Denmark vs. The Netherlands

A child navigating this crazy intersection on bike. 

 Cycling in The Netherlands is such a surreal experience. It seems like chaos at first, but in reality, everyone is aware and looking out for each other and themselves. In Copenhagen, it was easier to ‘cycle mindlessly’ and pay less attention to my surroundings since I relied on lights and bells to tell me when and when not to move. Amsterdam is not like that, often the lights are not listened to, and people go through the intersection when the lights are red because there is no one coming, or there are no lights at all. The picture above shows an intersection where no lights or street signs are present. There are some yielding arrows on the ground, but mainly the intersection is based on awareness, flow, and social trust. I sat at this intersection for several minutes, watching how people navigated it. There is no hierarchy or necessity to stop for a specific transportation mode, it just relies on the safest and most convenient way of moving around, crossing paths, and looking out for one another.

I prefer different aspects of each city (Copenhagen vs. Amsterdam) when it comes to biking infrastructure. When looking at it from a newcomer’s point of view, cycling in a new city, especially if you are a new cyclist, Denmark is definitely the place to do it. The rules in Denmark allow for a strong sense of safety, knowing everyone is on the same page. However, that can also cause the feeling of having a lack of safety, considering there’s less room for error. In the Netherlands, when a mistake is made, like a turn that cuts someone off, people adapt and change course, and seem overall more aware of their surroundings and movements. In Copenhagen, when a mistake like that is made, it is breaking the rules that everyone follows, and can often have a greater impact of crashing or causing problems in the flow. While, even as a relatively new cyclist, I prefer the Netherlands, I believe Copenhagen's creation of bicycle infrastructure is more applicable when it comes to transferring these ideas to US cities. Adequate bicycle infrastructure is really lacking in the US, and in order to provide safe and welcoming support for new and curious cyclists, a separated, understandable, and rule-oriented system is required.

Red asphalt bike lane. 

Other commonly used pavers.

While cycling in Amsterdam I noticed that the asphalt on the path I was cycling on was so nice and quiet. The lack of noise in this city is another aspect that makes this urban area feel less overwhelming. However, the asphalt on the bike paths is very smooth, and actually limits sound. There were no cracks, no potholes, and the paths are red, making them stand out. The specific red asphalt used in the Netherlands is permeable, increasing the infiltration of stormwater into the soil through the pavement and thus reducing the discharge of stormwater into sewer systems. The pavement is also skid resistant, and has a very even texture, creating a smooth and enjoyable ride. Bringing elements like this to any type of infrastructure is positive, especially when looking into redoing roadways in order to allow drainage and less noise from the streets. 

 
Underwater bike garage entrance.

Getting my bike onto an upper-level parking spot. 

Lights show empty and full rows.

There are several aspects of Amsterdam that I would love to transfer to the US. Their bike parking and simple infrastructure changes make moving and parking bikes much more convenient. This underwater bike parking garage pictured above supplies thousands of bike parking spots for commuters, right below central station. This garage is easy to use and has lights along the pillars to show if a row is full or has more parking spaces. It would be amazing if the US were to eventually get to a point where we require this degree of icycle parking at our transit stations. 

Three-tier bike rack so several bikes can fit on one.

Bike ramp down a large set of stairs. 

Cycling around Denmark versus the Netherlands is shockingly different. It is so interesting to see how a connected, understandable, and amazing cycling network can work so well in drastically different ways.