the . In hugely popular Haarlemmerdijk. With its char- England that will be the left. ming shops, restaurants and cafes, this kilo- Why do you cycle? metre-long stretch is an irresistible magnet for For me, riding a bike is simply the most Have you ever been in an accident on visitors and tourists. Problem: its combined car efficient way to get around the city. For your bike? and bicycle lanes are a mere five metres wide. instance in the way I handle traffic lights: Eleven years ago I slipped in the rain No wonder this urban artery is permanently I will edge to the front of the queue, to be and got stuck in the tram tracks. But that clogged. The city has designated the 22-metre on my way as soon as the light changes. happens to all of us in Amsterdam. wide Haarlemmer Houttuinen, which runs parallel to the Haarlemmerdijk, as an alter- Have you changed your cycling style now Do you fix your own bike? native route, favouring public transportation that you’re a senior citizen? I can, but I’ve gotten lazy. These days I and bicycles, rather than the cars that zoom My passport says I am 72, but I feel even take a flat tyre to my bike repairman, a by today. ‘This will provide immediate relief like I am in my fifties. So, no, not at all, Syrian immigrant who does an excellent job. for locals as well as benefit commuters from perhaps with the exception of leaving my and , both some twenty kilo- recumbent bike in the garage. The only What would you change if you were the metres away. And in a few years’ time it will be reason I’m thinking about buying an e-bike mayor of Amsterdam? utterly indispensable, as the revamped Hout- is that it would increase my cycling range. It really is time to ban motor vehicles tuinen will be a main cycling corridor into the from the city centre. I myself own a VW city centre for the residents of the Haven-Stad Where do you cycle? Transporter, an old diesel powered vehicle, development, resulting in an estimated 50,000 Usually around town, but this month my which will soon be banned from driving new houses within the city limits.’ girlfriend and I are planning a bike trip to in Amsterdam. And that’s perfectly fine the UK. We’ll ride to Hook of Holland and with me. Plough and plant catch a ferry. And then we will take the Some ten years ago, cycling policy was a matter Just five metres wide, the Haarlemmerdijk country to Cambridge. The British of a few lone souls at City Hall. Today, Martijn is traffic lane is permanently busy. will probably think I’m crazy, riding without part of a growing team. They collaborate closely with colleagues in other departments, such as public space design and car-traffic calming. Navigating the networks of fellow professionals in the departments of the city is as important as navigating the concrete and brick streets. ‘We need to own it together,’ Martijn nods. ‘We aim to always have the wind in our backs. Most of PAUL MEIJER our successes have benefitted from the slip- was born in 1947 stream of others. “Don’t beat them, join them,” lives near Artis Zoo, Centre district is my motto.’ His advice to policy makers is a retired language professor around the world: ‘Be aware of what your colle- (teaching Dutch as a second language) agues are doing and plant your seeds when they owns a 21-speed Gazelle hybrid bike are ploughing the fields.’ cycles to his club twice a week (8 km) averages 1,200 kilometres per year

12 Cycling Matters Cycling Matters 13 Finally no longer alone, Where did I finally an inner light. put my phone?

They’d better not try to cut in front of me. Mommy, when are we Is that old guy getting a dog?! going to brake SMART DESIGN FOR on time? BETTER BIKING A tapered lane allows for better distribution of cyclists waiting at the junction and faster crossing. On both sides of a busy junc- tion, cyclists can form a wide queue while waiting for the light to turn green. As they pick up speed, riders will merge. Today I’m going to tell her.

Woof! Oh-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh All I know, all I know, Loving you is a losing game Mr. Visserplein 8:30 AM

Woof?

14 Cycling Matters Cycling Matters 15 ME AND MY BIKE For a long time Maaike SHARING SECRETS I think it would be fun to ride lived in Amsterdam, near the busy Albert Cuyp with John Bercow, Speaker of the UK House of market. These days she takes the commuter train Commons. I would take him to the busiest spots, from Haarlem, hops onto her sturdy Swedish expecting he would call for ‘order!’ Kronan bike, with its stand out red colour, and rides to work. Between them, Maaike, her husband and their two daughters (10 and 8 years y old) own eleven bicycles. Maaike loves to ride along the Amstel River. Her tip for visitors is Transformative trade Pri to get out of the city and ride to , a A case in point is the West district, where a for- former fishing village. mer tram depot was transformed into a hot spot, featuring a film theater, a public library, shops, and offices. Its main attraction is the indoor food market Foodhallen. After it opened in 2014, this quickly became a magnet for locals, visitors and tourists. And a magnet for bicycles, with Amsterdam, the city with a reputation where hundreds of them spilling onto the surrounding anything goes, is changing its tune. While streets, much to the chagrin of local residents. other places may remind visitors about local On her phone, Maaike pulls up a photo of dozens dress codes or social customs, the Dutch of bikes randomly parked outside an apartment capital is warning the world about its new building. Something needed to be done. Fortuna- strictness in bicycle parking. As manager tely, a big part of the solution had already been of Bicycle Parking Maaike Nicolai-Geerling built, although with a different purpose in mind. puts it: ‘We are promoting a radical change ‘We had anticipated that more people would in parking behaviour in order to provide a drive, so the Hallen features a sizable parking sustainable future for cyclists as well as for garage,’ says Maaike. One of the keys to smart .’ parking proved trading in sixty car spaces for 830 bicycle spaces. Bicycle boom It is a challenge other cities might secretly covet: Guiding principles too many bikes, too little parking space. As a The Hallen approach reflects the five guiding result of a recent boom in cycling, Amsterdam principles followed by Maaike and her colleagues. has had to implement strict rules for bicycle par- ‘First, we aim to keep Amsterdam super bicycle king. In an 80 km2 area, unused bikes are allowed to remain parked for a maximum period of six Simply irresistible: the Amsterdam bait bike weeks. A drastic measure, aimed at keeping pave- Benefits ments accessible for pedestrians instead of using public space to store unused bikes. ‘When we did a survey, we found that in Amsterdam bikes out- number residents. There were 850,000 residents, but over 880,000 bikes,’ Maaike explains. ‘We of Better cannot control the number of bikes people own, but we can manage the location and number of parking spots. For instance by creating space in parking facilities for cyclists who use their bike regularly. Also, when parking spaces for cars are Parking scratched, some of this public space is reserved for bike parking.’ j

16 Cycling Matters Cycling Matters 17 friendly. Secondly, our mission is to provide plenty of parking facilities. The other three prin- ciples: clear rules, clear communication, and con- sistent enforcement.’ Cyclists are informed about parking rules by traditional traffic signs as well as markings on the street surface. ‘After all,’ Maaike smiles, ‘cyclists tend to focus on what’s directly in front of them.’ She stresses that the goal is to inform as well as motivate people. ‘The main thing is to get people to think before they park. ANNUAL REPORT 2018 So we use temporary paint to tell visitors why they should park smart: to make room for emer- Bicycle wrecks picked gency services, for pedestrians, and for children 4.9774,977 up for recycling and to play. If we can create a climate that people will waste disposal intuitively adapt to, we will have succeeded.’

Fake bike, real results Another smart solution is the ‘bait bike’, a fixed One Handshake Away approx. metal fake bike, doubling as a frame to lock bikes to. ‘The bait bike prevents cars from using these 15,000 spots to load and unload, and it attracts cyclists.’ All over the European continent, cities Maaike is optimistic that most parking problems are struggling with challenges involving can be solved. ‘At the Hallen, we have achieved accessibility, , and mobi- amazing results in just two years. Especially for lity. Increasingly, policy makers, urban the local residents, the impact is really positive. planners, and local administrators are Where once bikes blocked the pavement, the area turning to cycling as a solution for many Bikes hauled from the canals by the is now populated by people enjoying ice cream of these challenges. A recent European Amsterdam water company and kids drawing hopscotch tracks.’ project, funded by the European Union as part of the Horizon 2020 programme, brings us one handshake away from inspiring each other and exchanging Check out the Surprise Parking video, know-how and expertise in the field of shown as a preview at the Hallen cycling policy. cinema to promote the under­ground bicycle parking, on vimeo.com. Aptly called Handshake, the project aims to strengthen ties between cities. Five future cycling cities have opted for a strong In April 2019, representatives of all Amsterdam connection: Rome, Turin, Handshake cities visited Amsterdam. They Bordeaux, Dublin, and Bruges. Five other were taken on a tour of a number of project cities – Riga, Helsinki, Cadiz, Manchester, locations. A comparison of old photographs and Krakow – have partnered with the to the current situation showed the impact two other mentor cities and of transforming the city from car-based Munich. Handshake runs until 2022 and to bike-based mobility. Amsterdam is a incorporates several pilot projects from the living lab, where new ideas are tested and Amsterdam Bicycle Plan 2017-2022. Col- insights are shared with the world. The laboration is a two-way street, and Amster- Dutch capital challenges and invites others dam is also looking to learn from partner to follow suit and develop the perfect recipe cities. It’s all about exchanging valuable for transforming their own cities. knowledge on influencing behaviour, and on gathering and processing cycling data. More info: www.handshakecycling.eu

18 Cycling Matters Cycling Matters 19 Koen van ’t Hof was doing research on SHARING SECRETS I would invite the Silicon Valley bicycle theft when he heard about a newly- crews responsible for developing self-driving cars. created position with the city’s bicycle team: Riding in Amsterdam, they can experience the Behaviour and Innovation Manager. ‘I had benefits of self-propelled motion. Virtual contact via no idea this job existed, but I thought it smartphone can’t match the immediate sensory inter- might fit me like a glove as my background action with the environment that a bike offers. is in both civil engineering and psychology.’ Today, Koen is responsible for the Better Biking part of the Amsterdam long-term Bicycle Plan. ‘My main job is to increase cyclist satisfaction.’

As the streets of Amsterdam become busier with people on bikes, moments of overcrow- ding during peak hours occur more frequently, sometimes resulting in stressful and dangerous situations. Koen likes to compare the city’s infra- Cycling structure to computer hardware and the people riding bikes to software. As bike lanes become clogged, some riders act like viruses or mal- ware, disrupting the flow of traffic and causing system overload. If you might think the simplest solution would be to install increased disk space, you’d be wrong. Koen prefers to tinker with the Etiquette software: us. ‘Although Amsterdam continues to work on low car traffic policy, sometimes it is impossible to change the infrastructure. The historical city offers literally no room for physical interventions.’

Smart options Ideally, influencing behaviour is much more of likes than what is popularly known as ‘nudging’, Amsterdam studies cyclists’ behaviour in order says Koen. ‘In Amsterdam, we prefer to inte- to come up with solutions that are evidence- grate insights from behavioural psychology based. An innovative tool to collect research ooth etter during the design process as much as possible.’ data is the Ping if You Care! programme. Koen All the same, nudging can be quite effective. explains: ‘We handed out a so-called ping but- Cyci ii An example is how cyclists respond when they ton to 700 volunteers, to attach to their handle are given extra options in route choice. ‘Our bars. If they hit this button during their jour- research shows that people who are not par- ney, the location would be recorded. After the ticularly in a hurry, are willing to take a short trip, participants would give specific feedback detour if that improves the quality of their about their experience at those locations, using journey. The reward could vary from pleasant an app.’ The results – over 30,000 pings – pro- scenery or a calmer route to cleaner air.’ In such vided policy makers with a detailed cycling ME AND MY BIKE Koen is single and lives in Utrecht, instances, the right form of communication map, which not only identifies bottlenecks, another Dutch city renowned for its bicycle culture. becomes as important as the infrastructure. but also marks positive experiences, such as an In the city Koen rides a Belgian Achielle bike or a ‘Yes, you absolutely have to highlight these appreciation of the surroundings, air quality or traditional granny bike. Out in the countryside he rides alternative options.’ smoothness of the ride. j his bike along the river Lek.

20 Cycling Matters Cycling Matters 21 PERCENTAGE OF PEOPLE WHO THINK THAT CYCLING IN A HIGH-TRAFFIC AREA IS STRESSFUL Flying Colours

What does your average cycling At your age you are taught traffic rules Completely agree 14% day look like? in school. How did you do on the test? My parents won’t let me ride to school, I got 23 out of 25 questions right, so I Agree 26% because of a dangerous crossing between passed. Knowing the traffic signs and rules home and school. I mostly use my bike to comes in handy as traffic in Amsterdam Neutral 23% ride to choir and handball practice, and is very busy. I like knowing how to handle when I go horseback riding. situations. Disagree 26% At what age did you learn how What would you change if you Completely disagree 12% to ride a bike? were the mayor of Amsterdam? I was four years old. And when I was five, I would build more bicycle lanes especially my dad and I rode to the Artis zoo in the for cyclists. That would make it even safer city centre. I used to wear a helmet, but to ride. Top of the pyramid Tunnel fun it’s very annoying when you have an itch. In order to chart policy priorities, Koen uses a pyra- One particular area that Amsterdam is looking to Sometimes I wear my horse riding cap for Who would you like to show around mid model, not unlike Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. improve is tunnels and underpasses. ‘Tunnels tend to protection. When our family goes mountain Amsterdam on a bicycle? This pyramid was developed by the Dutch national make people feel exposed and vulnerable. We want bike riding, I wear a helmet to avoid hurting Karol Sevilla would be nice. She’s the lead rail service NS, and integrates existing research Amsterdam cyclists to enjoy tunnels, so we will myself when I brush past trees and bushes. actress in Soy Luna, my favourite TV show. into cyclists’ motivations. It distinguishes between be looking for ways to change them into fun places I’d take her to the A’DAM Tower, behind dissatisfiers at the bottom and satisfiers at the top. where people can relax. We might for instance offer Central Station. There is a cool swing on ‘Dissatisfiers are factors that lead to disappointment sensory stimuli, such as pleasant sounds or attrac- the sky deck which takes you back and when they are not present to a certain extent, such tive visual art.’ Koen mentions the Cuyperspassage LIZZY MOL forth over the edge, 100 metres above the as safety and speed. Satisfiers provide added value (cyclists and pedestrians only) at Central Station as is 11 years old ground. and can increase satisfaction levels. Examples are the a good example. With its breath-taking panoramic is in primary school degree of variety a route offers or the quality of the design depicting a scene of tall at sea, made of lives in Amsterdam West, air you breathe,’ Koen explains. ‘The bottom of the 77,730 Delft blue tiles, it is quite the show stopper. near ring road A10 pyramid is quite firm in Amsterdam, so we have the Any cyclist who sees it for the first time is sure to owns a seven-gear violet-purple, luxury of also investing in the top.’ slow down to a crawl. mint-green Gazelle bike rides her bike to choir practice (Bachstraat, South, 3.8 km) Attrac-­ tiveness plays handball at Westsite (2.1 km) Comfort

Ease

Speed CUSTOMER WISH PYRAMID Safety FOR CYCLISTS

TOP 3 MOST ANNOYING CYCLIST BEHAVIOURS

Among cyclists Among non-cyclists

1 Telephone use (31%) Cycling through a red light (45%)

2 Cycling through a red light (24%) Cycling on the pavement (35%)

3 Cycling against the traffic (23%) Cycling without lights (25%)

22 Cycling Matters Cycling Matters 23 Lycra-free by Dutch Design

‘If you asked an American city planner for Statistics show that Amsterdam is growing Over the past fifteen years the Dutch model, a tour, they would only show you to the in population. Living in the city has become with its excellent separation and protection best things. Americans like to brag. When very popular, for young people, but also for of cyclists from motor vehicles, has become I visited Amsterdam a few years ago, Ria empty nesters. It is not a city built for cars, the model for best design of bike facilities. Hilhorst of the city’s cycling programme so giving the space to the most sustaina- Many American cities are now adopting team did the exact opposite. She took me to ble mode of transportation – the bicycle! the successful bike infrastructure design the problem spots and missing links. “We – makes perfect sense. Also, to facilitate from the Netherlands, particularly for their need a bridge here; these lanes should be smooth cycling by widening bike lanes, centres, where there are enough potential wider.” To me, that is typical of the Dutch to accommodate the increasing volume of cyclists to use it. We should remember that city planning culture, always looking where cycling is a wise strategy. Still, Amsterdam one of the crucial factors in the success of something can be improved. could do even more. I remember Dutch cycling policy is how it integrates a through the canal district of Amsterdam number of policies. It all starts with ample, I sometimes wonder if the people of – a World Heritage site – and seeing all those convenient, and safe bike infrastructure. Amsterdam know how lucky they are. parked cars made me furious. Such a waste But Amsterdam also puts limitations on John Pucher (right) is a Professor Emeritus Compared to the United States, where in of space, truly a desecration of the canals. car use, for instance by designating traffic and Public Policy, at Rutgers some areas cyclists evoke homicidal impul- The last time I visited, Amsterdam was calmed zones. And motorists are discoura- University, New Jersey. He lives in Raleigh, ses in motorists, Amsterdam is nirvana. My about to finish a large bicycle parking garage ged by making routes annoying and slow to North Carolina, and is co-editor of the upco- research shows that of all major cities in the in front of Central Station. Convenient, navigate. ming publication The Future of City Cycling world, it has the highest bike mode share. sheltered parking facilities are essential if (MIT Press, 2020). This despite the fact that it is a large city you want to stimulate bike use and prevent One more crucial aspect: when I go to a with very limited space. parking chaos. Dutch city, I know that motorists are on the j

DUBBELSTRAAT / DOUBLE STREET KRUISPLEIN / CROSSROAD SQUARE

De FIETSmarktkoopman

‘s ochtendS... NEW AMSTERDAM Commissioned by the City of Amsterdam is planning to trans- Amsterdam, the Regional Traffic

OP HAAR DE DUBBELSTRAAT form its old industrial harbour Authority Amsterdam, and the zones into a residential area national advisory board (CRa),

Markt!! for some 50,000 households urban planners De Urbanisten called Haven-Stad. In order to have researched and designed provide a sustainable urban this 21st century cycling city. environment, its infrastructure They present their radical per-

‘s avonds...

WAAR STA JE MORGEN ALBERT CUYP will be tailor-made for cyclists. spectives in the form of a graphic But what would Haven-Stad look novel. In several episodes like entirely without cars? Could De Urbanisten showcase their we design a district exclusively designs for a cycling city and accessible for pedestrians and their impressions of the urban cyclists? life that takes place in its streets

als de fietsmarktlui and squares. vertrokken zijn biedt de ruimte onder de stadsroute plek voor andere activiteiten, bijvoorbeeld sport en spel. het viaduct van de stadsroute biedt een prima beschutte ruimte voor stedeljke activiteiten, bijvoorbeeld de weekmarkt en andere evenementen. langs de wijkstraat en op kruispleinen vindt het op- en afhalen van zware Spullen plaats, waaronder het huisvuil. electrische voertuigen legen binnen zogenaamde ‘venstertijden’ de containers. ook ander zwaar verkeer heeft gereguleerd toegang tot de straten van de Fietsstad bijvoorbeeld de ambulance, de brandweer en de politie. 17 18

1. 2. 3. ik GA NU NAAR bood- Afval PAKKET LEUK GESPEELD? DE WINKEL schapen brengen ophalen

Ja 24 Cycling Matters Cycling Matters 25 Tot later

ik kom een GELUKT! Laten we pakket halen naar huis gaan. Ondertussen

23 24 defensive. They are held legally responsi- for guidance. With the long-term cycling ble for crashes involving cyclists. When I plan, Amsterdam is doing exactly the right ACCESSIBLE CITY SUPERCENTENARIAN HEALTHY PEDALS lived and worked in New Jersey, motorists thing, building on its strengths. My motto Cycling keeps the city moving. Every year, Amsterdam On average, people who cycle would honk, yell out the window, or drive has always been that cycling should be Pedalling citizens save motorists cyclists produce an extra life regularly call in sick less often than close to cyclists to intimidate us and force possible, safe, and convenient for just about 60,000 hours of traffic time, span total of 120 years, colleagues who don’t pedal. us off the road. In Holland, just about every everybody. Amazingly, in Amsterdam this worth a whopping x 60 million. worth x 8.3 million. As an motorist is also a cyclist, which creates a dif- is everyday reality.’ individual, this would be the It is estimated they save a ferent mindset. Moreover, cyclists are held oldest person on earth. total of 50,000 sick days, accountable too. Every time I have been to representing an economic Amsterdam, I have seen a police officer – on value of x 15.3 million. a bike, no less – give a ticket to a cyclist. This never happens in the US. DRIESPRONG / TRIDENT SQUARE I am not an expert cyclist. I never wear Lycra and have a sturdy, simple upright bike, defi-

nitely not a racing bike. In my hometown, COQUILLES VOOR MIJ

voor mij I ride on the greenways and quiet streets. graag FOREL I am not going to compete with cars and

EenMAAL forel ! trucks going sixty kilometres per hour. To EENMAAL COQUILLES! Ja chef! me it is so exciting to see women, children, and seniors on bikes in Amsterdam. People from A to Z, of every conceivable ethnicity

HEERLIJK and income group, people in regular suits, GEGETEN, ZOON

OP NAAR DE FILM. MET not Lycra, handicapped people on custom DE PONT NAAR EYE

bicycles. The world is looking to the Dutch zeker! de beste vis van fietsstad kom je vaak bij de drietand ?

Wat een leuke avond

STADSPLEIN / CITY SQUARE 5 6 Bike Benefits* pleinleven Amsterdam’s cycling boom is ECONOMIC BENEFITS OF CYCLING* het centraal gelegen stadsplein is één van de meest a boost for the city’s economy levendige plekken van de Fietsstad. and the and well-being x de populariteit dankt het 21,600,000 plein allereerst aan de vele of its citizens. voorzieningen rondom, zoals Health restaurants, bioscoop en uitgaansgelegenheden.

Het stadsplein is ook een aantrekkelijke plek voor jong en oud om te vertoeven. vooral x bij mooi weer is het er altijd 87,600,000 vol activiteiten. Mobility het plein is dankzij de situering bij de op/afrit van de stadsroute een veel Ik ben klaar gebruikte ontmoetingsplek voor vandaag voor jongeren uit amsterdam x en de uitvalsbasis voor de vele 13,700,000 fietskoeriers die hun werk doen in fietsstad. Quality of life Chill... even geen delivery RELAX, JUST DO IT TOTAL Work in progress: relaxed routes aim to offer x 122,900,000 cyclists a smooth, stress-free ride by avoiding obstacles and cluttered streets. Instead, CHEAP RIDE these routes offer pleasant, calming surroun- More bikes mean lower costs *2017 dings, easy crossings, and wide lanes, making for public transportation: them eminently suitable for older cyclists, x 27 million saved. children, and families.

Wooosh!

26 Cycling Matters ahhh!

Yeah, ik kom hier vaker, en de sfeer is goed. awesome ‘ollie’. ik hou de BMX’ers zijn er koeriers zijn er altijd... gewoon wat chillen relaxed het bij fietsen ook! they’re cool wachten en chillen

de stadsroute is super geen vuile lucht op naar de snel. iedereen gebruikt geen lawaai..... film, lets go! hem met plezier. 11 12 RILLIJN

CYCLING MATTERS 2019

INTERVIEWS AND DESIGN de zoele haven

PHOTOGRAPHY Djinn Kwekkeboom cover, p. 6, 8, 9, 10, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20,21, 23 Beeldbank Amsterdam p. 6 Marlise Steeman p. 19

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