The Dutch Approach to Bicycle Mobility: Retrofitting Street Design for Cycling

5 Conclusion and Lessons from the Netherlands

This report addressed the transport policy transition that happened in the Netherlands and materialized in the form of retrofitting from car-oriented streets into bicycle and pedestrian friendly streets. First the topic was introduced in an historical perspective to illustrate the different phases of this transition. Secondly, current approaches that are the basis for bicycle planning in the Netherlands were summarized and explained. Finally, several cases were analyzed where the process of retrofitting took place. Every transition in any country and any location is context specific, hence design principles and policies need to be adapted to the local situation and culture. However, it is possible to learn from the Dutch experiences and knowledge on cycling infrastructure. In the following chapter, some general lessons that can be learned from The Netherlands are presented.

The individual as unit of analysis

Planning for a people- and bicycle-friendly environment requires an understanding of individual needs and preferences. These differ when planning for cars or for people, because a broader set of physical and psychological factors must be considered. This means addressing both rational needs (travel time minimization, costs etc.) and emotional needs (safety and comfort). Thus, road design should reflect and accommodate different types of travel behavior, but also account for the unpredictable human behavior and incorporate potential (intended and not intended) mistakes. In this regard the Sustainable Safety principles represent a systematic approach to road safety. It can provide the fundamentals for innovation with practical implications for the design of physical spaces and lead to a decrease in road fatalities.

Coherent integrated strategic vision

Dutch towns and cities reversed the decline of bicycle use by developing integrated local and regional traffic and transport policies. At some stages supported by the national government. These policies led to a simultaneous change in the organization of car use, and the promotion of cycling. New concepts to plan and design for motorized traffic have been created with the bicycle in mind. It is this integrated approach - much more than just the construction of cycle tracks and lanes - that has made the Netherlands a successful cycling country.

Integration with other policy domains

Effective promotion of bicycle use requires its inclusion in multiple policy domains. For instance, the bicycle is not only a means of transport but also an important tool to achieve better health, livable cities, lower congestion, clean air, social inclusion and economic growth. This integrated vision hasn’t always been the standard procedure in the Netherlands. It is only recently that cycling policy is more involved in other policy domains. With (an increase) in bicycle use goals can be reached on social, economic and environmental domains instead of solely mobility. Therefore, mobility plans are communicated, adjusted and (financially) supported by several policy domains.

Integration of cycling with public transport

The assumption that cycling and public transport are competitors proves wrong in the Netherlands. Cycling and public transport over longer distances, particularly by train, mutually reinforce each other^[60]. About half of the trips to and from train stations are done by bicycle. Integrating cycling with trains allows to increase the catchment area of public transport and reduce car dependence for long distance commuting. Scholars and practitioners are therefore beginning to define the Dutch system as the “bike-train system” thanks to this close development.

Close cooperation with stakeholders

The Dutch are famous for the so-called 'polder model'^[61]. For every new piece of cycling infrastructure and every new road design, significant public participation is possible. This often leads to good input and better plans and designs. The National Cyclists' Union, with its many local branches is also closely involved in many cycle plans, policies and projects developed by local authorities. Their knowledge and experience, as cyclists are often a valuable source of information for planners.

Political will

The most important factor that contributed to the mid-70s transport policy shift in the Netherlands was the realization that the car-oriented development was unsustainable for the long-term perspective. Road fatalities together with the oil crisis and social unrest, pushed a political transition that favored a paradigm shift in transport policy and planning. This reverted the declining bicycle trend which is now stabilized and growing again. Without political will to change, it is likely that projects such as the Delft bicycle network plan and the partial pedestrianization of city centers, such as in Groningen and Utrecht, would have been less ambitious and thus less successful.

Demonstration and pilot projects

The Netherlands is a country of demonstration and pilot projects. Many innovations in the field of traffic planning and planning for cycling started with experiments on a small scale. Examples of innovations that have developed the 'woonerf', 'shared space' and roundabouts where cars cannot pass in all directions but cyclists can. Doing a pilot might be easier in the Netherlands than in most Anglo-Saxon countries because of the legal system. It is relatively uncommon and quite difficult to sue the local authority for a crash claimed to be caused by a newly developed design or concept.