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Cycling in the Netherlands
Published by Matt Polaine | Filed under Cycling infrastructure
credit: cambridge cycling campaign, Matt Polaine
With the BT Adastral Park Master Plan in progress and Suffolk County aspiring to becoming the greenest county in the country, the one area that UK planning continues to foul up is cycle provision.
It is simple really, design transport infrastructure for cyclists needs, meeting best practice, and allocating the required funds in any Local Transport Plan.
Sadly, this doesn’t happen in the UK. Even here in Cambridge. Transport Planners may think they know how to implement cycle facilities but clearly they don’t, and it seems they won’t listen to users or look at the European models either. Cycle facilties don’t just benefit cyclists, they benefit entire communities when they are continuous, prioritised, wide enough, and with a decent surface.
Until you cycle on the UK highway, and then cycle elsewhere in Europe, you won’t really know what I am talking about. Highway Planning from a car seat is driving cyclists mad; and off their bikes. Frankly I don’t where to start in redressing this, as it seems a unique UK skill to design some of the worst cycle facilties in the world, so bad that there is now a book out about them.
Anyone involved with the Adastral Park development MUST take notice of this issue. A cyclelane is not a green add-on using a tin of paint. For more information look through the Cambridge Cycling Campaign or come and talk to me.
A good starting point is to read this.
One Response to “Cycling in the Netherlands”
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September 8th, 2008 at 9:40 am
Somewhat late, I just discovered your blog.
As you know, we liked it so much we moved over here, to the part of the
Netherlands which offers the best cycling.
There is an enormous amount that British planners and campaigners can learn
from the Dutch. We’ve had a few dozen people over from the UK this year on Study
Tours, and we’re continuing to try to get people to come.
We’ve realised that comparisons can be made between the way things are done in
the UK and the way things are done here. We found a road which compares well
with Gilbert Road. It is about the same width, has about the same amount of
traffic on it, about the same age of houses etc. however, it’s MUCH nicer to
cycle on:
http://hembrow.blogspot.com/2008/08/but-our-streets-are-narrow.html
Fewer excuses are needed, and more getting on and actually doing stuff !