Most Dutch people cycle daily. Several efficient measures have helped this mode of transportation become very popular.
Every year, approximately five billion bike trips are made in the Netherlands. In this country with a population of around 17.7 million inhabitants, cycling is a very popular means of transportation, thanks to the measures authorities constantly take to encourage cycling.
The Dutch basic vision: anyone can pedal
The Netherlands has reached this level of popularizing cycling after numerous initiatives that aim to promote cycling in all age groups of the population, not just in the youth who grew up riding on two wheels, notes Euronews.
And if 64% of the country's population uses the bicycle at least once a week, then what the Dutch authorities are doing is working well.
The government program "Doortrappen" ("Pedal") facilitates safe continuation of cycling for the elderly. Support comes in the form of tools – mirrors to increase visibility, for example – or in the form of advice.
As research shows that most accidents happen when bicycles are stationary, the simplest recommendations include lowering the saddle or choosing a bicycle frame that ensures ease of mounting and dismounting.
Other initiatives target migrants who may not have cycled before coming to the Netherlands. The cycling course "Make room for bicycles" includes ten lessons offered by The Hague municipality in various community centers. It's a kind of two-wheeler driving school where people learn in a safe space, where they can overcome their fears, to cycle before going out on their own in traffic.
The benefits are clear: those who take the course have more job opportunities, are in better physical shape, gain independence, and for parents, it's a perfect way to spend quality time with their children, explains Tessa Leferink, an urban mobility specialist who volunteers at the Moerwijk community center in The Hague.
Dutch innovation and infrastructure improvement never stop
In the Netherlands, over 37,000 kilometers of bike lanes reach intersections designed to keep the accident rate as low as possible. But this country hasn't always been the ideal place for cyclists - like anywhere in Europe, urban planning used to revolve around car usage.
Now, a series of reorganization measures and ongoing innovations leave cars in the shade. In Utrecht, for example, authorities closed an 11-lane highway that once led directly into the city, turning it into a canal filled with water.
The change is also visible in other places in Utrecht, such as the Cartesiusweg area, where the four car lanes have been reduced to just two, or the Dafne Schippersbrug bridge for cyclists, connecting the historic city center with the neighboring Leidsche Rijn district.
Uninterrupted bike routes are also being opened, allowing distances once traveled by car to be covered by bike. The first of the nine planned such routes to be inaugurated is Utrecht - Amersfoort.
Intermodality, the use of more than one mode of transport for a journey, is also key to understanding the overall picture of cycling in the Netherlands.
Thanks to the remarkable digital efficiency of bike storage facilities in underground stations, those traveling on intercity trains are encouraged to leave their bikes at the station, take the train, and then rent an "OV-Fiets" bike where needed.
In Utrecht's main underground station, 180 bikes can enter per minute. This also solves the problem of the "army" of chained bikes overwhelming the sidewalks.
What children learn and what an entire country discover
Education certainly plays an important role in this widespread integration of bicycles into society, as childhood habits fuel a life filled with sustainable travel.
After training with digital games, videos, and maps, children in primary schools in the Netherlands undergo a practical cycling test through the Fietsexamen program. The goal is for the little ones to have as much independence as possible in their high school years.
The Netherlands is more accustomed to exporting than importing expertise in the field of cycling, recently being nominated for the Webby Award for its AI tool that translates a vision of bike-friendly streets worldwide. However, the Dutch are not averse to learning from other nations. "Better well stolen than poorly invented" - is a saying many Dutch people agreed with when the bike lane model was adopted from Germany.
Although environmental activists fear that the far-right government will slow down the country's policies in the fight against the climate crisis, the majority of decisions and resources belong to local authorities.
In the Netherlands, cycling is done a lot and not just out of necessity
Dutch people cycle an average of 2.6 kilometers per day. If this model were extended worldwide, annual carbon emissions would be reduced by 686 million tons, more than all the pollution generated by the United Kingdom, as shown in a study cited by Euronews.
Moreover, the Netherlands is among the European countries where people receive money for cycling to work.
But here, bicycles are not only used for commuting to work or school. The Dutch have noticed that when cycling is practiced for pleasure and interacts with culture, sports, and community, people have much to gain.
Remco de Rijk, a bike enthusiast and designated "mayor of cyclists" in The Hague, serves as an intermediary between cyclists and decision-makers. The monthly cycle festivals he organizes are an opportunity for locals to enjoy movement and music.
Cycling helps the nation to be more relaxed and healthier, and the Dutch are constantly trying to improve their relationship with cycling. "We always look for dead spots and ways to stimulate cycling more," explains Ernest van den Bemd from the Utrecht Bike Community. He harnesses cycling energy in every possible way, including bringing together top medical professionals at specific events, considering the clearly positive connection between cycling and health benefits.
Bikes are not thrown away, they are repaired
The Netherlands is also renowned for having more bikes than inhabitants, and people are encouraged to keep their old bikes instead of buying new ones.
The municipality of The Hague collects thousands of abandoned bikes to recycle and distribute them to children who do not own one. And students at the Science Park campus of Utrecht University can learn at community centers how to repair their bikes. Those looking for work can apply to learn repair skills to help them find a job.
The Roetz-Bikes workshop in Amsterdam goes further - second-hand bikes are dismantled, and the parts are used to repair other bikes and reintroduce them into circulation.
Here was also launched the "Life bike" concept, which involves creating custom-made bikes with high specifications, modular and easy to maintain, with long-lasting durability.
T.D.