kk + bikes + amsterdam
June 23rd 2011 - july 2nd 2011 a terrific adventure by bike, about biking in the netherlands.
part one day by day part two found truths
there are one million people in amsterdam and there are two million bikes. it is a country and a region that values, promotes and encourages bicycle use for a variety of reasons. the dutch use of the bike has combatted congestion, kept residents healthy, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, encouraged dense city growth, and has created a mode of transportation where people are not isolated from one another, as they are in a car, but where they are right up next to each other. people of every race, creed, gender, age and type happily bike in amsterdam. and so it is a precedent for what is possible in the future of the american transportation system. it is critical for us to observe, experience and import these practices to our own cities and towns. the information compiled in this travel journal is organized in two ways. first, in a chronological fashion, illustrating in photos each days itinerary. secondly, it is organized by the truths that were garnered from our observations and experiences.
part one day by day
1
2
3
4
arrive acclimate
[van gogh museum] welcome dinner
lecture [anne frank house]
lecture bike trip to ouderkerk aan de amstel [borneo] [nemo]
5
6
department of fietserbond amsterdam infrastructure, traffic, & transportation bike trip to waterland [red light district]
7
8
9
utrecht fietsberaad houten
groningen assen
last day windmill brewery
day one
flower stalls
complexity of the street
look both ways, always
a plaza contained by buildings and bikes and filled with people, movable seating, street trees and activity
bikes on a barge [parked]
legible signage
bikes on ferry
furry dogs
strangely car oriented
bountiful and bloated bike parking
marc by a bike bridge, significant street painting and street infrastructure bike under bridges
canal life
a landmark
new inserted over old
block corners
people wizing by, look both ways
ted, marc, ryan
people places
the edge of the red light district
the train station
details for bikes
a tour of ijplein, an area master planned by rem koolhaas, most notably a friend of bruce mao [not so great]
double decker bike parking
“temporary� bike parking
parking everywhere
seriously great signage
picturesque bikes
serine canals
romantic flower boxes
horses
curb details
our street
today i met my first hollander in amsterdam. i asked him, upon finding him wandering the isles of a triple decker bike parking facility, “how you find your bike!?” he replied, “you just go one isle at a time. mine has been here over a week so there is the possibility that it was stolen, but its more likely i just can’t located it.” upon retrieving his bicycle we talked about his biking habits. he has bike here at the train station and a bike at the train
man with lost bike interview with biker and bike (eventually)
station near his home where he commutes from. this way, he doesn’t need to bring his bike on the train home with him during the peak traveling hours of the day. his profession is reclaiming abandoned bikes and training developmentally disabled adults to repair and sell them.
day two
today was great. we had a visit to the van gogh museum, then got our bikes and headed out. it was the most terrifying and exhilarating ride of my life. everyone is zipping by you going a million miles an hour and all you can do is just hold on for dear life and stand your ground/ road. there are pedestrians shooting out everywhere, cars zooming, and the worst of it is mopeds are allowed in the bike lanes so they are coming up behind you fast and weaving all over the place.
it is crazy, but it all works and i have yet to see anyone run into anyone else. the locals avoid us like crazy because they know we are on rented bikes and have the potential to kill them at any moment by completely freaking out and loosing control. needless to say, i don’t blame them. have you seen that william whyte video about how people move through the plaza at the seagram building? well he describes the way people move through space as a dance and that is exactly what this is.
i think i was getting the hang of it by the end of our ride today and i could feel myself trying to listen more carefully to my own natural reactions... slowing down, speeding up, avoiding obstacles. moving gracefully, cautiously and calmly through traffic got easier.
itinerary 6:30 am arrive. 7:00 am miss first train by mistake 7:15 am hop on train to lelylaan station and from there a tram to j.p. heijestraat 7:30 am get off tram and look for hotel filosoof 7:32 am arrive at hotel filosoof 8:00 am start walking... everywhere 8:00 pm stop walking, eat awful lamb piza with new friend ted.
dustin brought us out for our welcome dinner on the second day. i immediately took the opportunity to start asking him about his own bike usage. “well my girlfriend and i have 10 bikes between us. if one of them breaks, we can just grab another. we don’t own expensive bikes. we don’t pay more than 50 euros for a bike because its just not worth it.” he explained they are easily stolen in amsterdam. if you don’t care about them so much they become more utilitarian
objects and therefore more useful and used. i asked if other people buy expensive bikes and he explained that if there is indoor storage available at someone’s home and someone’s workplace they may have very expensive bikes, but they are careful to never leave them outside or they will be picked up by a van, especially at night. “if one of my bikes breaks, i just leave it in the street because eventually it will be stolen if it sits in one place long enough or someone from the city will collect it.”
dustin bryant interview with a tour guide
day three
It is as if I am in a cartoon and everyone is beautiful and happy and there is nothing particularly horrible about life at all. It is all warm and dry and smelling of coffee and citrus. And I am smiling for now, because it seems that I have been able to let myself be swept up in the dream and not remember that I have to get back out on that bike I forced myself here on and try and tackle the road again (I am a bit petrified of it today.) What if my brilliance last night of finding my way and leading our little caterpillar-trail of a group back through the crazy streets was all just beginners luck and I had been just inches away from my death by cab, or bike, or moped, or building and I was just too naive to notice?
typical street with two lanes of traffic, bus lane, bike lane and sidewalks on either side. this street is lined by row houses and small retail shops on the ground floor.
day four
lunch on the amstel
day five
notes from meeting with the department of infrastructure, traffic and transportation june 27th rob smites mischia de vros they value high density in their city, they want (and have existing narrow streets) they are willing to experiment and try new methods to offer the best transportation choices for everyone
they identify “high risk” or less safe intersections and begin to redesign them based on how many accidents and fatalities there are the have installed sensors at all of their intersections so the lights change when a bike is waiting. they are adding new bike traffic lights all the time they consider all modes of transportation equally they look to copenhagen when they are looking for precedents (there is a bit of a rivalry there)
they don’t know why no one wears a helmet, they admit that they should, but they know no one will ever do it, “it is just the culture here” speed is the determining factor when safety is a concern. fatalities greatly increase from when a car is travelling 30km/ hr to 50 km/hr. if a vehicle and a car are in an accident it is always the cars fault, because the car can always travel faster and carries more force than the bike.
itinerary 8:45 am hotel breakfast. 9:30 am visit with the department of infrastructure, traffic and transportation 11:00 am leave on bike tour of waterland 2:30 pm (still on our bikes, it’s a beautiful sunny day and some people jump into the ocean for a swim) 3:15 pm [approx.] lunch in the sun... gelato too... exhausted. 8:00 pm meeting rob, our tour guide for the red light district, in front of the barbizon hotel opposite the train station. 9:00 pm met lawrence, filmmaker, friend to the stars, and general manabout-town 12:30 am back to the hotel. (the rest of the tour was off the record.)
day five [cont.]
a beautiful afternoon bike tour of waterland, a seaside town on the outskirts of amsterdam. there were great bike paths, shared lanes and elevated bike paths along the water for the whole trip. it felt like we went 50 miles, we did 25.
day six
itinerary 8:45 am hotel breakfast. 9:30 am visit fietserbond amsterdam 10:00 am bike tour of areas that have been improved for cyclists (heavy rains expected, people leave the city to avoid delays on trains)
notes from meeting and bike tour with fietserbond amsterdam june 28th Marjolein Lange fietserbond is a national nongovermental cycling union. their efforts protect cyclists interests and promote cycling throughout the netherlands. in most of the world traveling by car is people’s default mode, in the netherlands traveling by bike is the default mode.
there are significant health implications; the life expectancy in the netherlands is 3 years longer than average and in the last 10 years of life people are in generally better health than those in other countries. children are influenced by their parents behavior and they are biking. recently scooters and mopeds have become very popular and they have seen an increasing number of young people turn towards these motorized vehicles. this is a problem that amsterdam and the
netherlands has not quite figured out how to deal with. [we visit areas that have increased access for cyclists. there are intersections with great signage, road markings, and bike parking due to the efforts of the fietserbond. she also shows us parts of streets, like overtoon, that are still high speed with heavy car a bus traffic that they are lobbying to redesign. we see a real live woonerf!]
day seven visiting utrect today. we had the most amazing experience outside of a school. parents pick their children up by bike, there is no large car turnaround, no traffic jam, no idling cars, no parents honking. parents greet their children as they exit the school, they greet the teachers and other parents too. it is social and quiet, except for the screaming, talking, laughing children. it seems like the healthiest and most involved way to be a part of a child’s school day (this makes me want to move to amsterdam today.)
1
2
3
4
5
6
the dutch make biking look easy with kids, bags, skirts, heels, and groceries among others
school is out in utrect
front-loaders
old people
young people
parents greeting kids
parents greeting parents
dads on bike
kids greeting kids
mums on bike
babes on bike
braids on bike
first helmet on bike
marc thinking “this is great�
red & yellow markers denote school zone
one lane school pick up area
day seven [cont.]
a day filled. we began with some basic information about why the dutch cycle and how they represent their story and ideals to other countries. I have to say, it did not fill me with confidence that this way of life can be exported, it seems as though they were born with it. it did however perk my interest to know that many us cities including boston, new york and detroit have listened to this presentation and are actively trying to learn from the netherlands.
visiting utrect in the morning and learning more detailed information about the values and needs of schools for traffic education was quite amazing. both ronald and the school’s principal spoke of needing to allow children to experience danger, speed and even falling off of a bike. these types of experiences along with traffic education classes educates students and parents on bicycle use and making it a critical part of an upbringing and a life. it was quite an inspiring and fun to witness the hundreds of kids leaving school by bike.
reaching houten after a lovely ride on a bike path overlooking high speed rail (quite an impressive sight through green meadows), was shocking. houten was designed in the early seventies and there are no cars in the city. I wanted desperately to love this place, but it felt creepy and quiet (like twin peaks!) it was an impressive achievement unequivocally, but make me realize a mix of modes feels most like a real city. there is life in transportation and movement in a variety of
ways. this place felt like something cut from the cloth of pleasantville. it was a little too perfect, too idealistic that it felt plastic. there was an exceptionally beautiful train station though, with mountains of great indoor bike parking and a little bike repair shop.
itinerary 7:00 am meet in the hotel lobby 8:08 am train to utrect 9:30 am (missed the turn & got my first view of the rietveld schroder house 9:40 am meet hans voerknecht, a representative of fietsberaad @ the university of utrect 11:30 am tour and lunch with ronald tamse, a traffic engineer in utrect. we visit his daughters elementary school and speak with the principle. they work hard to provide their students with traffic education and real experience on the streets. 3:30 pm meet herbert tiemens, a city planner for houten 6:30 pm train to amsterdam
day eight
itinerary 6:00 am meet in the hotel lobby 7:26 am train to groningen 10:00 am bike pick up (i get a great one today and buy a bell for my bike at home.) 10:30 am meet jaap valkema, floris schurer and chris munneke for a talk about bicycle infrastructure in groningen and a small bike tour. 2:46 pm train to assen 3:10 pm meet peter veldman, a city planner for assen. 5:56 pm train to amsterdam
i have found the power of my bell. it is innocent sounding, chipper, delightful to ring. in Holland the bell means something, not just a cheery hello, but also:
automatically you seem to know it is for you, as though someone was politely tapping you on the shoulder. and regardless of how stupid the hollander may think i am, the only noise i hear is -hello i am here, right behind you cha-ching and i am able to calmly -move over i am trying to get by move to the right. (when i move -hey get out of the bike path over, i am very confident that -get out of my way in the road the person behind me will pass me on left.) i think it might also mean the following things: it seems as though, the chirp of -hey! happy to see you! a bell has the power that no US -damn tourists and their bells traffic engineer would believe and packs! possible. it sounds out in many -you can’t bike so please get out different forms and is one part of my way of a symphony of city sounds, -i know you aren’t paying a tram, a group of revelers, a attention, i am here. Now, get clanging bell. out of my way. in the end, it can be a chaotic the most amazing thing about and loud collection of bells and this form of communication is voices and cars, but still the that everyone seems to obey it, tap tap, please move, you are not perhaps as strictly as traffic going fast enough for me, i would lights are observed in the US. like to wiz right by you in this this little chirp from behind and city dance.
day eight [cont.]
separated bike path network
bike lanes and road markings
recreational bike trails
groningen and assen today. we were all unimpressed with groningen, perhaps after shangri la (aka houten) it just seemed like there was too much leeway for cars. there were empty and strangely proportioned plazas, bike parking that was moved around on a weekly basis (which just seemed like a ton of work for the city) and most irritatingly, our tour guides wore bright yellow vests, like they were concerned they would be hit by a car. in fact, they kept mentioning to us to be aware of the cars, as though
they still ruled the road in this part of the netherlands. getting to assen was great, it was a quaint town, although clearly hit by economic troubles. it had a great variety of bike infrastructure. there were great bike lanes in the roads, bike paths that were paved and easy to navigate, and recreational trails that connected the center of the city to a large wooded park. peter, our guide, did not speak english as fluently as most of the people we spoke with on our trip, but the feeling of the town
was remarkable because it didn’t require much explanation, it simply feel comfortable. i wish we could have spent longer there.
day nine
the traditional 5 e’s engineering education enforcement evaluation encouragement should now be >>>>>>>>>>>
design education fun
group think trust skill calm education values mutual respect rules happiness ease biking for everyone
part two found truths
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
infrastructure/design extensive connectivity, legible & generous bike paths culture/values trust in cars, trust in bikes, trust in pedestrians young and extensive adoption of biking education/skill family and institutional encouragement & teaching encouragement/enjoyment bicycling is available to everyone for transportation & recreation behavior bikers are alert and controlled, but are not unnecessarily aggressive towards other bikers or modes a shared street streets are for everyone. cars, busses, bikers, mopeds, scooters, & pedestrians all coexist density easily understandable rules, rules are common sense, rules & laws favor the slower mode flexible regulation/managed risk rules are based on common sense, laws favor the slower mode, & decisions consider happiness, not only perceived safety
9
ease use of equipment, availability of parking, a right to the road, clear and consistent signage and street lights
10
equipment similar bike types, no helmets, quick locks
1
encouragement/enjoyment
an extensive network of bike paths, bike lanes and the ability to share the road with other modes is critical to the bicycle’s success in amsterdam. the bike lanes are painted with red paint which consistently and easily identifies the lanes for all users. the network of connected bicycle routes extends beyond the dense urban boundary of the city and into surrounding suburbs and even remote towns. this infrastructure makes every location in the city and its outskirts accessible by bike. this existing presence of bike infrastructure is critical for people continuing to choose to bike. existing land and paths are maintained by the city and the creation of new infrastructure is a
2
culture/values
cycling is ingrained in the dutch. at the age of one they receive a bicycle and it becomes their form of transportation for years before they are even able to drive a car. their society values bicycles and doesn’t only view them as a fringe mode of transport or only as a recreational toy. bicycle culture pre dates the car and the dutch credit their slow adoption of automobiles as the reason there are so many bikes today on their streets. “by the time we understood the issues of the car culture, we still had not altered our streets to allow cars into the city, so, we just never did” said one tour guide on or trip.
cycling and its role in urban development and transportation is not an issue that galvinizes conservative and liberal parties in the netherlands. everyone, in a general sense thinks bikes are important and see a significant role for them in dutch life.
priority. as the network develops it increases the convenience of biking by making more route choices. it will continue to develop to a more robust and diverse offering of cycling spaces throughout the city and the country.
biking is part of the national identity of the netherlands. in order to uphold the tradition and pass it on to the younger generation there are methods of educating kids on traffic laws, bike safety and culture. a dutch child usually begins to ride their own bike at the age of one, but they are also carted around by parents as infants. sometimes children are perched on the handle bars, standing on the back rack, or seated in a carriage connected to the bike. they are exposed at a very young age. parents are educating their children about biking by example. there are small traffic gardens that children are taught to understand the signage on the streets. by grade school they are practicing in
these places as part of their school curriculum. miniature streets with street markings and bike traffic lights allow children to practice and understand the rules of biking. there is an examination in grade school and children are tested on their understanding of traffic patterns and rules. this practiced and supported behavior creates a young population aware, skilled and empowered to bike.
education/skill
3
4
encouragement/enjoyment there was little anxiety related to biking in amsterdam once you had a few miles under your belt. it is fun and it is designed to be that way. the idea of enjoyment and pleasure has not been separated from this mode of transportation. rather than separating cyclingas-recreation from cycling-astransportation, the dutch have allowed these two “separate” practices to coexist. people are empowered to bike, regardless of their athletic abilities. there is acceptance of all types of people on bikes. everyone has a right to the road and they take advantage of it, and savor their time on it.
5
behavior
there is little contention between people going too fast or too slow. the weak and elderly or the small and learning were never pushed out of the bike lane by commuters or jeered at. even our troop of americans were ignored for all the mistakes we made. certainly people become frustrated or annoyed in the netherlands, but on a bicycle one has the power to just pass on by or to hold your position. (i credit much of this to #4, people are just happier and less likely to loose it on some other poor soul.)
there is very little bike envy because everyone has the same type of bike and they are cheep and easy to find. biking is just normal there, so there is a quietness to it and it just blends in with daily life. as we hear horns and angry shouts from the cars around us, the only horn a bike has is this precious-sounding bell. how intimidating can one really be with a “ding, ding, ding”?
a shared street not one mode of transportation rules the road, each are treated equally. the street is an outdoor room. buildings contain the street on either side and they are buffered by porches, outdoor seating, street trees and bike parking that occupy the sidewalk with people walking through. bike lanes, scooters, cars, mopeds, busses, street cars, delivery trucks. they all are part of the streetscape in amsterdam.
6
7
density
8
flexible regulation/managed risk
traffic laws in amsterdam are clear, road markings and traffic lights are apparent, but for whatever reason the dutch don’t like obeying street lights when they are on a bike. although it is against the law, it is the dutch way and people do it when no one else is coming. on our trip we coined this ideal as “being (and being treated as) an adult.” to me it is more specifically the acceptance of the individuals right to move freely and with intelligence. the laws and rules of the road encourage biking because they reinforce that it is easiest mode of transportation. the fewer barriers that slow you down the better, so it is ok to go through a light if you look both ways and no one is coming.
the density of the city of is clearly a driving force in success of the biking culture here. people live in the city, they shop here, they exercise and entertain themselves in the streets. amsterdam is a stunning example of a rich and lively city that is tight, compact and better for it. when it comes down to it, this place is just small and flat, perfect conditions for a biking culture.
streets in amsterdam are busy and filled tightly with all types of vehicles and there is some risk inherent in that situation. people don’t want to be hit by cars, or other bikers, or anything for that matter, so they will do what is necessary to stay on their bike and out of the way of other traffic. this feeling is evident in the way traffic laws are observed and with only 7 deaths of bikers per year, it seems to be a situation that is tested to work in this city.
down to the little details, it is easy to bike here. this railing has a perfectly placed channel below it so one can easily take their bike up and down stairs. from parking anywhere in the city you want, biking in normal clothes, without helmets and with terrific locks makes the whole experience drastically faster than any other mode and the most freeing. as #7 points out, it is also a flat and small city, there is always a place for a bike in the road and there is little forethought that is required to get somewhere by bike as opposed to another mode. all of these things, from large to small, add up in the minds of those experiencing amsterdam, and their sum is convincing; ride your bike because ti is the simplest and most convenient way to get somewhere.
ease
9
equipment
9
dutch bikes allow all users to step through the frame of the bike. one can wear skirts or dress pants without fear of the chain getting caught or getting grease on one’s clothes. the majority of people riding have the same cheep bike, so there is little bike envy or sorrow if it is broken or stolen. the locks are genius, simply put. they allow bikes to park anywhere without needing to always be tethered to another stationary object. the equipment is satisfactory, not flashy, well designed and repairable. my favorite phenomenon: why, but it less sweaty biking (see
and most inexplicable no helmets. no answers sure just keep your head and you just look good ted left).
______ on bike Grandpa on bike Argument on bike 27� iMac on bike Long poking device on bike Birthday present on bike Parrot on bike 24 rolls of toilet paper on bike Swearing on bike Girls on bikes Rocker on bike Boys on bike Family of 4 on bike Big dog on bike man on bike girl with heels on bike holding hands on bike texting on bike dress on bike baby on bike small dog on bike girl walking dog on bike (dog following bike) old woman on bike