Utrecht: A Cycling Utopia

Utrecht, so far, feels like the most intentional city in terms of bike infrastructure. It feels like everything has been thought out very specifically for cyclists and what they want to see and use in the city. We had the chance to visit a bike parking garage under the train station, which was very inspiring. There were ramps leading up and down the sides, making it easy to ride your bike in and park it, as well as out when leaving instead of navigating upstairs. There is a path in the middle of the parking areas, meant for people on foot. This garage was very impressive in terms of keeping modes separate and focusing on time management and efficiency when it came to dropping off and picking up your bike. 

I took the time to visit a park on the edge of the city, exploring the green space of Utrecht and how biking intersects with that. The area was gorgeous and efficient to bike through, but even better to walk. There were so many paths for walking and exploring, it was a very enjoyable experience. The city center itself is lacking greenspace within its public areas, but as soon as you get to the outskirts and outside of the city, the problem diminishes. 

On Friday we had an excursion to the town of Houten, a commuter town with insane bike infrastructure for the 50,000 inhabitants it contains. The city felt just felt like a bike town. There were barely any people driving cars throughout, because it is simply not possible to go straight through the city by car, making biking the most attractive mode. This day in particular was very eye-opening for me and brought up a lot of emotion. After Houten, we biked to the river through forested bike paths and back roads in rural areas. This area, while not very populated, contained bike bridges, tunnels, separated paths, a bike-only roundabout, and even a beg button for riders on horseback! Riding through this area reminded me a lot of the ranch I grew up exploring. The ability to access areas like this by bike is what really brought me to tears (seriously, I was crying). 

I loved growing up rural, but the lack of access was difficult at times. I wished that there were ways to access the towns close to me without a car, especially since children can’t drive until age 16, but I also wished there was an easier way for people living in the towns around me to access and see the beauty of these rural areas, and the quiet calmness that comes with them. Biking allows that access and intersection, which this ride in particular allowed me to truly experience. The ability to ride from the center of Utrecht to the rural areas around the city easily and safely has been the highlight of my time in Europe and that accessibility through bike infrastructure is what I want to bring back to the U.S. more than anything.