Global Benchmarking Program

Bicycle Network Planning and Facility Design Approaches in the Netherlands and the United States

This report explores similarities and differences in the approach to bicycle network planning and facility design in the Netherlands and the United States. A very brief historical overview is provided as context for a discussion about bicycle planning and design approaches and physical infrastructure “on the ground,” as observed during a visit to the Netherlands in August 2015. Following a high level discussion of respective design approaches, the report highlights four specific areas, or themes, observed in practice in Holland that are applicable to transportation practice in the U.S.