Amsterdam was not always this bicycle friendly. Up until the 1970s, the Netherlands was on the same direction course as the rest of the West, with the idea that “the car is the future”. Just like in the UK, they were doing everything to prioritise private motor vehicles above all other modes of transportation. They built multilane roads through the city centre, widened existing roads at the expense of pedestrians, knocked down buildings to create car parks etc. However, after a sharp spike in deaths caused by automobiles, the citizens rebelled against the death of children and how cities had become a place for cars instead of a place for people. The tide turned. Cities starting taking space away from cars and giving it back to people. There was more pedestrianisation, lower speed limits, traffic filters, traffic calming and importantly – cycle lanes. 50 years later, all of the Netherlands is as bike friendly as this.
Meanwhile in the UK, some cities have only just started to take bicycle infrastructure seriously within the last 5 to 10 years. In Manchester, the “European Capitol of Cycling 2024”, there ARE places were Dutch-inspired gold standard infrastructure and junction design exist (not shown in this video), but we have no where near enough of it. Any talk about improving the safety of our streets for pedestrians and cyclists with LTNs, lower speed limits and cycle lanes is often dismissed as “a war against the motorist”, or “15 minute city” conspiracy nonsense, or a “complete waste of council money”.
Just compare the difference in the cycling experience between the two places. This is why we need to fund active travel improvements. Build it and they will come.
1 Comment
Well, that was depressing.