Tag Archive: Bike Lanes

1. Amsterdam grants temporary speed limit increase for cyclists

   15/04/2024 19:16 Comments Off on Amsterdam grants temporary speed limit increase for cyclists

   Source: Fietsberaad

   From April 18, fast cyclists in Amsterdam will have the opportunity to utilise a designated section of roadway spanning 500 meters for a duration of three months. This trial will occur along Eerste Constantijn Huijgensstraat and Bilderdijkstraat. The suggested speed limit on the cycle path remains at 20 kilometres per hour, while those desiring a quicker pace can opt for the lane.

   The trial stems from the winning entry of the Amsterdam Bike City Innovation Lab in 2022. Conceived by visual artist Wichert van Engelen, the idea proposes three distinct speed limits: 10 km/h for sidewalks, 20 km/h for cycle paths, and 30 km/h for roads, applicable to all modes of transportation. This initiative aims to mitigate different speeds on the cycle path.

   The municipal authorities, in collaboration with the Amsterdam Transport Region, selected the Eerste Constantijn Huijgensstraat and Bilderdijkstraat area for its high volume of bicycle traffic and the presence of a narrow cycle path segregated from the road. With overtaking proving challenging on this path due to increasing speed disparities, this choice becomes imperative.

   Melanie van der Horst, the traffic councillor, states “I hear more and more Amsterdam residents, young and old, who no longer dare to cycle in the city. I don’t want that to happen. We have previously successfully moved moped riders to the road, making the cycle path quieter. But due to the rapid rise of various electric bicycles, it is now more necessary to make room on the cycle path for people who drive slower.“

   

   Until July 19, cyclists exceeding the 20 kilometres per hour threshold will have access to the road, where the maximum speed limit is set at 30 kilometres per hour. The designated test zone between Overtoom and Kinkerstraat will be clearly delineated. Throughout the trial period, the municipality will monitor cyclist behaviour on the road, assess the interaction between car and bicycle traffic, and evaluate the impact on cycle path congestion. Road users will have the opportunity to provide feedback through an online questionnaire, and the municipality will conduct on-site interviews with cyclists. The results are expected at the end of this year.

2. Brabant fast cycle routes increase cycling rates

   07/11/2023 00:04 Comments Off on Brabant fast cycle routes increase cycling rates

   Source: fietsberaad Crow

   Nearly twenty percent of the users of three fast cycle routes in the Brabant region of the Netherlands previously traveled that route by car or public transport, and about 35 percent say they have started cycling more.

   The province conducted the research on the F58 between Tilburg and Rijen, the F261 between Tilburg and Waalwijk and the F73 between Cuijk and Nijmegen. The construction of the F73 proved to be particularly effective; 29 percent of cyclists on this route previously used the car or public transport. With a new bicycle bridge over the Maas, the bicycle route between Cuijk and Nijmegen has become much more direct and therefore a better alternative.
   Cyclists on the three routes were presented with a questionnaire both before the construction of the fast cycle routes and one year after their opening. More than six hundred cyclists completed this form.

   

   Seven fast cycle routes are in use in North Brabant and seven other routes are under construction. In addition, the province is preparing for the construction of a number of routes or investigating their feasibility.

   SmartwayZ Research

   A recent survey among the SmartwayZ.NL traveler panel shows that there is still a lot of potential for fast cycling routes in the Netherlands. Two-thirds of the panel members indicate that they would cycle to work more often if there were a fast cycle route in their neighborhood. A faster ride and better traffic flow are important reasons why the panel members would want to use a fast cycle route. In addition, they value comfort, directness and safety of the route. The research also shows that campaigns for the use of fast cycle routes can be more effective; only seven percent of the panel members say they have ever come across a promotional campaign for this.

3. Bike lanes need adaptation to include micromobility, study finds

   17/04/2023 18:05 Comments Off on Bike lanes need adaptation to include micromobility, study finds

   Source: Zag Daily, Y. Pinheiro

   The National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) has called for a redesign of urban bike lanes to accommodate a range of micromobility alternatives.

   NACTO’s new study titled “Designing for Small Things With Wheels” provides strategies to adjust bike infrastructure to accommodate variations in sizes and speeds of vehicles such as e-bikes, e-scooters, and cargo bikes. The paper suggests that current infrastructure designs have traditionally favoured confident riders (typically adult men), leaving other potential users (including children, seniors, women, people with disabilities, and those transporting goods) out of the equation. The study states that bike lanes are the safest and most comfortable place for people using a wide array of, often electrified, small things with wheels, as they are vulnerable to car traffic.

   The adaptation of bike infrastructure would require extra width to accommodate larger vehicles and allow comfortable passing, as well as the creation of dedicated space at intersections. According to the paper, wider-protected bike lanes are especially important to protect children and caregivers, side-by-side riders, people using adaptive devices, and people moving goods from close passing.

   The study also suggests that providing smooth surfaces for devices with small wheels and using obvious signs and markings are helpful to clarify that newly popular device types – like e-bikes and e-scooters – are welcome.

   “When bikeways are designed for all ages, abilities, and micromobility options, people on bikes and scooters will prefer to ride in the well-designed bikeways instead of competing for space on a sidewalk,” the paper states.

   The study provides suggestions that would make bike lanes more inclusive of all potential riders and suggests that this, in turn, will allow cities to reduce congestion and improve air quality while increasing access to jobs, services, and opportunities.

   

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