I always took the Dutch (cycling)infrastructure for granted until I started watching videos like these from other countries. I’ve since then found a new appreciation for our infrastructure. As for the lack of potholes: we pay a lot of taxes, if you’re a car driver you also pay a road tax. The bigger/heavier your car the more tax you pay.
We tend to have nicer roads outside of the city. They like to spend more money on roads in the suburbs, and the utility companies have no incentives for fixing the city streets properly after they cut them up to work on buried utilities. There's a 4+ inch drop in a bike path in Somerville where a gas company dug under it and didn't fill properly, and Cameron ave in Cambridge/Somerville is so torn up from utility work that I can only do about 5mph standing up on certain parts of it, and I risk throwing a chain while doing it. It's really hard to appreciate from the video exactly how bad some of the roads in Boston really are. When driving on a stretch of North street, I can't even work the clutch pedal to shift properly because it's just that bad, and as with the other issues, it's from bad utility patchwork.
When I visited Boston and NYC, I was suprised by how much biking infrastructure there was. To my suprise I got around really well with only a bike in Boston. And the development in Brooklyn is really positive as well. I'm from Amsterdam, btw.
I thought the same when recently visiting Brooklyn and Manhattan from Australia. I wasn’t expecting ANY bike lanes, but found lots. And a lot more cyclists than I expected Not perfect of course….NYC delivery trucks use the bike lanes for parking (need raised kerbs or bollards to keep them out), car drivers can be fairly random / aggressive pushing their way through), and (I was the same) pedestrians aren’t great (yet) at looking out for cyclist before stepping into the street. But, pretty good
a Dutchy here... i'm pretty impressed with Cambridge and Boston tbh, already looks so much better than other USA cities i've seen. a few more improvements and hope it continues and spreads.. (apart from the potholes, i wasn't riding so didn't notice till you pointed it out in the video). one runs on money and makes you fat, the other runs on fat and saves you money. (and a gym subscription).
Thank you for the comment! Good point! So many benefits. Makes you healthier. Cuts health care costs. Cuts energy consumption. Better for the environment. Etc.
I was a bike messenger for 10 years in the Netherlands and attended quite a few World and European Championships, including in New York, Philadelphia, and Washington D.C. This was in the late '90s and early 2000s. I have to say, the bike lanes in Boston that I see in your film-I never came across those. Back then, I thought it was cool to cycle through a city like New York (on a track bike, of course), but I was always happy to be back home, riding on proper bike paths. If you ever come to the Netherlands, you're more than welcome! If you're near Arnhem, hit me up.
Cheers! Yeah, there were always rules on the books about cycling in the city. But the infrastructure was so bad -- most people thought you were crazy for riding in the city, and just didn't do it. Feels like a different world today. We used to have alley races. And some friends of mine went to the championships. I never went. I was pretty slow for a courier.
Very impressed with Cambridge, I hope they connect everything like that, so people have practical destinations to bike to. That's what makes the change work in the long run!
One thing I notice about the Netherlands compared to New York or London is the sedate speed most people cycle at, as opposed to dodging and weaving around cars and trucks and jockeying for position. It is calm and relaxed, and it looks like so much fun.
That is because US cyclists have to outrun motorized traffic. All this because some self proclaimed expert in the 70's (John Forester) invented the ridiculous concept of "vehicular cycling". Which was cheered by politicians at the time and up to the present because it meant you could (and still can) simply ignore the created infrastructure problem without spending money to actually fix the wrong unbalanced and unlivable infrastructure problem.
@@wimahlers That's a good point. 8 to 10 miles per hour is plenty fast to get to a lot of places, but I feel honor bound to be fit so I can go fast and hopefully not hold motorists up. It means I can't just enjoy the scenery; I have to be vigilant at those speeds because there's less time to react.
@@rubentullenaar2934 Me too. I love it. I'm finding ways to make time to use my bike for transportation and not just recreation. Bicycles: fun, exercise, and transportation all in one.
Boston is more adventurous. But not so good for daily commuting, especially after work when you’re tired. It’s actually better than it was in the Netherlands when I was young. I’m 71, when I was 16, in 1969, I participated in actions for a car free city centre. 😀
Thank you for the comment! Looks like your actions helped lead to a better infrastructure overall. NL being a guiding light for building better bike lanes.
Well yeah the pivot to bike friendliness only really picked up steam in the 1970's. You still enjoyed peak car centricity in the Netherlands, when we tried to build highways through historic city centers like Utrecht.
Nice to see all the footage from Groningen. I live here, and these are frequent routes for me. We're used to-, (and tend to forget how privileged we are with) this bike and pedestrian friendly infra structure. Nice post!
credit where credit's due for the city that the nightmare at 5:00 is actually really nice infrastructure now that the construction's complete (though they still need to figure out where bikes are supposed to go after turning west at boylston) progress in Boston is slow but generally steady since the codes ensure that any time there's significant construction on a street they have to improve the biking infrastructure
A place being nice for cyclists when there's no construction is 90% of the way to good enough. But that doesn't change the fact that when you're relying on the bike network getting you where you want to go, you'd also appreciate it if the traffic routing concept at construction sites included the bicycle paths. I'm not saying that there should always be a cycle lane. Early and intuitive signage that detours cyclists around the construction would absolutely be fine. But even that is barely ever done in the US. And it would also be nice if the pedestrian paths through construction sides were wide enough to allow two pedestrians walking their bikes to meet.
One of the nice best hidden benefits of the Cycling in the Netherlands is how often when you are going somewhere you don't even need to stop and put your foot down, you can just keep cruising and often times never have to stop.
As another dutchman I don’t agree. It is getting more and more dangerous riding a bike here, waiting long times for traffic lights. Very bad biking lanes with a few exceptions. Crowded bike lanes with all kind of different types of “bikes” big and small Cycling is not the safest way of transport on the contrary!
#00:31 you are welcome and safe here on the bike. Cyclists and pedestrians often have priority over motorized traffic in cities, also to indicate to motorists that the bicycle is faster than the car and that they are weaker in traffic. That is why at many points in our Netherlands the traffic lights turn green earlier for pedestrians, cyclists, and public transport than for other traffic to discourage them from coming by car. The safety of non-motorized traffic is high on the list here, if you hit a cyclist/pedestrian you have a problem, and that is how it should be
It's so sad to see that Berlins bike infrastructure is really similar to Bostons. Everyday commuting through the city I have at least one dangerous Situation where a car cuts me off and all the half heartedly painted shared bike lanes (sharrows) are really stressful.
Same in Hamburg. OK, there are some bikelanes, but not connected consistently. On top of that, cars that park on our bikelanes. I still ride my bike though. 😀
As a Dutchie, just spend 5 days in Berlin and I was shocked how bat the cycle infrastructure is and how car centric still is. Big roads throughout most of the city. Same in Hamburg, Koln. Germany is still hooked to its car it seems.
A thing about that recurring footage of you "having to" squeeze through tiny gaps in a traffic jam in the US: You know that nobody is forcing you to filter past stopped traffic? If you want to ride in traffic like any other vehicle, the natural thing to do would be to queue like everyone else. And if you don't want to queue, then there's always the option to use the sidewalk and walk your bike. But the point of the video is still valid: Guess why barely any cyclist filters like that in the Netherlands? Because nobody feels like that's the only way to make progress.
I wonder: If you're on a street with a bike lane in Boston; how do side streets know they have to cross a bike lane first? Out here everybody knows or there is a speed bump.
They just pull across the bike lane without looking. Cyclists tend not to get hit because you know that they're going to do it, but it makes rides really stressful since you have to be ready to stop at any time. People doing this still hit me every once in a while if they stop short of the bike lane and look at me and wait before hitting me.
I’m curious about advocacy in both these places. I fully expected when Dutch moved to Toronto they would bring their ideals about cycling with them but I don’t see any Dutch cycling advocates in Toronto. When they move here, they buy a car. Seriously. So I’m curious how much the average Dutch resident involves themselves in advocacy and how that changes when they move overseas?
That’s right. But I haven’t found that. It’s like they never had experience in advocacy before, back in the Netherlands. Or the people who move here are drivers and reluctantly rode a bike the way we reluctantly take the bus here, it’s the best option but it doesn’t mean we like it. If you never did advocacy work back home, it’s likely not top of mind when you move. And using Jason Slaughter as an example, he moved to Amsterdam for a better life. If you get that in the Netherlands, why move away? It means cycling might not have been a high priority. Plus, I heard from someone that driving, just like here, has some prestige. If you can afford it, you drive, the biggest thing preventing you is cost.
Long Post incoming: Obviously our infra is way better (and also obviously I am Dutch) I often hear Americans go "But the Netherlands is a very small country, it would never work in the USA because we are way to big and it won't fit in our current infrastructure" and to that I have the following points and history lesson 1: The Dutch infra is organised on different levels. In the city of Groningen for example it is the municipality that takes care of the cycling infra, outside the city around the smaller towns it is most likely done by the Province legislature and the rest (intercity connections, national bike highways etc) are for the National road organisation. 2: A bit of history. During WWII this country was shot to pieces and after 45 we needed to rebuild. We took this "opportunity" and followed the American example. After all, cars were convinient and fast. However, due to the fact we have many historic city centers and we wanted to keep them as much as possible this was not an easy task. However surely but slowly the country changed into a car society. You still can see remnants of this in Rotterdam as Rotterdam was basically flattened and had lost his historic center. So Rotterdam got basically rebuild like an American city. After not to long, cars drove over the canalstreets in Amsterdam, Utrecht and Amersfoort and was passing several century old churches in Groningen and Maastricht. This however came with a cost... a deadly one. Cars bring accidents, or rather.. stupid people in cars bring accidents. And so around the mid 70's we found ourselves in a situation where each year about 400 children lost their lives due to car accidents. (not to mention a lot of adults and seniors). We had enough, change was needed. A protestgroup saw the light of day called "stop de Kindermoord" (stop the child unaliving) which organised demonstrations and petitions. Thankfully the goverment at the time saw that listening to the people was the right thng to do and change was started. It not only took several decades to undo the damage to our cities, we are still working on it right now. Just recently the old Singel (a type of canal) in Utrecht returned back in it's old pplace. The original one had been transformed in part of a highway (the full highway that would run through the heart of Utrecht, a 900+ year old city, was never completed) and I know similar situations that have been undone or are still in the pipeline to be undone. We didn't get our infrastructure because "the country is small and it fits in the cities", we got our infrastructure because we demanded it from our leaders. I hope this helps you understand why things are like they are overhere and helps you to appreciate it even more. Welcome to my beautiful counrty, I hope you enjoy every minute of your life here. Make sure to get a proper Dutch bike for daily use if "move to the Netherlands" means "for a very long time perhaps indefinately". Those American "citybikes" are fun and all but won't do you any good here. Get a cheap Omafiets and remember... the money goes into the locks, not into the bike :) btw: Next to the Martinitoren you see the name Hooghoudt (9:22), this is a Jenever brand. jenever is the original Gin, If you like Gin, you should try a Dutch Jenever. (Don't drink and drive)
Thank you for the comment! Yes! The infrastructure was built to accommodate... maybe a quarter of the number of cars on the road today. As a result, we go nowhere fast.
Timestamps: 2:40) That bike lane in Cambridge is on the wrong side of the cars. There is no door zone. Getting doored is very possible. Especially, since American drivers may not know the so-called Dutch Reach. 6:20) Why can't the US have almost zero potholes. Because, there is too much car traffic. Cars that are also heavy SUV's 8:05) th-cam.com/video/2Pvhkx0153k/w-d-xo.html Advice) Watch the YT channels of BicycleDutch and Not Just Bikes.
I´m rooting for you guys building a better cycling Network throughout the US.. 👍👍 Perhaps the best example would be Copenhagen, Copenhagen´s cycling infrastructure is way more digestible for American street designs. And if you have mastered The Copenhagen one, then the real complicated Dutch cycling infra could be your next step who knows lol 🤷♂👍
Tr*mp will probably withhold federal funds from states that refuse to rip out cycle lanes. Cycling is part of the 'culture war' and automotive companies will do all they can to get the government to restrict it.
The positive is, that these days, after all those years of consistently improving, the infrastructure is reasonably equal across the country. That being said, Groningen is still one of the better cities, and Rotterdam had more bad infrastructure to get rid of.
Thank you for the comment! I haven't been to Rotterdam. Looking forward to visiting it. I think the most important thing is the will to make the change. Boston is notorious for its bureaucracy. So the change has been slow. Although it has been improving.
That's what they're built for, rock solid and world famous. We cycle through all kinds of weather here so they really have to be able to take some beating
@@Eelis0 It's only a low level of security, but it's not a placebo. Anyone seeing someone walking with a bicycle with the lock on, knows to question that person, and many people fortunately still do.
Dutch drivers are much better drivers, aswell, as they get a proper driving license theory + practical lesson + an exam in both. See the car at 3:07 they driver with their wheels hitting the middle line to make room for cyclists as to not get hit. You wont see such behavior in the USA
Bad comparison. Somehow, you managed NOT to film all the bicycle lanes in Groningen, as they can incidentally also be found in Amsterdam, Utrecht etc. Great job, thanks!
Well,looking on the situation in Boston,we had that also,but now a long time ago.And be careful with biking so close to the cars!There will always be a nut who opens his door without looking.And then YOU have to pay for the damage!!
You seem to confuse 'bicyclist' ('fietsers' in Dutch) with 'cyclists' ('wielrenners'). The first use their everday bike in a normal way, to go to school or to work on a daily basis. The latter have bikes with very thin tires, and they go very fast, even if traffic does not facilitate this. Most drivers of the latter wear some pretty gay lycra clothes as well. Also in the Netherlands this is frowned upon. Your video illustrates this difference well though, thank you.
Sounds like New Zealand, especially Auckland and Wellington where new bike lanes are being installed. The absolute outrage and hatred from the motoring community has been shocking to say the least. New Zealand has taken the route of American car culture, where cars are pretty much worshipped, and nothing should be allowed to interfere with their right of travel or parking.
Thank you for the comment! "Car worship" is a good way to put it. The ironic thing is, the better cycling infrastructure, the more people will cycle, and the less traffic for those that need to drive.
Thank you for the comment! If I'm approved, it's a 2 year visa, through DAFT (the Dutch/American Friendship Treaty.) If all goes well, I can reapply for another round which could last five years.
Random comments : - Groningen is a LOT smaller city than Boston - Dutch city planners tightly control everything, not just cycle lanes. Every new housing suburb is closely planned, controlled. One of the results is the road vs cycle planning is good…. But other results of that micro-planning and development control probably wouldn’t sit well with New World (US, Canada, australia) citizens - Netherlands is very good for bikes, but it’s definitely not some car-free paradise. They still have a lot of freeways, ring roads, lot of traffic (less than it would be, sure…) - Boston bike lanes don’t seem too bad. I’ve seen a LOT worse
At this point in time it's almost useless/irrelevant/depressing/frustrating/saddening to compare almost anywhere in the US with almost anywhere in the Netherlands. Despite the real need and the efforts of dedicated and passionate advocates, the US will remain the car centric dystopia for anyone outside of a car that we see today. While there has been some improvement, there is neither the political will nor the money needed to make the fundamental changes to US society that will ever come close to what the Netherlands has. Given the political climate where the rich and corporations control most aspects of life for the bottom 90% we can be assured that the well being of that 90% will never ever be important enough.
My man, why do u ride so strenge in Boston... never cheking over your sholder before crossing a intersection. Swerving around. Zigzaging tru traffic, and trying to sqweeze in gap that clearly are not big enough. Ofcorse u have a bad time on your bike and u piss people off. In the Dutch way... je fiets als een wielrenner en dat is kut voor iedereen 😂
And as someone from Amsterdam who visits Groningen regularly, I still find the cycling infrastructure in Groningen to be mediocre at best and really car centric
It's still a good representation of the haphazard infrastructure you find in even some of the best bicycling cities in the US, compared to the Netherlands.
Thanks for the comment! All footage is from this calendar year. If they've added a bike lane in the interim -- great! There's been a lot more talk recently about improving infrastructure. Boston usually doesn't move fast when implementing change.
![American reacts to "American Tourists caught in the wild" [part 2]](/img/n.gif)
I'd rather ride a bike in the Netherlands. Come to think of it, I'd rather drive a car in the Netherlands too.
Thank you for the comment! I agree. I've seen a little bit of angry driving here in NL. But not nearly as much as in Boston.
I rather live in the netherlands period
I always took the Dutch (cycling)infrastructure for granted until I started watching videos like these from other countries. I’ve since then found a new appreciation for our infrastructure.
As for the lack of potholes: we pay a lot of taxes, if you’re a car driver you also pay a road tax. The bigger/heavier your car the more tax you pay.
Thank you for the comment! The nicer infrastructure definitely adds to the quality of life.
We tend to have nicer roads outside of the city. They like to spend more money on roads in the suburbs, and the utility companies have no incentives for fixing the city streets properly after they cut them up to work on buried utilities. There's a 4+ inch drop in a bike path in Somerville where a gas company dug under it and didn't fill properly, and Cameron ave in Cambridge/Somerville is so torn up from utility work that I can only do about 5mph standing up on certain parts of it, and I risk throwing a chain while doing it. It's really hard to appreciate from the video exactly how bad some of the roads in Boston really are. When driving on a stretch of North street, I can't even work the clutch pedal to shift properly because it's just that bad, and as with the other issues, it's from bad utility patchwork.
When I visited Boston and NYC, I was suprised by how much biking infrastructure there was. To my suprise I got around really well with only a bike in Boston. And the development in Brooklyn is really positive as well. I'm from Amsterdam, btw.
Thank you for the comment! Things have definitely improved in many cities in the US.
I thought the same when recently visiting Brooklyn and Manhattan from Australia. I wasn’t expecting ANY bike lanes, but found lots. And a lot more cyclists than I expected
Not perfect of course….NYC delivery trucks use the bike lanes for parking (need raised kerbs or bollards to keep them out), car drivers can be fairly random / aggressive pushing their way through), and (I was the same) pedestrians aren’t great (yet) at looking out for cyclist before stepping into the street.
But, pretty good
a Dutchy here... i'm pretty impressed with Cambridge and Boston tbh, already looks so much better than other USA cities i've seen. a few more improvements and hope it continues and spreads.. (apart from the potholes, i wasn't riding so didn't notice till you pointed it out in the video).
one runs on money and makes you fat, the other runs on fat and saves you money. (and a gym subscription).
Thank you for the comment! Good point! So many benefits. Makes you healthier. Cuts health care costs. Cuts energy consumption. Better for the environment. Etc.
I was a bike messenger for 10 years in the Netherlands and attended quite a few World and European Championships, including in New York, Philadelphia, and Washington D.C. This was in the late '90s and early 2000s. I have to say, the bike lanes in Boston that I see in your film-I never came across those. Back then, I thought it was cool to cycle through a city like New York (on a track bike, of course), but I was always happy to be back home, riding on proper bike paths.
If you ever come to the Netherlands, you're more than welcome! If you're near Arnhem, hit me up.
Cheers! Yeah, there were always rules on the books about cycling in the city. But the infrastructure was so bad -- most people thought you were crazy for riding in the city, and just didn't do it. Feels like a different world today. We used to have alley races. And some friends of mine went to the championships. I never went. I was pretty slow for a courier.
Very impressed with Cambridge, I hope they connect everything like that, so people have practical destinations to bike to. That's what makes the change work in the long run!
Cycling in the US seems like a complete workout for mind body and soul and in the Netherlands it looks like a nice calm relaxing yoga session😅
One thing I notice about the Netherlands compared to New York or London is the sedate speed most people cycle at, as opposed to dodging and weaving around cars and trucks and jockeying for position. It is calm and relaxed, and it looks like so much fun.
That is because US cyclists have to outrun motorized traffic. All this because some self proclaimed expert in the 70's (John Forester) invented the ridiculous concept of "vehicular cycling".
Which was cheered by politicians at the time and up to the present because it meant you could (and still can) simply ignore the created infrastructure problem without spending money to actually fix the wrong unbalanced and unlivable infrastructure problem.
@@wimahlers That's a good point. 8 to 10 miles per hour is plenty fast to get to a lot of places, but I feel honor bound to be fit so I can go fast and hopefully not hold motorists up. It means I can't just enjoy the scenery; I have to be vigilant at those speeds because there's less time to react.
For me it’s relaxing. I cycle to and from work, it’s a twenty minute ride and after a busy day it’s so relaxing, I need it to clear my head.
@@rubentullenaar2934 Me too. I love it. I'm finding ways to make time to use my bike for transportation and not just recreation. Bicycles: fun, exercise, and transportation all in one.
Thank you for the comment! It does feel more relaxed here in NL compared to cycling in the US. Also feels safer.
Boston is more adventurous. But not so good for daily commuting, especially after work when you’re tired. It’s actually better than it was in the Netherlands when I was young.
I’m 71, when I was 16, in 1969, I participated in actions for a car free city centre. 😀
Thank you for the comment! Looks like your actions helped lead to a better infrastructure overall. NL being a guiding light for building better bike lanes.
Well yeah the pivot to bike friendliness only really picked up steam in the 1970's. You still enjoyed peak car centricity in the Netherlands, when we tried to build highways through historic city centers like Utrecht.
Nice to see all the footage from Groningen. I live here, and these are frequent routes for me. We're used to-, (and tend to forget how privileged we are with) this bike and pedestrian friendly infra structure. Nice post!
Thank you for the comment! I agree. The infrastructure is impressive.
credit where credit's due for the city that the nightmare at 5:00 is actually really nice infrastructure now that the construction's complete (though they still need to figure out where bikes are supposed to go after turning west at boylston)
progress in Boston is slow but generally steady since the codes ensure that any time there's significant construction on a street they have to improve the biking infrastructure
Thank you for the comment! That's good to hear. Definitely much better than it was in the '90s.
A place being nice for cyclists when there's no construction is 90% of the way to good enough. But that doesn't change the fact that when you're relying on the bike network getting you where you want to go, you'd also appreciate it if the traffic routing concept at construction sites included the bicycle paths.
I'm not saying that there should always be a cycle lane. Early and intuitive signage that detours cyclists around the construction would absolutely be fine. But even that is barely ever done in the US.
And it would also be nice if the pedestrian paths through construction sides were wide enough to allow two pedestrians walking their bikes to meet.
One of the nice best hidden benefits of the Cycling in the Netherlands is how often when you are going somewhere you don't even need to stop and put your foot down, you can just keep cruising and often times never have to stop.
Thank you for the comment! Good point! I do find that it is rare to have to stop.
As another dutchman I don’t agree.
It is getting more and more dangerous riding a bike here, waiting long times for traffic lights.
Very bad biking lanes with a few exceptions.
Crowded bike lanes with all kind of different types of “bikes” big and small
Cycling is not the safest way of transport on the contrary!
@@alleskomtgoed sounds like an Amsterdam problem not a netherlands problem
@@teunvanderwal646 No, The Netherlands is more than Amsterdam!
#00:31 you are welcome and safe here on the bike.
Cyclists and pedestrians often have priority over motorized traffic in cities, also to indicate to motorists that the bicycle is faster than the car and that they are weaker in traffic.
That is why at many points in our Netherlands the traffic lights turn green earlier for pedestrians, cyclists, and public transport than for other traffic to discourage them from coming by car.
The safety of non-motorized traffic is high on the list here, if you hit a cyclist/pedestrian you have a problem, and that is how it should be
Thank you for the comment! The infrastructure seems much better planned. And the priority of of pedestrians is evident.
It's so sad to see that Berlins bike infrastructure is really similar to Bostons. Everyday commuting through the city I have at least one dangerous Situation where a car cuts me off and all the half heartedly painted shared bike lanes (sharrows) are really stressful.
Same in Hamburg. OK, there are some bikelanes, but not connected consistently. On top of that, cars that park on our bikelanes. I still ride my bike though. 😀
Thank you for the comment! Yes, the sharrows, I've read, are more dangerous in some ways, as they give cyclists a false sense of security.
@@hans5501 Thank you for the comment! The lack of a consistent connection is frustrating.
As a Dutchie, just spend 5 days in Berlin and I was shocked how bat the cycle infrastructure is and how car centric still is. Big roads throughout most of the city. Same in Hamburg, Koln. Germany is still hooked to its car it seems.
A thing about that recurring footage of you "having to" squeeze through tiny gaps in a traffic jam in the US: You know that nobody is forcing you to filter past stopped traffic? If you want to ride in traffic like any other vehicle, the natural thing to do would be to queue like everyone else. And if you don't want to queue, then there's always the option to use the sidewalk and walk your bike.
But the point of the video is still valid: Guess why barely any cyclist filters like that in the Netherlands? Because nobody feels like that's the only way to make progress.
You can actually bike between Groningen and Amsterdam(or any other city for that matter in the Netherlands) and never leave a bike path...
Groningen-Amsterdam, how long does it take by bike ?
200 km, 10 Hrs 🕙🕠🕥
Thank you for the comment! I was actually thinking of biking to Hamburg to visit a friend. It would take 17 hours. But I think I'll wait until spring.
I wonder: If you're on a street with a bike lane in Boston; how do side streets know they have to cross a bike lane first? Out here everybody knows or there is a speed bump.
They just pull across the bike lane without looking. Cyclists tend not to get hit because you know that they're going to do it, but it makes rides really stressful since you have to be ready to stop at any time.
People doing this still hit me every once in a while if they stop short of the bike lane and look at me and wait before hitting me.
Technically first section that was labeled Cambridge was actually Somerville.
Thank you for the comment! Good call. I lived right on the border by Beacon Street and would often mix up where the border was.
I’m curious about advocacy in both these places. I fully expected when Dutch moved to Toronto they would bring their ideals about cycling with them but I don’t see any Dutch cycling advocates in Toronto. When they move here, they buy a car. Seriously. So I’m curious how much the average Dutch resident involves themselves in advocacy and how that changes when they move overseas?
I think they see how futile it is. It's would be like a Dutch person moving to Tehran and expecting them to advocate for women's rights.
That’s right. But I haven’t found that. It’s like they never had experience in advocacy before, back in the Netherlands. Or the people who move here are drivers and reluctantly rode a bike the way we reluctantly take the bus here, it’s the best option but it doesn’t mean we like it.
If you never did advocacy work back home, it’s likely not top of mind when you move.
And using Jason Slaughter as an example, he moved to Amsterdam for a better life. If you get that in the Netherlands, why move away? It means cycling might not have been a high priority.
Plus, I heard from someone that driving, just like here, has some prestige. If you can afford it, you drive, the biggest thing preventing you is cost.
WHY do you want to be in a car anyway, the looks of it, doesnt move anyhow. i think they can use some roundabouts to smoothen the traffic flow.
Thank you for the comment! Even the roundabouts come to a standstill.
Long Post incoming:
Obviously our infra is way better (and also obviously I am Dutch)
I often hear Americans go "But the Netherlands is a very small country, it would never work in the USA because we are way to big and it won't fit in our current infrastructure" and to that I have the following points and history lesson
1: The Dutch infra is organised on different levels. In the city of Groningen for example it is the municipality that takes care of the cycling infra, outside the city around the smaller towns it is most likely done by the Province legislature and the rest (intercity connections, national bike highways etc) are for the National road organisation.
2: A bit of history. During WWII this country was shot to pieces and after 45 we needed to rebuild. We took this "opportunity" and followed the American example. After all, cars were convinient and fast. However, due to the fact we have many historic city centers and we wanted to keep them as much as possible this was not an easy task. However surely but slowly the country changed into a car society. You still can see remnants of this in Rotterdam as Rotterdam was basically flattened and had lost his historic center. So Rotterdam got basically rebuild like an American city.
After not to long, cars drove over the canalstreets in Amsterdam, Utrecht and Amersfoort and was passing several century old churches in Groningen and Maastricht. This however came with a cost... a deadly one.
Cars bring accidents, or rather.. stupid people in cars bring accidents. And so around the mid 70's we found ourselves in a situation where each year about 400 children lost their lives due to car accidents. (not to mention a lot of adults and seniors). We had enough, change was needed. A protestgroup saw the light of day called "stop de Kindermoord" (stop the child unaliving) which organised demonstrations and petitions. Thankfully the goverment at the time saw that listening to the people was the right thng to do and change was started.
It not only took several decades to undo the damage to our cities, we are still working on it right now. Just recently the old Singel (a type of canal) in Utrecht returned back in it's old pplace. The original one had been transformed in part of a highway (the full highway that would run through the heart of Utrecht, a 900+ year old city, was never completed) and I know similar situations that have been undone or are still in the pipeline to be undone.
We didn't get our infrastructure because "the country is small and it fits in the cities", we got our infrastructure because we demanded it from our leaders.
I hope this helps you understand why things are like they are overhere and helps you to appreciate it even more. Welcome to my beautiful counrty, I hope you enjoy every minute of your life here. Make sure to get a proper Dutch bike for daily use if "move to the Netherlands" means "for a very long time perhaps indefinately". Those American "citybikes" are fun and all but won't do you any good here. Get a cheap Omafiets and remember... the money goes into the locks, not into the bike :)
btw: Next to the Martinitoren you see the name Hooghoudt (9:22), this is a Jenever brand. jenever is the original Gin, If you like Gin, you should try a Dutch Jenever. (Don't drink and drive)
As a dutchman I was impressed by how many cars you can make stand idling around in a city. 😂😂😂
Thank you for the comment! Yes! The infrastructure was built to accommodate... maybe a quarter of the number of cars on the road today. As a result, we go nowhere fast.
Obstacle course vs stroll in the park
Thank you for the comment! Well put.
Timestamps:
2:40) That bike lane in Cambridge is on the wrong side of the cars. There is no door zone. Getting doored is very possible. Especially, since American drivers may not know the so-called Dutch Reach.
6:20) Why can't the US have almost zero potholes. Because, there is too much car traffic. Cars that are also heavy SUV's
8:05) th-cam.com/video/2Pvhkx0153k/w-d-xo.html
Advice) Watch the YT channels of BicycleDutch and Not Just Bikes.
I live in Chengdu, China. Biking here is heaven.
I´m rooting for you guys building a better cycling Network throughout the US.. 👍👍
Perhaps the best example would be Copenhagen, Copenhagen´s cycling infrastructure is way more digestible for American street designs.
And if you have mastered The Copenhagen one, then the real complicated Dutch cycling infra could be your next step who knows lol 🤷♂👍
Tr*mp will probably withhold federal funds from states that refuse to rip out cycle lanes. Cycling is part of the 'culture war' and automotive companies will do all they can to get the government to restrict it.
Now a version about a city. The cultur is shocked!
But then Groningen is a lot smaller than Boston.
Shouldn't a Dutch city like Rotterdam (same size as Boston) be more fitting in comparence ?
The positive is, that these days, after all those years of consistently improving, the infrastructure is reasonably equal across the country. That being said, Groningen is still one of the better cities, and Rotterdam had more bad infrastructure to get rid of.
Thank you for the comment! I haven't been to Rotterdam. Looking forward to visiting it. I think the most important thing is the will to make the change. Boston is notorious for its bureaucracy. So the change has been slow. Although it has been improving.
Crazy the way they leave their bikes out.
Thanks for the comment! Yeah, they're everywhere.
That's what they're built for, rock solid and world famous. We cycle through all kinds of weather here so they really have to be able to take some beating
They have wheel locks, they're not just left there completely unlocked
@@Eelis0 It's only a low level of security, but it's not a placebo. Anyone seeing someone walking with a bicycle with the lock on, knows to question that person, and many people fortunately still do.
@@Eelis0 well duh but no one is picking up and carrying a 20kg dutch bike without anyone noticing
Dutch drivers are much better drivers, aswell, as they get a proper driving license theory + practical lesson + an exam in both. See the car at 3:07 they driver with their wheels hitting the middle line to make room for cyclists as to not get hit. You wont see such behavior in the USA
Thank you for the comment!
BOSTON ❤❤ROTTERDAM 🇨🇻
Thank you for the comment!
Bad comparison. Somehow, you managed NOT to film all the bicycle lanes in Groningen, as they can incidentally also be found in Amsterdam, Utrecht etc. Great job, thanks!
He said most, are you dumb or what
Thank you for the comment! I'm looking forward to visiting Utrecht.
Ok in Netherlands & Boston but what about somewhere hot like Nevada or Arizona?
Netherlands
I'd rather cycle in the worst parts of the Netherlands for cycling than the best parts of America for cycling 😂
Well,looking on the situation in Boston,we had that also,but now a long time ago.And be careful with biking so close to the cars!There will always be a nut who opens his door without looking.And then YOU have to pay for the damage!!
Thank you for the comment! Good advice! When cycling in the US you definitely have to anticipate what everyone else might do.
You seem to confuse 'bicyclist' ('fietsers' in Dutch) with 'cyclists' ('wielrenners'). The first use their everday bike in a normal way, to go to school or to work on a daily basis. The latter have bikes with very thin tires, and they go very fast, even if traffic does not facilitate this. Most drivers of the latter wear some pretty gay lycra clothes as well. Also in the Netherlands this is frowned upon. Your video illustrates this difference well though, thank you.
Kijk aan! Weer zo'n typisch Nederlandse onderwijzer!
Cambridge does not look that bad for cycling
Sounds like New Zealand, especially Auckland and Wellington where new bike lanes are being installed. The absolute outrage and hatred from the motoring community has been shocking to say the least. New Zealand has taken the route of American car culture, where cars are pretty much worshipped, and nothing should be allowed to interfere with their right of travel or parking.
Thank you for the comment! "Car worship" is a good way to put it. The ironic thing is, the better cycling infrastructure, the more people will cycle, and the less traffic for those that need to drive.
Move.As in you' ll stay forever?
Thank you for the comment! If I'm approved, it's a 2 year visa, through DAFT (the Dutch/American Friendship Treaty.) If all goes well, I can reapply for another round which could last five years.
Random comments :
- Groningen is a LOT smaller city than Boston
- Dutch city planners tightly control everything, not just cycle lanes. Every new housing suburb is closely planned, controlled. One of the results is the road vs cycle planning is good…. But other results of that micro-planning and development control probably wouldn’t sit well with New World (US, Canada, australia) citizens
- Netherlands is very good for bikes, but it’s definitely not some car-free paradise. They still have a lot of freeways, ring roads, lot of traffic (less than it would be, sure…)
- Boston bike lanes don’t seem too bad. I’ve seen a LOT worse
At this point in time it's almost useless/irrelevant/depressing/frustrating/saddening to compare almost anywhere in the US with almost anywhere in the Netherlands. Despite the real need and the efforts of dedicated and passionate advocates, the US will remain the car centric dystopia for anyone outside of a car that we see today. While there has been some improvement, there is neither the political will nor the money needed to make the fundamental changes to US society that will ever come close to what the Netherlands has. Given the political climate where the rich and corporations control most aspects of life for the bottom 90% we can be assured that the well being of that 90% will never ever be important enough.
My man, why do u ride so strenge in Boston... never cheking over your sholder before crossing a intersection. Swerving around. Zigzaging tru traffic, and trying to sqweeze in gap that clearly are not big enough. Ofcorse u have a bad time on your bike and u piss people off. In the Dutch way... je fiets als een wielrenner en dat is kut voor iedereen 😂
Nice comparison, but also try the Dutch cycle paths between cities, even better: th-cam.com/video/gUe_e6gmkeI/w-d-xo.htmlsi=DJ4pJrZYHVRHZQeY
Thank you for the comment! I'm definitely looking forward to it!
And as someone from Amsterdam who visits Groningen regularly, I still find the cycling infrastructure in Groningen to be mediocre at best and really car centric
Thank you for the comment! Interesting. I'll have to visit Amsterdam.
Unless the footage in Boston is very old, there is a protected bike lane on Boylston street that you chose not to use. This video is a lie.
It's still a good representation of the haphazard infrastructure you find in even some of the best bicycling cities in the US, compared to the Netherlands.
I see no lie. Check your hate.
You think this misrepresents Boston? I grew up there. Lived there for over 40 years. This video makes Boston look good!
@ do you still live here? They have added quite a lot in the past 5-10years
Thanks for the comment! All footage is from this calendar year. If they've added a bike lane in the interim -- great! There's been a lot more talk recently about improving infrastructure. Boston usually doesn't move fast when implementing change.
video 73574873864748397 about bikes in the Netherlands ...