Jan Ploeger, Province of South Holland Love Cycling Go Dutch Conference Newcastle, 5 November 2013 "How cycling became a top political priority in the Netherlands"

1. How cycling became a top political
priority in the Netherlands
Jan Ploeger
province of South Holland

2. Bicycling in the Netherlands
• The bicycle plays a
century long a significant
role in the NL passenger
transport.
• But had it always a
political top position in
all those years?
Cyclists: get off
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3. Bicycling in the Netherlands
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4. Mileage car vs bicycle
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5. Traffic engineers like cars
1938 first motorways
(The Hague – Gouda)
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6. But they didn’t forget cyclists
(they paid the taxes!)
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7. 1939: 4,000,000 cycles
100,000 cars
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8. Traffic planner in 1950:
Maybe we paid too much attention to the
motorcar, let’s do something for cyclists.
In the sixties: bicycle lanes were
dismantled in The Hague
1975: Bicycle
Union ENWB
was found
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9. How cycling became a top priority
- No cyclists - no political attention
- Why do people cycle?
Main conditions.
- How to generate political attention:
never waste a good crisis
- Top policy attention needs longstanding, integral planning
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10. Why people stayed cycling
• Compact cities, keep distances short
• Mixed city planning.
– Complete cities For example Zwolle, Groningen
– traffic calming/ car free cities
• Cycling is fully accepted in all ranks of society/
positive attitude to cycling
• Recreational cycling
• Feeder transport public transport
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11. London vs. Randstad
workplaces per square km
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12. Houten: car free/ short distances
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13. Positive attitude in society
Minister Donner
Minister Schulz van Haegen
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14. Recreational cycling:
a regional economic factor
First cyclepaths were
private initiatives:
cyclepath associations
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15. Bike and train
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16. Go for the top: main conditions
• Fully integration in transport policy
• Fully integration in land use policy
 Cycling can compete in travel time, comfort and
safety on short distances
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Create positive attitude in society
Create bicycle culture in public administration
Continuity of policy
Decentralisation of transport policy
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17. Never waste a good crisis
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Economic crisis (thirties instead of train/ tram)
Traffic safety (thirties, seventies)
Low budget recreation (fifties)
Health crisis (seventies: keep fit, exercise),
Energy crises (seventies)
Environment (eighties)
Economic crisis again (and the others still!)
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18. One single paperback is not enough
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19. Do forget national policy,
Success starts in cities: York
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20. Compete with car on longer trips is
new challenge
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