[784] On-street cycle lanes are not recommended in the Dutch guide books, but they do exist in many forms. They don’t all have the same legal status and that can be confusing. More information in the blog post: https://bicycledutch.wordpress.com/?p=18393
Great ideas, in the UK we exist in essentially a feud between cyclists and drivers as we have no real separation of road an cycle lane so cyclists are slowing traffic which irritates drivers or drivers are overtaking cyclist so close you almost knock them off which makes bad blood there. Also our cycle infrastructure is so bad people usually either drive or cycle depending on their circumstances rather than length of journey or weather which further separates the groups as a motorist does not understand a cyclists point of view and visa versa. I also believe cyclists should have a safety standard to use the road or cycle lanes however, a registration plate and adequate lighting should be essential. We often have incidents where cyclist are not seen due to poor or no lights or have lights that blind people as there are no regulations with beam pattern ect like a car and many incidents where cyclists cause damage and run without any real means of identification.
Here in Germany, on-street cycle lanes are considered as the golden standard of cycle "infrastructure" (many people say "paint alone is no infrastructure" and I think that's right.) It's interesting to see that they also exist in The Netherlands — but are actually seen as bad design. How does it look like when such on-street cycle lanes meet an intersection equipped with traffic lights: Are there separate lights for cyclists? Are there "bike boxes" that allow cyclists to position themselves in front of cars while waiting for the green light? (This is very common in Germany and in many other countries.) And what if an on-street cycle lane meets a roundabout: Are there separate cycle lanes inside the roundabout or do cyclists have to merge with the motorized traffic? Finally, do people in The Netherlands tend to avoid these on-street cycle lanes (by using a different route instead)? My guess is that especially for young cyclists, this is quite risky and not very attractive.
0:50 " Cycle lanes with solid lines may never be used by motor vehicles " seems to be factually wrong, as small motorcycles are (lately) allowed to drive on cycle lanes, am I wrong?
I like that most places have a standard cycle width. One place in greater London, UK, there's a separate cycle lane is less than one metre and it's expected that bikes can go both ways. That means you end up daring the one coming in the opposite way to find out which of us will yield and swerve over on to the pedestrian path. Later one you find the cycle path disappears and this is a busy major road with cars going at high speeds. You are expected to switch to the road and later the bus lane with buses dodging in and out all the time.
I would be interested to hear more of your opinions on contraflow (counterflow) lanes in future videos. Toronto has many and I have mixed feelings on their effectiveness.
"Suggestion lane" I actually burst out laughing when I heard that. I don't know if it's the same in Dutch, but that name is really befitting to their lack of legal status.
Seems blatantly obvious that the single step that would have the greatest improvement in safety of Dutch cyclists would be to get them to wear helmets. It's elementary physics that if you fall while on a bicycle and your head impacts the roadway, it will be moving at a vertical speed of roughly 20kph, irrespective of your horizontal speed. The human skull simply is not "designed" to protect your brain against an impact into a hard surface at that speed. Bicycle lanes may protect against collisions with motor vehicles, but the focus on them ignores the fact that it's quite possible to fall down for a variety of other reasons. People forget that cyclists are balancing on two small contact patches and/or mistakenly think that they aren't going fast enough to get hurt in a fall.
Its not forbidden to park on a fietssuggestiestrook. The strippes mean nothing nor does the white bike on it. They could also have been childs drawings. But as said, you are not allowed to park in a bicycle path ( roadsign and continuing white lining).
I think the ‘suggestion’ is more about the visual trickery. It’s more ‘suggestief’ (Dutch word that can also mean manipulative or influential) as it makes the brain feel the road is too narrow to drive at higher speed.
@1:40 there are in fact 2 signs for cycle lanes/paths the one applicable for cycles and snorfietsen would be your channel logo but in blue, the other one is a rectangular sign with the word fietspad on it (only for cycles not snorfietsen) … commonly they only place a sign at the beginning of a main cycle route or intersection and often not at all, but there are signs
@2:35 people are advised (as opposed to not advised) but not required to use them… advisory lane is a mistranslation, is a suggestion lane, with the suggestion being, thats the side/space suggested to use, do as you please but heres our thought out suggestion, its often used on dikes also so as a car driver you dont accidentally drive into the often soft grassy sides aside from narrowing the road an sich
I dont like most bicycle infrastucture. It brings too many bad cyclists on the road, on my bike I'm regularly getting stuck behind slow bicyclists and car drivers became more hostile on roads without bicycle infrastructure. Where there used to be coexistence, there is nowadays aggression.
The street in front of my house has suggestion lanes. This is normally used on streets where the maximum speed is 60 km/h. However, the street I live in is in a max. 30 km/h zone. Obviously they all drive too fast.
I would like to extend a huge thank you to the people of the Netherlands for showing us (the rest of the world) how roads can be designed to avoid killing or injuring vulnerable road users. Here in the UK we are at least 30 years behind you but hopefully one day we will end car dominance. The we can begin to enjoy cleaner, healthier, quieter, safer, happier streets like yours.
There are scooters constantly on bike lanes in Amsterdam. Some can be used but most of the time the rules aren't followed. Also, you have electric bikes now. They're fast and people don't slow down.
Quite good translation of the rules. Only 1 remark is that with a dashed bicycle lane you do not have to ride in the bicycle lane (a lot of people think that's the case). You are allowed to pass someone outside the bicycle lane or ride next to someone. With the full line you are not allowed to cross the line and you need to act like it is a separated lane/road.
In Brussels they dont even draw the lines on most of those counter-flow streets. Because it is in fact assumed that bikes ride in both directions on any street. 80% of the time you can see a single bicycle painted on the road and 30% will have dotted lines at least towards intersections and tighter sections.
Question, the video mentions two advised methods of cycle paths for the two speed boundaries; under 30km/h and over 50 km/h. What are the cycle path advised methods for roads in between these speeds such as 40km/h? Or do roads with these speeds not exist?
39 Comments
This is incredible. Someday I'm gonna visit the Netherlands. By bicycle.
Great ideas, in the UK we exist in essentially a feud between cyclists and drivers as we have no real separation of road an cycle lane so cyclists are slowing traffic which irritates drivers or drivers are overtaking cyclist so close you almost knock them off which makes bad blood there. Also our cycle infrastructure is so bad people usually either drive or cycle depending on their circumstances rather than length of journey or weather which further separates the groups as a motorist does not understand a cyclists point of view and visa versa. I also believe cyclists should have a safety standard to use the road or cycle lanes however, a registration plate and adequate lighting should be essential. We often have incidents where cyclist are not seen due to poor or no lights or have lights that blind people as there are no regulations with beam pattern ect like a car and many incidents where cyclists cause damage and run without any real means of identification.
2:46 WTF is that ? Red in the middle ?
Here in Germany, on-street cycle lanes are considered as the golden standard of cycle "infrastructure" (many people say "paint alone is no infrastructure" and I think that's right.) It's interesting to see that they also exist in The Netherlands — but are actually seen as bad design.
How does it look like when such on-street cycle lanes meet an intersection equipped with traffic lights: Are there separate lights for cyclists? Are there "bike boxes" that allow cyclists to position themselves in front of cars while waiting for the green light? (This is very common in Germany and in many other countries.)
And what if an on-street cycle lane meets a roundabout: Are there separate cycle lanes inside the roundabout or do cyclists have to merge with the motorized traffic?
Finally, do people in The Netherlands tend to avoid these on-street cycle lanes (by using a different route instead)? My guess is that especially for young cyclists, this is quite risky and not very attractive.
Netherland rood Very beautiful
wish the Dutch settled Australia with infrastructure like this
Dutch be like how make it even better
other countries be like what is a bicycle
0:50 " Cycle lanes with solid lines may never be used by motor vehicles " seems to be factually wrong, as small motorcycles are (lately) allowed to drive on cycle lanes, am I wrong?
I like that most places have a standard cycle width. One place in greater London, UK, there's a separate cycle lane is less than one metre and it's expected that bikes can go both ways. That means you end up daring the one coming in the opposite way to find out which of us will yield and swerve over on to the pedestrian path. Later one you find the cycle path disappears and this is a busy major road with cars going at high speeds. You are expected to switch to the road and later the bus lane with buses dodging in and out all the time.
I would be interested to hear more of your opinions on contraflow (counterflow) lanes in future videos. Toronto has many and I have mixed feelings on their effectiveness.
We always enjoy learning with you about the complex cycling policy of the Netherlands, what a beautiful country! Greetings from Belgium 😉
"Suggestion lane" I actually burst out laughing when I heard that. I don't know if it's the same in Dutch, but that name is really befitting to their lack of legal status.
May the Lord help India, new Delhi… We Indian die in new Delhi, there is no cycle not even cycle line….
Richard James..
New Delhi.
India..
Nice. BTW, "2.25", for example, is read as "two point two five", not "two point twenty five". Numbers after the decimal point are read individually.
Sometimes i still feel unsafe in the netherlands when cycling cause people almost hit you when overtaking you
ما أجمل وأنت تقود دراجتك غازيل على تلك الطرقات والممرات
About those "advised lines" roads, usually not a problem in daylight, beware in the dark.
Seems blatantly obvious that the single step that would have the greatest improvement in safety of Dutch cyclists would be to get them to wear helmets. It's elementary physics that if you fall while on a bicycle and your head impacts the roadway, it will be moving at a vertical speed of roughly 20kph, irrespective of your horizontal speed. The human skull simply is not "designed" to protect your brain against an impact into a hard surface at that speed. Bicycle lanes may protect against collisions with motor vehicles, but the focus on them ignores the fact that it's quite possible to fall down for a variety of other reasons. People forget that cyclists are balancing on two small contact patches and/or mistakenly think that they aren't going fast enough to get hurt in a fall.
Its not forbidden to park on a fietssuggestiestrook. The strippes mean nothing nor does the white bike on it. They could also have been childs drawings. But as said, you are not allowed to park in a bicycle path ( roadsign and continuing white lining).
I think the ‘suggestion’ is more about the visual trickery. It’s more ‘suggestief’ (Dutch word that can also mean manipulative or influential) as it makes the brain feel the road is too narrow to drive at higher speed.
This is very informative
@1:40 there are in fact 2 signs for cycle lanes/paths the one applicable for cycles and snorfietsen would be your channel logo but in blue, the other one is a rectangular sign with the word fietspad on it (only for cycles not snorfietsen) … commonly they only place a sign at the beginning of a main cycle route or intersection and often not at all, but there are signs
@2:35 people are advised (as opposed to not advised) but not required to use them… advisory lane is a mistranslation, is a suggestion lane, with the suggestion being, thats the side/space suggested to use, do as you please but heres our thought out suggestion, its often used on dikes also so as a car driver you dont accidentally drive into the often soft grassy sides aside from narrowing the road an sich
1:51 welcome to Germany
We have no hills but a lot of wind and when you turn around it also does.
I dont like most bicycle infrastucture. It brings too many bad cyclists on the road, on my bike I'm regularly getting stuck behind slow bicyclists and car drivers became more hostile on roads without bicycle infrastructure. Where there used to be coexistence, there is nowadays aggression.
37 years as a dutch and it took me until this video to learn there is such a thing as a "suggestion lane"
I speak english very well but nog niet zo snel. Maar dat komt nog wel.
Woah didnt expect my front door to be in the video
Den Bosch!!!!
The street in front of my house has suggestion lanes. This is normally used on streets where the maximum speed is 60 km/h. However, the street I live in is in a max. 30 km/h zone. Obviously they all drive too fast.
I would like to extend a huge thank you to the people of the Netherlands for showing us (the rest of the world) how roads can be designed to avoid killing or injuring vulnerable road users. Here in the UK we are at least 30 years behind you but hopefully one day we will end car dominance. The we can begin to enjoy cleaner, healthier, quieter, safer, happier streets like yours.
There are scooters constantly on bike lanes in Amsterdam. Some can be used but most of the time the rules aren't followed. Also, you have electric bikes now. They're fast and people don't slow down.
Quite good translation of the rules. Only 1 remark is that with a dashed bicycle lane you do not have to ride in the bicycle lane (a lot of people think that's the case). You are allowed to pass someone outside the bicycle lane or ride next to someone. With the full line you are not allowed to cross the line and you need to act like it is a separated lane/road.
I visited Amsterdam in 2019 and I was surprised to see motorbikes driving on the cycle lanes as well.
Are the traffic rules changed since then?
In Brussels they dont even draw the lines on most of those counter-flow streets. Because it is in fact assumed that bikes ride in both directions on any street. 80% of the time you can see a single bicycle painted on the road and 30% will have dotted lines at least towards intersections and tighter sections.
They must look at the UK roads as a blood sport. They would be right.
Why is the cycle line red? Cus of the Death of people who crossed the line. So kids never walk on dutch cycle lines
Question, the video mentions two advised methods of cycle paths for the two speed boundaries; under 30km/h and over 50 km/h.
What are the cycle path advised methods for roads in between these speeds such as 40km/h? Or do roads with these speeds not exist?