Groningen: The World's Cycling City
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 1 ต.ค. 2024
- It's no secret that just about anywhere you go in the Netherlands is an incredible place to bicycle. And in Groningen, a northern city with a population of 190,000 and a bike mode share of 50 percent, the cycling is as comfortable as in any city on Earth. The sheer number of people riding at any one time will astound you, as will the absence of automobiles in the city center, where cars seem extinct. It is remarkable just how quiet the city is. People go about their business running errands by bike, going to work by bike, and even holding hands by bike.
The story of how they got there is a mix of great transportation policy, location and chance. You'll learn quite a bit of history in the film, but essentially Groningen decided in the 1970s to enact policies to make it easier to walk and bike, and discourage the use of cars in the city center. By pedestrianizing some streets, building cycle tracks everywhere, and creating a unique transportation circulation pattern that prohibits vehicles from cutting through the city, Groningen actually made the bicycle -- in most cases -- the fastest and most preferred choice of transportation.
It does feel like bicycle nirvana. When I first got off the train in Groningen, I couldn't stop smiling at what I saw around me. In an email exchange with my friend Jonathan Maus from Bike Portland, he described it as being "like a fairy tale." This jibed with my first thought to him -- that I had "entered the game Candyland, but for bikes!" In fact, for our teaser I originally titled this Streetfilm "Groningen: The Bicycle World of Your Dreams," before I talked myself out of it. Although there is a magical quality about being there, in reality there is nothing dreamy or childlike about it. With political will and planning, what they have done should and can be done everywhere.
In our Streetfilm you'll see the 10,000 (!) bicycle parking spaces at the train station, some of the incredible infrastructure that enables cyclists to make their journeys safer and quicker, and you'll hear from many residents we encountered who go by bike just about everywhere they travel. But as one of my interview subjects, Professor Ashworth, wanted me to point out: the three days I was there were bright and sunny, and the hardy people keep up the bicycling through the cold winters. As with many bicycling cities, there area also big problems with cycle theft, and residents are always yearning for more bicycle parking.
I think most of us would trade some of those problems for a city with 50 percent mode share (and up to 60 percent in the city
14:00 Something that is often also forgotten is that cycling paths or streets require FAR less maintenance. A path for cycling only can easily be left for 20-25 years without any major maintenance or reconstruction if it was built right in the first place. We see many examples of this even here in belgium. The problems always crop up on streets or roads shared with cars and other taffic, or where cars momentarily cross the cycling path. It's cars and other motorised traffic that cause a ton of tear and wear on roads, massively increasing needed maintenance frequency and maintenance costs.
Another problem is utility companies doing digging or other underground works and then not rebuilding the cyce path or street decently, creating a weak spot that needs more maintenance. This really is a plague in Belgium... But this could be prevented or easily remedied.
Just one example from the city where i live: The main road into the city hat i use to go to work was repaved with new asphalt only 2 years ago. But it is also a main road for motor traffic, and one of the busiest bus routes in the city. Already after mearly 2 years, the asphalt is already warping to dangerous levels, especially near the busstops. Yet all around the city there are cycle paths built decades ago that are still in near-pristine condition.
Cycling infrastructure is way cheaper to build than any infrastructure for motorised traffic, AND maintenance is way, WAY cheaper and less frequent. So cycle paths naturally stay in good condition much longer than roads, even without good maintenance.
imagine those 10,000 bikes as cars.. a nightmare
Not as bad as 10,000 cars!!!
That's what they were trying to say, just imagine the nightmarish congestion if all of those people were in a car instead
this creates a happy, healthy, fit and low enviromental impact civilization, wish all cities were like this
Lower need for Healthcare as well
In the Netherlands, they really are. Like really every city and village in the Netherlands is like this.
can nack where there is a will
Just welcome to north korea
tubetardism 20/20 well you certainly ain’t Dutch now are you 🤦♀️
Cities in Netherlands are just so different. It's a perfect mix of modernity and old style.
Yeah - they are 100% flat and level.
@Noah Maddox The reason why the cities are just so different (with so many bicycles) is because they are pool table flat - otherwise, there would not be so many bicycles.
@Noah Maddox In New York there are also many more bicycles - but those upright dutch bikes are heavy and don't have enough gearing for hilly country.
@Noah Maddox Sure you can bike anywhere, but, in my opinion (yes I ride a bicycle) more people will ride if the land is level - especially old people. Part of riding is enjoyment, and at least for me - pushing uphill in the summer is not fun.
@@paulsawczyc5019 Go watch the province of Limburg, it has hills and isnt flat at all. They still ride their bikes there.
Moved to Groningen 1 year ago. This is the best thing that’s happened to me!
Purest air, healthy lifestyle, quiet and so relaxing.
How did you do? Are you Dutch?
I’m not Dutch. Just an international student here. I love the warm culture and the Netherlands
Akash R Just wanted to tell you that ABC Knew is one of the lesser educated dutch people that doesn’t know that multiculturalism has only brought our country prosperity. You’re more than welcome to stay here if you’d like.
Sometimes the extremists get most of the attention, but that doesn’t mean they’re the majority, they’re just desperate.
"Purest air, healthy lifestyle, quiet and so relaxing."???
Seems to me you haven't seen Ljubljana, Slovenia.
Hi! Im not moved there yet, but im just wondering about groningen's area. Is there any company in the city? And do locals able to speak english?
Dutch cycling documentaries are really soul-soothing. I watch them to chill out (another relaxing method cultivated in Holland ;) ). Even in Germany, this seems utopian.
THX blammblamm for your kind words from you're best neighbor country: NL
Actually its kind of strange, Germans and Dutch are very simulare people, but still so many different thoughts. Greets from Jan & Holland love's Germany
@@janscooter8669 It's the fault of the frigging car lobby here! Sucks big time. Nonetheless it is getting better.
Very strange that this seems utopian to Germans, after all the bikes they've stolen 74 years ago. Lol
@@pzykotikal hahha... LMAO. No hard feelings Germany, but this was funny.
Cuckland
This is the future of all the cities in the world. Cities are for people, not for (parked) cars.
I wish this was cities present.
I look forward to that. I am not happy in the U.S.
man in the Netherlands its raining aaaaalot. absolutly no fun cycling then! so ok no cars in the centre, good, but also need to invest in public transport in cities.
It rains on the most bicycle friendly cities, funny how that is? Rain has no impact on cycling, though. Just need to wear the right clothes. Heck, people bike in the snow in many parts of Europe.
We are not made of sugar, it is just water... Yes sure i prefer cycling on a hot summer day, but with the right clothing, it is no problem. Once a bicycle is the fastest vehicle and having the most direct way from A to B (while cars must take a longer way), lots people will usually prefer cycle because it's the fastest way from A to B. And if the infrastructure is so fantastic like in the Netherlands, i would also cycle in snow. Now it is too dangerous because we often have to “share the road” and that is simply not safe enough, especially when the road is slippery or icy.
Bicycles can literally change the world. It’s amazing that we made way for vehicles, but not for this wonderful human invention.
That's just because car sellers influenced the politics in the whole world.
They will continue to change the world. In my opinion one of the greatest inventions of all time.
It was bicycle lobbyists that influenced cities all over the world to improve road surfaces. When cars came around, they hugely profited from these better roads. Only when they started crowding the roads, and driving at high speeds, cars became a real nuisance and danger to cyclists. The world now needs to take the next step of protecting cyclists on streets and crossings, like the Dutch did.
You must also say that the bicycles in Netherlands has less friction while pedaling so takes less effort to ride it and so more pleasant. This is an important factor.
Damn I'm jealous. They bike around with peace of mind without anxiety. Great views, good roads, plus they don't end up all sweaty and dirty after.
oooh yes you will end up sweaty as fuck, especially with decend to hot weather haha but its nice to have the wind in your hair :)
@@Tezzer-005 Not if you're just cycling at the speeds shown in the video for 2-15 minutes
@@Tezzer-005 That's only for fatties. Maybe you should try a bike.
You must also say that the bicycles in Netherlands has less friction while pedaling so takes less effort to ride it and so more pleasant. This is an important factor.
My employers had locker rooms and showers for them who needed it. I kept some suits and shirts in the locker. After 45 minutes cycling it was nice to be able to freshen up.
The key to this is having intelligent and educated policy/law makers instead of hateful and greedy ones.
The transition to safer cycling was initiated by hateful politicians against cars.
😂
politicians do not like bikes.
And no mountains. There are exactly 0 mountains here
@@basv8456 actually there is one.
Bas Visser Yeah because most non-dutch cities are located on mountains... People knew what cityplanning was in medieval times and before, and barely any of them have built cities on top of mountains. Look at cities like Prague, Paris, Berlin, Bremen, London, etcetera. They’re quite flat, have a few hilly areas but not too extreme, and yet their cycling infrastructure sucks aside from a few spots in London.
My kind of city.
1. No pollution. 2. Lose Weight. 3. No dangerous chemicals - even better for the environment. 4. No insurance. 5. No fatal crashes 6. Save tons of money.
every single person in the nethelands is insured, by law.
In the 70’s when a lot of these infrastructure reforms were made, a major source of momentum was a series of deadly car accidents involving children
Actually you are required to pay insurance just like with your car and the police could even ticket/fine you if for example you have a broken rear light and are cycling at night.
Groningen has a problem with foundations of buildings because of underground gas extraction in recent decades.
But not "no accidents".
Moved from Croatia to Netherland one year ago,and all I can say is thank God that somebody understands the value of a bike. Enjoing riding my bike here. Greetings from Tilburg
the 3 thumbs down were from Ford, GM, and Chrysler... haha
***** Well Chrysler dont sell any cars in the EU Ford and Opel sell the most cars in the NL its the euro cars not the US cars and they make some bikes to
i was just poking fun.. not being serious about who or what gave a thumbs down..
Brompton bike Lover You're lucky you don't have to deal with those shit-tier Chryslers over there
CannedPakes Chrysler has now been rebranded as Lancia.
Still most of the Dutch families have one car for longer travel distances. We combine both in the best way possible.
"It is a mode of transport that keeps you alive"
Come on Dublin, we can do it!
It looks like Dublin is working in those lines already. There is a public consultation opening tomorrow based on a project that cuts the core city centre to private motor traffic. I like it! www.dublincity.ie/TransportStudy
Dublin ,where cycling is like playing Russian roulette
@@StephenMcManus_RAC sorry you were wrong, Dublin still full of cars ,buses ,taxis.cycling lanes are narrow with absolutely no thought.Dublin is a city that hates cyclists ,and blames cyclists for getting killed
Dublin city centre is a nightmare for cyclists ,and with a centre right government ,it will never change
@@StephenMcManus_RAC Well Stephen how did the public consolation go ? Not great .this is 2020
No helmets (even for children). So civilized. Looks like a wonderful place to live.
Cultural enrichment ruined it
People acting as if immigrants ruin everything but no nothings changed it’s still pretty amazing place to live. Don’t listen to hate
@@stereotype.6377 Yep, well observed! This is a film about bikes ;-D
@@stereotype.6377 dutch are all immigrants
@@teacher_ps "and when he got up I " obviously he got up and was not hurt, mister carebear
Looks like a happy place to live, very well designed. People first, cars last.
exactly!
But there's also some critique to this because this sucks for cars
Sten Dijk It doesn’t really. The only issue I know of is the way too small parking garages that require a very good driver if you were to enter them with a larger car. Not to mention all of the one way streets that are probably hard to navigate for people that don’t know the city.
I’m really glad cars aren’t really allowed within the ‘diepenring’ except for parking for the down town area since car traffic in the city is both on the ring as right outside of the diepenring complete hell.
@@roy_hks well it is that bad that when we go to the city with a car we set the car outside the paid car parking area to avoid all the one way road and the parking shit but I agree that this is a better system
Sten Dijk True, however most people find that to be too much walking. Most regions even outside the city center have either paid parking or require u to have a permit for it. Parking costs are way too high imo tho, but that’s one of the other car-discouraging factors i guess.
That old man is very charismatic.
Absolutely, he was a professor at my department (geography and urban planning) and he gave the most inspiring lectures. Sadly, he passed away last year... :(
@@NotMurkan Was he English (from the UK ) ? Sounds like it .
@@anthonydowling3356 Yes, he was!
@@NotMurkan sad to hear that. He sounded like a very intelligent and interesting man.
I hope the person at 9:03 got that bag.
sharp :D
ikr i had a mini panic attack when the clip cut before i saw them get the bag !!!!! aaaaa
Eagle eye! ; )
Oh no! 😟
You have good eyes! 🙂
Now I dont feel so alone in my hatred for vehicles.. I have nothing like this transportation system in my city but I've managed not to have a vehicle for years, also being poor af helps with that lol
Bikes are vehicles. 🙂
I love ciclying, i use bike everyday to go to work i really think this is the transportation of the future,im from Peru unfortunately here in my country not many people use bike but now are more than before but we are still too much work to do.we have to discourage the use of the cars in local cities..Regards from Peru to Holland...
In Panama city, Panama we also close streets on weekends for bike use and some parks have bike lanes. It's more oriented towards exercise and sports but little by little the people are starting to commute . This gets people off the buses, cars and the subway. A big hello to the Dutch people from the Panama canal.
Isn't travel by bus or subway good though?
This is how you get rid of that gut you hate so much. In addition, you're not breathing fuel emissions from cars and trucks. Truly, heaven on earth. :)
P.S. - Cycling slows down the aging process. :)
🤣😂🤗😂🙈🙈
Hope your P.S. not going to work for you.
@@radnasirhill
😳 Oh it has. 😁 I'm a healthy 60 year old commuter. 🚲💪😎
@@Werkaholik261 60 is still considered to be a productive age, and average life expectancy in Europe is much higher by any statistical data, this does mean in my books that there is nothing to talk about at the moment. See you in 30 years. I am putting a reminder into my calendar Thomayan. 22/6/2051 check upon Thomayan the Forever Young cyclist. See you there.
@@radnasirhill something is horribly wrong with you I doubt you yourself will make it to that date with so much hatred in your heart
Bicycling enthusiast here from Chicago, Illinois USA. Wow! This is one amazingly bicycle friendly city! In general, Europe is much more bicycle friendly than the USA.
Always nice to see bicycle enthusiasts from other countries. This time Chicago, Illinois USA.
Try to unite and promote collectively for a human oriented city instead of a car oriented city.
Sorry for the following long response. But I wanted to emphasize the place and interaction of cycling with in the context of a mobility infrastructure as a whole.
It is very difficult to promote cycling in the USA. One major road block (pun intended) are the zoning rules and the rules for minimum parking spaces per unit (a "unit" being: A shop, office, hospital, school, etc.).
In The Netherlands we have zoning rules too. But our zoning rules are people centric, not car centric. Some difference compared to the USA:
1. There is a maximum rule for parking spaces (versus a minimum in the US). Furthermore, parking spaces are actively removed.
2. There are minimum distance rules for public transportation and grocery stores within city limits. Resulting in a mixed mode usage within cities and villages. All shopping for daily necessities (food and the like) are all within a walking or biking distance. Whereas in the US you need(!) a car because often the daily shopping is in large shopping malls NOT located in residential areas.
3. Same is true for recreational areas and sport facilities. This is all mix mode in The Netherlands but, as a rule, often separated in the US.
For a more human oriented city you have to fight this ridiculous zoning culture rules. Which were artificially introduced in the 1930s. And change these failed and outdated zoning rules to create actually liveable cities intended for humans and not so much for cars. This car oriented zoning experiment with its roots in the 1930s is a failed experiment.
However, I do realise that is very, very, very hard to change. Especially so when most Americans were and are raised with the "we are the best country in the world" indoctrination. And many Americans understandably continue to think so, because most Americans have never been to any other country than the US. And as such never experienced that some things might actually be better in some other countries.
About:
th-cam.com/video/gqqVTNg6tC4/w-d-xo.html . Removing parking spaces.
th-cam.com/video/GsQQ8Ujbua4/w-d-xo.html . Correcting a mistake (the US can correct mistakes too!)
th-cam.com/video/1phWWCgzXgM/w-d-xo.html . Correcting a mistake from the 1960s in Amsterdam. The big multi car lane in front of the Amsterdam Central Railway station will be completely removed.
th-cam.com/video/9kVWDWMcLT4/w-d-xo.html . Zoning. This is stupid! Except for industry. The Netherlands too keep that out of the city.
Note: In The Netherlands we do have aesthetic rules. Meaning buildings most be an pleasing aesthetic whole. Such as:
www.locationscout.net/locations/5953-houten-utrecht/spots . Some latest housing development in Houten (Utrecht), Netherlands.
www.gebiedsontwikkeling.nu/artikelen/spoorzone-delft-4-lessen-voor-stedelijke-verdichting-stationsgebieden/ . City of Delft. This link is a Dutch article. Ignore the text. Just look at the pictures. The first picture is how it is now. The second and third picture shows how it was. The railway and Delft railway station now is underground. And (not visible in the picture but) the area is optimised for walking and cycling.
As to the US, of course you can start by creating cycle lanes and (separate) cycle paths in your city. And that is fine, even commendable. But a cycling infrastructure is just a part of the whole mobility infrastructure. I personally would very much see the US changing its zoning rules and car centric traffic regulations. And integrate the various modes of transport with a stronger emphasize on humans instead of cars. As illustrated here:
th-cam.com/video/bjeioRKWFvA/w-d-xo.html . walk-train-walk-bicycle commute.
To my work I can choose. Either walk-metro-walk (40 minutes commute time), take the car (between 30 minutes and 3 hours. Depending on traffic. Plus I have to pay for the parking fees in the city). Or cycle (55 minutes). I usually cycle, occasionally use the public transportation system (metro), and I rarely go by car.
Here is an example of bicycle priority in The Netherlands:
th-cam.com/video/41XBzAOmmIU/w-d-xo.html . Infrastructure like this is great for safety, speed and the enjoyment of cycling.
th-cam.com/video/MqFuAy5r4b8/w-d-xo.html . The Netherlands also accomodates heavy car traffic only roundabouts.
th-cam.com/video/Y8ocMMEyzxk/w-d-xo.html . A turbo roundabout. Notice that cyclists pass this roundabout in a tunnel under the roundabout.
th-cam.com/video/ap33m-Gnc-0/w-d-xo.html . This is an example why a city with many bicycle paths is much quicker(!) for an ambulance (or fire truck or police car) than US cities without this infrastructure. For contrast, see:
th-cam.com/video/p_stq8D6k3o/w-d-xo.html . And this was fast. Compare that with the following, also in the USA:
th-cam.com/video/l3hOBeQvc3M/w-d-xo.html . If this happens in The Netherlands than it will be a national news item for three days or so. Followed by a parliamentary investigation.
Finally at the end, a trike. At 83 I changed to a Catrike, love it. My wife at 74 loves her trike as well. Old folks don't want to fall.
In the netherlands soooooooo many old people ride on electric supported bikes. It gives them all their freedom back.
I wanted one but the price was eye watering.
@@TimpBizkit yes but there are cheaper ones. I saw one I would buy for $900. Don't need it yet.
The trouble with the UK is the majority don’t like change. Kudos to Holland
Same with US it threatens the bottom line more cars more money
You want change? Come to Belgium. If you go to a place were you haven’t been for, let’s say 6 months or so, and then go back again, you don’t recognise the place any more. The Belgians are masters in destroying authenticity and they just hate things of the past. “It’s out of date” is the motto. That’s why I like England so much, there’s an air of cosiness you won’t find in hellhole Belgium any more.
@@gromit3315 belgium is kinda like 1960's but whatever
@@shloa no it did not.
@@shloa cyclist death are RISING because they kept doing NOTHING after half the work was done
China used to be like this, unfortunately cars were viewed as a status symbol in the past two decades and people gradually abandoned bikes, now it's too late to go back
Before 1970 the Netherlands tried to equal the US in car infrastructure. In only 20 years we went from that to a place where small children cycle to school on their own. It's never too late.
Song 9 million bicycles in Beijing
China has a lot more serious issues to fix besides transportation though, CCP are almost current day nazis with their censorship, cultural respression and assimilation and expansionist claims. Unless you talk about the ROC of course in which case all the more power to you
Same with India...in the 80's most people in cities used to bike or use scooters/motorcycles...too many cars on the road now....they will change but it will be painful.
Never too late Gorilla Jin. As the guy before me said, it took us twenty years. When the sewagepipes need replacing in the street. When the surface needs replacing. When a lot of work is done, that's the moment to do it cost-effectively. You'll have a transition period. But you'll get there in the end.
♥️ from Jakarta Indonesia 🇲🇨. Hopefully, Jakarta will be a cycling city too.
Beautiful, I’d love to visit one day. Here in Exeter, UK things are improving, popularity increasing, the best cycle paths are now very busy. We’re still a long long way behind Groningen, disconnected, and mostly sharing paths with pedestrians, but we do have a couple of segregated two way cycle lanes in now. I don’t think people will use them fully until they’re connected safely. Still, watching this video shows how it can be done, if only decision makers would be brave, and build the full vision, instead of toe dipping bits here and there.
I'm hoping Taiwan will become the same way of these life, thanks for the people of Groningen, you are helping the world's environment become more great.
Watching these street films of Utrecht and Groningen brought a tear to my eye, I cycle everywhere but I'm in a massive minority here in the UK, where the car is king. Most people, including children, are obese and have become so lazy it's painful to see. I have no sympathy with my car driving colleagues at work and friends and neighbours who whinge and moan about congestion whilst at the same time having a car for every person in the house... Sometimes that can equate to having upto 6 cars parked outside. Still, these people refuse to see the obvious, that the car is killing them!! Oh I think I should emigrate and join in with the Dutch experience, at least I'd be happy there.
Even though more American cities are becoming more "bike-friendly," none have yet to reach that 50% mark. Whenever I go biking whether for fun, errands or grocery shopping, I have to be hyper-vigilant. Parked cars, moving cars, distracted drivers attempting to text, are just a few of the things I have to watch out for. Anyway, perhaps the tide will change once gas hit $5 a gallon.
Good point.
At the time of this video gas in the Netherlands was over 5 US$ a gallon (today it is 7 US$ a gallon).
Everyone seems so happy and calm and patient! Cycling is the future of friendliness x
Yes . Cela rend pacifique .
Yeah .. But they're also very boring.
Its the Marijuana they smoke .
Most is shot while sunny, it’s different when raining and windy
Wonderful place to live and the people have a great mindset! I live in the US and I do see alot more cyclists but our infrastructure is terrible and cars are awful. Also a very LAZY mindset here, so they will always find reasons against this.
America, we need to WAKE THE FUCK UP!!!
Oh god, probably not in the near future. I mean just take a look at Los Angeles. Does it look like all those people are willing to go from a car to a bike? That's a major transition and it's going to take the 100% of the will of the people for something like this to happen. I feel that it's impossible because people are so lazy and selfish these days.
If the transportation culture is willing to change, just imagine the heavenly benefits that come out of it: no expensive ass auto insurance, bikes are affordable, better for enviroment, better for peoples' health to exercise daily, dramaticly less deaths/injuries from accidents, don't have to pay for gas, a soluton for traffic, takes up less space compared to a gigantic car.
Start with the easy stuff, eg make it safe to go to highschool by bike and get rid of most of those yellow busses.
Do the same with primary school and you'll end up with mommy or daddy riding along getting used to biking again.
The stuff they showcased here only worked because there was already a 'culture' in place of all kids from 6 to 16 riding on the bike to and from school every day up to 15 miles one way
Unfortunately, for most of the West, city planning is almost entirely governed by the demands of well-connected property developers.
Hey redirected recently a bus route in Groningen. It's only accessible for delivery drivers in night time hours and pedestrians and cyclists. Even less traffic in our inner city!
@@maxgrozema1093 fantastic
Not only the west unfortunately.
Every race, every age, every gender, even people with disabilities (I've seen many specially adapted bikes) cycle in Groningen. It's truly a different world when you see everyone out in the open travelling together. Definitely feels more human than cars.
City looks so calm, love it.
It is, during the day and early evening, after that, around 60.000 students go to the pubs, and it's very very vibrant. just about the most fun city in the netherlands for a student.
Only problem we have these days is cyclist playing with their phones on their bikes, especially younger people.. This is causing some problems when they have more attention for their phones instead of the road..
+2psah2 I could see that being a problem. However, better them on a bike then in a car! :)
Streetfilms True, couldn't agree more..
those people withe their phones are a problem for everyone
The difference is one between one or two people falling over and maybe getting some scratches or bruises, and people turning into road pizza
In the USA, it is cars. Deadly.
As said in this vid, if you really want to change how people travel, you have to go all out.
This means that it's better to do one town properly as an showcase experiment, than to do a little bit everywhere. Once you get that showcase to work, you can change other towns and cities.
this is a highly advanced, well executed and planned city...and the ironic part...there are no fancy cars...expensive expansion bridges..traffic lights....all while reducing death(car accidents), pollution, costs of operation, and improving health!
They are there. Just not in the city center
lol most expensive bridges are in the Netherlands..
i'm born and raised in Groningen, I still live there and I love my city. :)
I like it too, putting human well being first with proactive measures. At the end everyone is happy :)
Ofcourse you can hire a bike in Groningen, the costs I do not know but you can find it on the internet, I do not hire a bike I own a bike myself. :)
Adel shenfir it’s really cheap to rent a bike in Groningen! You can use ov fiets or even try to buy a cheap ‘student bike’ which are about 25-50 euros!
Grunn 050 jonge!
kut stad
Notice how people seem to be happier and healthier than the majority of people in Canada and the USA... I hope I'll get to visit this beautiful city one day.
I want to move to Groningen!!
+Robert Fedrick I live in Groningen B)
+Kurrie leuk man
quy nguyen Lekker met die aardebevingen :)
haha ja
+Kurrie Valt ook wel mee.. Heb maar 1 x een aardbeving gevoeld & ik woon naast martini plaza.. Dorpjes om groningen heen, richting het aardbevings gebied hebben natuurlijk meer last ervan..
You really are joking aren't you? The cost of road repairs and infrastructure is a fraction of what it would be for cars. Everything about the city is cheaper because they don't need to support such a giant cost in roads and planning for cars.
I mean I know you have to be joking, that is why I am resisting writing paragraphs debunking this comment.
I watched this several years ago and have just watched it again. I have only been to Gronigen once and only for a day. I can't think why I didn't just move there and study how it's done! Bravissimi tutti!
My City!!! #Groningen #PrideOfTheNorth
now i know, i wanna make bali too a cycling paradise
it can be!
Good luck! Fighting against the car lobby is gonna be hell. 😟
As indonesian i can say its nearly impossible. The way the people and the goverment think ..uh
@@Guigui_82 it wont be easier than figheting cigarette companies, but it can be done.
@@ohhi5237 I hope so. I see it's already though in France where I live. So I GUESS it's gonna be even harder in "less developed" countries (I don't like this term but I don't know how to say it another way).
Number 5 happy country in the world.
Bogota is a large city that has been transitioning to bicycles as a mean for transportation. It is due to a relatively good bike lane infrastructure and some bad alternative means of transportation. It all started with 2000s mayor Enrique Peñalosa, a visionary.
@Gabriel Concha doesn’t Bogota also shut down car traffic and have open streets every weekend? We just started doing that here in Minneapolis a few years back, except it’s different parts of the city or once in a summer for a particular neighborhood. Still it reminds people that streets can be utilized for more than just auto traffic.
@@gomudhen Thats true, Bogota shuts down the main streets on Sundays, maybe that also has an impact in the cycling culture.
Groningen! Fortress of the North!
Winter is coming...
I wonder what they do when it rains...
@@leeblack8630 They just dress with waterproof clothes. 🙃
Winter in groningen is just a shitton of rain xD
@@leeblack8630 Some dress for the weather, most do not care we just bike anyway 😉.
@@leeblack8630 They do the same...cycling. what else?
It is true. I was at Groningen a few weeks ago, on a bicycle tour. It was the best town (city?) I ever was for bicycle riding!
Just in looking at the population throughout this video it appears to me that there a far fewer overweight and obese people that I generally see in the US. I imagine that the Dutch save a huge amount of money on disease prevention and health care costs by living a healthier, more active lifestyle, breathing cleaner air and exercising daily. Another huge benefit for society!
how can I emigrate to Holland?? 😍
become a refugee
+Donna Bombonatto You need a passport.
If you are from the EU you can just go, buy or rent a house and live there. You will even get social security if you cannot find a job. If you are from outside the EU you might make a chance if you learn to speak dutch and find a job quickly.
czar123 reason I said a passport is because 36% of Americans has a passport Sad.
Depending on where you are from I'd do a house swap haha.
I will go there :), cycling is a part of my heart
I spent nearly 2 weeks in the Netherlands last May. I wanted to visit this city, but I didn’t have enough time. I will next time.
Welcome to our city, make sure to spend lots of money hehehehe.
This is how you can keep people from getting fatter and actually getting attach to there natural surrounding s
Ralphy The collecter Absolutely, my cuntry and especially my home city, groningen and holland, are more and more an exception from western world trends about weight.
Juist
Beautiful. A city with priority on people. greetings from Quito-Ecuador
You love Groningen too? Then watch this: th-cam.com/video/yvJWol-8uaQ/w-d-xo.html
You'll never see Groningen the same! 🙂🙂
As an avid cyclist, living in an extreme climate, where heavy snow and cold dominate for half the year, it would simply not be practical to have such a bicycling culture. Although I do cycle year-round, it requires a special winter bike equipped with spiked tires. When the temperature dips below -20 Celsius, which is very common in the winter, special clothing is also necessary.
As much as I would love a cycling utopia, I know that 95% of the population couldn't physically manage it here :-(
I find it interesting that these videos are always made when the weather is perfect, never in the terrible rainstorm or snow storm.
Groningen is also the city with the most beautiful female students.
Probably. Utrecht is a close contender though.
Even in this short video I got this impression!
OAT351 lmao fat americans *
Now give all the students a bike lesson so the normal groningers can bike save
Visited many times. Lovely old city centre. Far more civilised and calm. A lot less obesity (USA). Welcoming, multi lingual, intelligent people.
You love Groningen too? Then watch this: th-cam.com/video/yvJWol-8uaQ/w-d-xo.html
You'll never see Groningen the same! 🙂🙂
The Air must be so clean
its still in europe between england and germany, no the air is not clean
its like saying cananda has great air.... if you forget all the pollution from the usa
@@ohhi5237 Eh? What the hell are you talking about? They have pretty good air quality. aqicn.org/city/groningen/
It is pretty clean, but it could be cleaner tho. It's still a city after all 🤷♀️ but I love that I can get to my school in like 3 minutes because everything is so close to my house 😊
@@ohhi5237 What are you on about?
Hope they do something like this in London soon. Central London (and many of the suburban areas) is polluted with people crowding on to the pavements to make way for the cars which are barely moving.
Matt Hill Exactly, I currently live in south east london but was born in utrecht and can see rlly obvious differences in terms of infrastructure between the 2 areas
Dear lord, walking in London was scary as hell at times!
Groningen es una ciudad de gobernantes y ciudadanos inteligentes. Mientras aquí en Colombia lo único en que pensamos es en tener un carro y de ahí las consecuencias altamente negativas.
That's the way to go, keep fit and keep the environment clean.
Interesting to see that the danish chain stores “ Søstrene Grene” (Sisters Grene) kept their danish name in Holland (2:40). Actually, no other country than Holland is closer to Denmark when it comes to landscape, , culture, politics, welfare etc. 👍This gives me the opportunity to say hello to my old friend, Christian Althuisius, Haarlem, Holland. 💁♂️
I read that title above 3-4 times as "Groningen: The Worst Cycling City
Vivo en estados unidos aca Para todo uno necesita un carro.. me encanta montar en cicla y MI carro solo lo uso Los dias q estan cayendo aguaseros
As someone living in this town. Great watch, guys! It's an incredible place to live in.
Who needs Helmets, were you can bike safely anywhere in this city..
Still take a fall on your own
i live in Groningen and i wish i was wearing a helmet a few times. these so called smooth roads. get slippery like ice with a little bit of rain.. and the netherlands is prety famous for its fcking rain all the time.. :-D
Groningen, a city in the Netherlands, is often considered one of the best cities in the world for several reasons. Firstly, it is known for its high quality of life, with a strong emphasis on sustainability and environmental consciousness. The city has a thriving cultural scene, with numerous museums, theaters, and music venues, as well as a vibrant student population, which adds to its lively and dynamic atmosphere. Groningen also has a well-preserved historic city center, with beautiful architecture and charming canals, making it a picturesque and enjoyable place to live or visit. Additionally, the city is known for its excellent public transportation system and bike-friendly infrastructure, making it easy to get around without a car. These factors, among others, contribute to Groningen being considered one of the best cities in the world.
I live in a suburb in America. I got 3 bikes and I bike around town, to parks, trails, gym, etc.. I am like the only person who bikes around. As much as I would like to see this happen, it would never ever happen where I live. They are anti-bikes. In NYC, it is little more bike friendly but it is dirty, you are sucking in car exhaust fumes and sharing the road with tons of traffic which is very dangerous.
Living in Denmark, I'm used to this. Glad to see there is other countries prefer the bicycle
not ai much as in Netherland.. 34 million bicycle
@@waso778 23 million
How do you get to live there? Or how can we make the UK like Holland? We are very alike in many ways after all.
Just start.
Start with mixed use zoning.
Start with urban and social densification.
Start by blocking off drive through (rat running) through residential areas.
Start by changing traffic rules to favor and protect pedestrians and cyclists instead of priviliging motorists.
Start by prioritizing, building, improving, extending and maintaining an adequate public transportation infrastructure.
Start by strategically narrowing roads.
Start by removing inner city parking spots.
Start by stopping demonizing commuter cycling as a dangerous activity by those silly bicycle helmet adverts.
And, yes, I almost forgot, start by building dedicated separate cycleways where needed (any road with speeds above 30 km/h).
And please, please please, build cycleways you can actualy cycle on. Meaning wide enough and no need to stop every 100 meter to satisfy motorised traffic. Use overpasses or underpasses where possible. Program quicker turnaround times and longer green periods for cyclists at intersections. Let cars wait a little longer. People before cars.
Also, don''t stop the cycle infrastructure at intersections (and then blame cycle paths to be dangerous because you left out the bicycle infrastructure at intersections).
Just start.
We also have Europe's largest pub!
You love Groningen too? Then watch this: th-cam.com/video/yvJWol-8uaQ/w-d-xo.html
You'll never see Groningen the same! 🙂🙂
Everyday you ride in NYC, you're TAKING A CHANCE WITH YOUR LIFE. It's the truth.
DD good thing this is Groningen then
Everyone should have a go at imagining their own town or city like this. Where to create the zones, infrastructure, connections to transport out of town. Love it.
Good news....paradise bicycle..but they are not mention brand of bicycle like Gazelle, fongers,batavus , sparta , etc
I am from bogor indonesia
It also helps that the terrain is flat
Thank you for this awesome film!
Our travel to Groningen was awesome, I'm In love to this city.
The volume of Citizens riding bikes his incredible. And hardly any wearing cycle helmets. That shows how safe they feel.
People who were helmets get laughed at over here, it is indeed safe enough to bike without helmets. Some kids wear them the first year(s) though
watching this from cologne germany, which is rated as germanys worst city for cyclists.
also my shift as a bike messenger starts in an hour
wish me luck people the traffic here is NOTHING compared to groningen and even worst then major us cities imho because no cross section is like the other :/ :)
still love the job and cycling
ps many of my bike parts are bought over the internet from the people of groningen :D
wow. wish this would come to Stockholm sweden.must be Bicycle heaven. I ride one of my bikes almost everyday of the year regardless of season, except in stormy weather.
Wish I had this infrastructure in my country. Sadly, the people in charge don't think about a healthy environment and a easier was to move around. Can't wait to visit Holland by bike this year.
Being from Groningen this is accurate, they showed the city, there's cycling everywhere.
But if i would film the roads just around the city, it's gasses and cars all the way!!!!!
But even those roads have bike lanes next to them. But those roads are necessary since people need to get to the city and dont want to cycle 2 hours a day, which makes sense
Being from and living in Groningen: the film seems accurate, but I'm not sure if you are. There are dedicated bicycle roads outside Groningen city as well, more or less similar to inside the city, where not every road for cars has a separate bicycle road either. You can get to Ten Boer in various ways on dedicated bicycle roads, there is dedicated bicycle roads almost all around the Paterswoldsemeer, there is a dedicated bicycle road going north-west out of the city along the canal, you can ride to Bedum on dedicated bicycle roads (and thank goodness for that ! the cars are bad there). You can ride on a dedicated bicycle road to Eelde, I think there are at least two routes (IIRC). I am not listing the few bicycle roads here, there are many and it might still be growing, possibly related to the cycling network with maps and directions everywhere in the Netherlands: www.route.nl/routeplanner
How could you have missed it ? Driving a car ? hehehe ;-P Get on yer bike !
the great thing about being around bicycles is that you don't worry about them hurting you, the pedestrian. i rode my lectricXP bicycle today around Santa Monica and the beach, and at least 5 people stopped me to ask about the bicycle and its price, including several thumbs up.
kek look at all of these slow riders. Gosh I can only imagine going that slow where I have to bike. I'm sprinting every single day to keep up with car traffic. It's very dangerous at first, but I have gotten use to going 25mph+ on average on flat roads and I have no problem now. I don't know how i'd react living in a city where everyone biked, there was barely and cars and they all went less than 10 miles. I think I might be a bigger problem than cars in Groningen on my bike because i'm so use to going so fast and having to go so fast to stay alive.
What a polar opposite world I live in.
Me too - used to bombing around Bath and Hereford, although there is something I like about tearing away from a light (well as fast as a bicycle will go anyway - probably pretty pathetic for a car standard). Going down the entire Bathwick hill without chickening out and using the brakes. It's nice to be able to trundle along without breaking a sweat sometimes. I still use the speed to make progress on multi lane roundabouts so that as many cars as possible can get through the light cycle but I can tuck in by the kerb on wider roads. I'd much rather ride a bicycle than a scooter with a blocked carb that alternates between 30 mph and 10 mph without warning.
Cars are good to travel for long distances but 5 days a week i use my bicycle for paris
I just cant stop smiling this is beautiful hope my city is the same...
We have a few thousand world cycling cities in the Netherlands,>> there is not much diference between Groningen and the rest. All they are good.
The Netherlands is a bikes paradise.
Wow, these people must be so positive and balanced.
I have to say, never skiped leggday( -;
this is only the positive side of the cycling city. alot of things that work in groningen are tested in cities like rooterdam and were stoped in a matter of days. (example: all cycliest have green light at the same time). at the same time Groninge has some of the most dangerous intersections.
As a conservative, this is one left-wing idea I would encourage and could happily live with.
What has 1 left wing idea to do with it?
Everybody bikes in the NL, children, fathers, mothers, older people, workers,director's, ministers,prime-minister,and the most conservative of all the royalls.
Dutch were biking already when the first bikes came out, and people could efford 1
doesn't have anything to do with left or right wing, I'd say it's progressive
@@wp12mv which is pretty left wing.
Concervative is the opposite of progressive ;)
It basicly means preventing things from being able to progress and keep them the way they are, or used to be....
@@love-vy1ry That is not really how it went....after the war, we looked strongly to the american way of traffic, which meant cars.....a lot was demolished in our compact cities to make room for all those cars. in the early '70's over 3000 people where killed in traffic, and protests became stronger. Then the bike became more important, but in the same time, the traffic system was designed different, making more room for life, for humans, for lighter ways of transport like the bicyles. Now we have many more people, a lot more transport, but fatalities dropped to 600. and in the same time, quality of life improved in the inner cities.
@@Quesjer1 I know that very well, but the bike was always there, even before the 1970's. Outside the big cities, all that was not much changed. The cycle-routes came really about 25 years ago. And the north, south and eastern parts of the NL, had enough green surroundings to make those plans way easier.
For all the people that wonder why the Dutch are not wearing helmets... because it is safe riding on designated bike roads... consider that there are more head injuries with car crashes... funny enough you do not see people with helmets in their cars...(except for race drivers).
truly citizens!
Every city should be like this but car drivers always have an excuse as to why they can't change.
I wish my city was more like this.
Soo funny to see that this rather old video is STILL like catnip for bike-haterz from the US.. Even better on Streetfilms' own site.. THAT really makes them go full-on nut cakes.
There will always be haters. Oh well! The video is well over 1 million plays on all media. That speaks for itself!!
@@StreetfilmsCommunity Are the people in Groningen generally fit or currently fat.
@@helloitisme7430 younreally want to hear an answer on that , do you ? That is hard to say. Declare what ft is...BMI? In general weight is related to diet and active lifestyle , and there is correlation with socio-economic status, income and education level
The surrounding province of Groningen has usually lower education, employme t and income levels than NL in general. Here the university city of Groningen , obviously has a higher education level and also a younger population than usual. Adult overweight rates for city, province and nationwide are resp 39%, 52%, 50%.
For U18s that is 16%, 20%, 16% (vs 34% in the USA ...).
Covid saw a temporary 3% spike Anong school kids , so that is what going to school by bike and tobsport clubs ..
The ones you see in the video on a bike to school, work obviously are leaner and fitter. People who are unemployed at home and/or have less means to sport have likely more weight...
i really love this city
If you need to be on the outskirts of Groningen from the outside, you can take the car, but if you need to be in the center... Well park the car on the outskirts and take a bus. The main reason I'm still taking the car to Groningen is the shitty bus transit back at home.