[Ep. 1039] I was invited by the local branch of the Cyclists’ Union in Wageningen, Netherlands, to take a critical look at cycling conditions in their town. This resulted in a half-hour presentation, which I’ve summarized in this 5-minute video.
Timestamps:
00:00 – Introduction and key observations about Wageningen
00:59 – 1. Very car-friendly town
01:56 – 2. Numerous parking lots
02:33 – 3. Challenges for walking and cycling visitors
03:33 – 4. New school: How safe is it for children?
04:10 – 5. The current state of the cycling network
05:23 – Outro: It might not be as bad as it seems
20 Comments
I see a lot of the same problems in Helmond. Would be interesting to see your perspective here
Seems like the people who make decisions really love their cars
Great observations!
I wish my city was even half this good (Dallas, TX), I'm currently trying to convince them to add more painted bicycle gutters, that's considered progress in these parts.
This is the most Dutch thing i've heard all year, and i visited Holland this summer 😂. I guess this is why cycling is so good over there, you complain about it so much thst your councils actually do something about it! Haha.
On the other hand compared to almost every other country this is still good bicycle infrastructure 😊
It is both depressingly tragic, but hilarious, that the cycle infra in this place is absolutely superb and magnificent compared to the small town where I live in England. It makes me realise that England is about 50 years behind NL in creating safe cycle infra.
I live in Wageningen and my main annoyance is having to cross traffic lights twice when going left on that provincial road. And yes, there could and should be way more bicycle parking in some places, especially at the bus station. Also, public transport to Ede, the nearest railway station is slow, there should be a fast bus service that only stops frequently in Wageningen and then goes straight to the station.
You said in your introduction that Wageningen is very old, and was harmed during WWII. Could this be some of the reasons for your scathing assessment? As we speak, there are several projects for more bike roads. Oh, and Wageningen once had a train station, but when it was told that there would be an option to have a college or a train station, the town leaders opted for the college. Perhaps your assessment could have used just a little more research and insight.
Manhattan has spent millions and millions on bike lanes . Yet 127 cyclists and pedestrians were killed by drivers the first 6 months of 2024. 127 deaths is 55 more than shooting fatalities
Dit is al 10x beter als in Sittard😂
And yet this is so much better than most of the cycling infrastructure here in Germany.
I would kill to have this kind of city design in Houston man biking here is insane 💀
I live in Wageningen and was about to comment it ain't that bad, but you really bring up some good points. Traffic on the Marijkeweg really should be slowed down and those disjointed bycicle paths should be connected. I also really want to see what that parking lot near the Hema would look like as a nice square.
Why in dutch, do you really think that anyone outside the netherlands is interested in your review.
Funny thing is that compared to other countries in EU that is like a paradise 🥲
I 'm sorry, I live closeby and go there by bike and by car. Contrary to what you say, the city isn't car friendly either. It's horrendous to get through and on busy hours, totally congested on the few ways in. Seems they've managed to compromise in such a way that all ways of transport aren't optimal. It's not just road layout: The traffic lights and roundabouts favor cyclists and that's a good thing, but impaired traffic flow leads to tensed situation for everybody.
Good to investigate the matter. The intersection of Costerweg and Nudestraat in particular is incredibly unclear for cyclists. Even for motorists!
Goed om de zaak eens door te lichten. Vooral het kruispunt van Costerweg en Nudestraat is ongelofelijk onduidelijk voor fietsers. Zelfs ook voor automobilisten!
Well, what did you expect? I mean, it literally has wagen in its name.
loved this one, good remarks and educational material