Cycling ideas from Utrecht
Utrecht is a cycle-friendly city, with good infrastructure for
cycling, and an attitude of tolerance and patience between different
road-users. There's a culture of cycling for short trips in and around
the city, and a large percentage of journeys in Utrecht are made by
bike.
Cycling ideas from Utrecht: an overview
This video gives an overview of what makes Utrecht a successful cycling city: prioritising sustainable travel in and around the centre, building separate paths for bikes and pedestrians, and offering a complete network of cycle routes.
Cycling ideas from Utrecht: attitudes to riding a bike
This video looks as attitudes to riding a bike. Once people are in a safe environment where they can relax, they don't need to wear helmets for everyday cycling at relatively low speeds. They can do other things while riding their bikes too - use an umbrella, eat a sandwich, carry shopping, take a second bike with them, give someone else a backie, ride two abreast, hold hands, and use a mobile phone (not recommended). People generally drive with care and patience, and there's tolerance between different types of road user.
A backie (riding achterop) in Utrecht:
Cycling with shopping:
Using a mobile phone:
Look mum no hands:
Cycling ideas from Utrecht: infrastructure
This video looks at specific examples of infrastructure in Utrecht, which we might adopt in the UK. It covers cycle lanes (width, potential problems, and painted lanes v. kerb-protected lanes), the infrastructure provided for left and right turns, roundabouts (including the classic Dutch roundabout, with bikes around the outside and vehicles in the middle), and the use of low speed limits and cobbles to calm traffic.
Painted bike lanes in Utrecht:
Car-free bridge:
(Confusing) left turn sign for bikes:
Sign indicating that bikes can filter right on a red light:
A Dutch roundabout:
Secure bike storage at University accommodation:
Cycling ideas from Utrecht: the city council's 'we all cycle' pages
There is more information about the city's strategy in this 'we all cycle' section of Utrecht city council's website.