Dutch officials are investing €245 million in a national plan to get even more Dutch commuters and visitors out of cars and onto two-wheelers by providing more parking, more cycles-only highways.
Government officials say there are 23 million bikes in the country, whose population is just over 17 million. Estimates are that the average number of bicycle kilometers pedaled has grown 12% since 2005.
According to one junior minister, ‘The Dutch cycle a lot but nevertheless, more than half the car journeys we make are shorter than 7.5 kilometres…If everyone who could cycle did so, it would make a tremendous difference, including to traffic jams.’
The plans include 25,000 new bicycle parking spots and fifteen fast bike routes between communities where cyclists won’t be held up by traffic lights and other slowdowns.
