Utrecht is one of the five finalists to become Cycling City of the Netherlands in 2016. More information in the blog post: bicycledutch.wordpress.com/20...
+craig horton Thank you, we pay high taxes but we also get a lot of good things in return ! And a good infrastructure is one of those things, for bicycles and also the highways for cars are very high quality. We sometimes forget how good it is, until you go to Belgium/France.... as soon as we pass the borders the roads get bumpy and signage is terrible with bushes and trees growing over them so you can't see them.
@@martijnvv8031 in terms of (generally) well-kept/maintained infrastructure, I think Denmark, Netherlands, Ireland, and Switzerland are the best performing countries in Europe (lest, the World).
Hi there, we've really been enjoying your video, especially as we do youtube gopro walks (in soulful cities). We always love our visits to Utrecht, so it's nice to see it again. It's good to be in contact, thank you we've subscribed.
3:43 Except the crossing at the Koningin Wilhelminalaan and Overste den Oudenlaan in Kanaleneiland it seems :( The waiting time for bicycle traffic lights is much longer than that lovely roundabout that was there
Your videos are extremely good especially with commentary , my country Scotland has some infrastructure but in general it's very poor compared to your country.
I'm surprised you are so positive about Utrecht compared to Groningen. I've lived in both cities for several years each (and currently living in Utrecht) and my god do I hate cycling here compared to Groningen. Every day is a hassle, with many near collisions, dangerous intersections, unfriendly traffic lights and several very narrow bike lanes (I also had to laugh when you said the temporary cycling infrastructure is 'actually rather good' at the exact same time you are showing one of the worst temporary intersections in the city! (2:25). :( I have had so many near misses there I usually try to avoid it all together). It might also be just the type of people who drive and cycle here compared to Groningen though -- people, especially cars, are A LOT more attentive in Groningen, which makes you feel much safer. Although I am very happy and excited Utrecht is planning to change a lot, is has so much left to do if they want to catch up to some other cities, it is not even funny. Especially concerning some traffic rules and exceptions (a a random example; the fact that at almost every traffic light in Groningen you are allowed to turn right as a cyclist even when the light is red, which is almost never the case in Utrecht, which I have to admit makes me almost unnecessarily angry -- you don't know what you've got until it's gone!).
+Babsbabet Have you ever lived outside the Netherlands? Cycling in most other countries is hellish. My city of 300,000 people has less than 1km of what you could consider to be a cyclepath. I'm pretty much forced to drive 6km to and from work everyday (as well as everywhere else) despite actively wanting to cycle. Utrecht may not be perfect, but the cycling infra is out of this world compared to cities in other countries. Most Dutch people don't know how lucky they are...
+04smallmj Oh! That I know :) I'm very glad to be living in the Netherlands for that reason. However, since this video is about the honorary title of 'Cycling City of the Netherlands' I was comparing Utrecht to other Dutch cities. I just know we can do better, and I think that is what we should always strife for! :)
Babsbabet You never have been to the Hague. I cycled through a lot of Dutch cities (Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Den Bosch, Maastricht, Utrecht Groningen, Almere, Lelystad, etc. I also cycled through a part of Belgium near Knokke, Denmark (Korsør), Germany, even bits of Czechia. So I know how terrible infrastructure looks like), but for Dutch standards their infrastructure is foreign-like terrible. Got nearly run over by a tram twice, thanks to confusing lines on the road, also by a few cars nearly hitting me, because of road design and mistakes in traffic lights programming (a car coming from the left going left while I'm going left both with a green light...). Near The Hague HS I even had almost an "afdekongeval" thanks to the infrastructure. Didn't knew that was possible on a bicycle LOL. In the city centre there's a bike path that peds just can't see coming thanks to the design it looks like a part of the pedestrianised area (while it's clear for cyclists strangely enough) and cycle streets are just bricked secondary roads for cars. It looks like people can't drive iver there, but that's reasonable, because the infrastructure is confusing and leaves no room for analysing the traffic situation surrounding you.
The Oudegracht next to the Winkel van Sinkel is closed nowadays during daytime to bikers due to the many pedestrians. The local branch of the Fietsersbond has issued a large list of wished traffic conjunctions, which is proof of why Utrecht still has a long way to go before it can claim to be the best or most promising cycle city in the Netherlands.
The fact that Utrecht lost from Nijmegen is absolute bullshit. ok Nijmegen has a nice campus highway, so what. in Utrecht there are at least 2 of those, arguably 4. is this competition just another promotion for smaller towns? is it pay to win? anyway, i can't take it seriously
Its a paradise. In my country, everybody wants to buy a car and send our money to US/UK backed Saudi wahabi salafi rigime to buy gas so they can bomb the world together. This seems amazingly sustainable development model which could last for so long and the quality of the life is amazing.
The bicycle lanes are great. Even though Copenhagen is the best bicycle city in the world, our bicycle lanes are always bumpy, because the assholes from the local authority are digging up the lanes always. Copenhagen always looks like one big construction side and we are sick of it here.
4:37 WTF. Why makes cyclist take a longer route. Why not just go straight up the hill? I climb hills with more grade, and longer than that. That would be totally doable.
Are you 75 and still cycling? Do you cycle with one child in the front and one in the back? Do you do your groceries by bike? Do you take the grades you are talking about also when it is slippery of rain, or snow, or autumn leaves?
***** 4 questions 3 answers. And some unrelated percentage reference. I am not sure what you answered to exactly. Anyway, the point is, cycling in The Netherlands is for everybody, and everybody in normal clothing, not lycra. And not just for you.
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