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I recently visited Amsterdam and was blown away by the cycling infrastructure there (I live in NYC and cycle daily). I realized, though, that unlike many Ameri
by syndacks 8y ago
I recently visited Amsterdam and was blown away by the cycling infrastructure there (I live in NYC and cycle daily).
I realized, though, that unlike many American cities, Amsterdam came of age way before the automobile. The US has a fetish with cars.
Therefore, it's impossible to compare the two countries' cycling infrastructures. The link you shared is so far beyond anything we have in the US; you can't simply say "this is how it should be done".
Instead, we have to start somewhere small and make incremental changes until a tipping point ocurrs. Add more bike lanes, introduce bike share programs, etc. Since I've lived in NYC the amount of cyclists has increased steadily. I'm hopeful this trend will occur as programs like OP are continually introduced.
Overall I agree with you, I just think the historical contexts are fundamentally different. American cities will approach Amsterdam...in a few hundred years :)
- pmontra 8y agoAmsterdam has a different layout than most US cities but it became a car city much like everywhere else. They fought to change. This is what the Dutchs did https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2015/may/05/amsterdam-bicycle-capital-world-transport-cycling-kindermoord#img-1 https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2015/may/05/amsterdam-bic...
- bdamm 8y agoLet's not ignore the fact that Amsterdam is almost completely flat.
- fowkswe 8y agoSo is New York City
- mrob 8y agoAmsterdam also has high average wind speed. Headwinds can slow you down just as much as hills, and crosswinds make it harder to control the bike. Most energy spent while cycling goes to overcoming wind resistance, and it's easy to underestimate how important it is if you don't cycle regularly.
- ndnxhs 8y agoEbikes have recently become really good and they flatten all hills with ease.
- TomMarius 8y agoYeah but regulation in EU makes them nearly useless, it's illegal to put in >250W engine and it can only assist to human torque.
- desas 8y agoHow is that nearly useless? Have you tried keeping up with someone on an e-bike? Most people will not manage it.
- TomMarius 8y agoI need to ride up a hill that even my car has problems with. There are many more similar hills in my city (around 1.5~3 million people).
- ndnxhs 8y agoHave you ever used a 250w ebike? They are incredibly powerful and they also come with gearing much lower than cars. The power on an ebike does not limit how steep you can go. I took a 250w ebike up a path so steep I had my chin on the handlebars to stop the front wheel lifting off the ground and the motor was powering me up fine.
- TomMarius 8y agoI did, I had to pedal the exact hill I'm talking about and it definitely wasn't easy; I sweat through my suit because of that. Sold (back to the shop) the bike the next day. Instead of it I got an illegal chinese e-scooter that has 800w and is just perfect in every way. Never had a problem with the police, btw. Sadly I had to give my business to a Chinese supplier instead of local.
- 8y ago
- pjmlp 8y agoSwitzerland is full with bycicles and it isn't properly flat
- welder 8y ago> I realized, though, that unlike many American cities, Amsterdam came of age way before the automobile. The US has a fetish with cars. No, Amsterdam also loved cars. It was activism that turned it into a bicycle heaven. https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2015/may/05/amsterdam-bicycle-capital-world-transport-cycling-kindermoord https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2015/may/05/amsterdam-bic...
- syndacks 8y agoFair enough, but Amsterdam originally loved bikes. From your link: >At the start of the 20th century, bikes far outnumbered cars in Dutch cities and the bicycle was considered a respectable mode of transport for men and women. I don't believe this was ever the case in a major US city. Nonetheless, the activism bit is news for me so thanks for sharing. I'd still argue, though, that the activism is largely due to the fact that that there was a history of bikes before cars.
- loeg 8y ago> I don't believe this was ever the case in a major US city. This is completely inaccurate. Americans loved bikes at the start of the 20th century too. Cars didn't exist, or were unreliable, or incredibly expensive. E.g., https://www.vox.com/2015/6/30/8861327/bike-lanes-history https://www.vox.com/2015/6/30/8861327/bike-lanes-history
- icebraining 8y agoSee also https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YY6PQAI4TZE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YY6PQAI4TZE, about the Amsterdam neighbourhood De Pijp fight for a play street without cars in 1972.
- Udik 8y agoThank you for this link. I moved to Amsterdam less than three years ago, and the difference between what is shown in the video and how the whole city is now is just unbelievable. It's a testament and a lesson on how it's possible to really vastly transform things for better, with time and will. Hemonystraat, one of the streets cited in the video, now: https://www.google.it/maps/@52.3567496,4.9026422,3a,58.5y,137.85h,87.62t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1ses9alBsdaQ6J6U_BonNvHQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656 https://www.google.it/maps/@52.3567496,4.9026422,3a,58.5y,13...
- hannasanarion 8y agoNew York City got its modern street plan in 1810. The only cities "designed for cars" are probably Phoenix, Tucson, and greater LA, every other American city saw its establishment and principal growth when walking, cycling, and horse riding was the norm.
- rlander 8y agoI spent a few weeks in north New Jersey last year and, as someone who cycles to work every day in my hometown, I was appalled to find absolutely no infrastructure for bicycles. None at all. I felt trapped; it’s like if you don’t own a car you don’t exist. To add insult to injury, public transportation is almost non-existent. US cities have a very long way to go...
- cimmanom 8y agoFWIW, NYC also came of age before the age of the automobile.