How cycling became a top political priority in the Netherlands

Jan Ploegerprovince of South Holland

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Bicycling in the Netherlands

• The bicycle plays a century long a significant role in the NL passenger transport.

• But had it always a political top position in all those years?

Cyclists: get off

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Bicycling in the Netherlands

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Mileage car vs bicycle

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Traffic engineers like cars

1938 first motorways(The Hague – Gouda)

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But they didn’t forget cyclists(they paid the taxes!)

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1939: 4,000,000 cycles 100,000 cars

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Traffic planner in 1950:Maybe we paid too much attention to the motorcar, let’s do something for cyclists.

In the sixties: bicycle lanes were dismantled in The Hague

1975: Bicycle Union ENWB was found

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How cycling became a top priority

- No cyclists - no political attention- Why do people cycle? Main conditions.- How to generate political attention:

never waste a good crisis- Top policy attention needs long-

standing, integral planning

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Why people stayed cycling

• Compact cities, keep distances short• Mixed city planning.– Complete cities For example Zwolle, Groningen– traffic calming/ car free cities

• Cycling is fully accepted in all ranks of society/ positive attitude to cycling

• Recreational cycling• Feeder transport public transport

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London vs. Randstadworkplaces per square km

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Houten: car free/ short distances

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Positive attitude in society

Minister Donner Minister Schulz van Haegen

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Recreational cycling: a regional economic factor

First cyclepaths were private initiatives: cyclepath associations

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Bike and train

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Go for the top: main conditions

• Fully integration in transport policy• Fully integration in land use policy Cycling can compete in travel time, comfort and safety on short distances

• Create positive attitude in society• Create bicycle culture in public administration• Continuity of policy• Decentralisation of transport policy

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Never waste a good crisis

• Economic crisis (thirties instead of train/ tram)• Traffic safety (thirties, seventies)• Low budget recreation (fifties)• Health crisis (seventies: keep fit, exercise),• Energy crises (seventies)• Environment (eighties)• Economic crisis again (and the others still!)

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One single paperback is not enough

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Do forget national policy, Success starts in cities: York

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Compete with car on longer trips is new challenge