MAKING THE MOST OF PEDAL POWER

This article reports on the second Velo-Mondial Global Cycling conference in Amsterdam in June 2000, which represented 47 countries from all continents. It also discusses the Dutch experience of cycling, which was an important theme of the conference, whose delegates could sample local cycling conditions first hand, on rented bicycles. Holland has as many bicycles as people, 16M, and cycling accounts for 25-30% of trips in urban areas, where average journeys are only 6km long. The Netherlands has some excellent cycle paths integral to new urban developments, with detailed construction and maintenance standards apparently much higher than in the UK. However, cycling in Holland has several problems, but determined efforts are being made to address them. Cycle theft is common, especially at unofficial and unguarded parking places; this encourages the use of bicycles that are cheap or in poor condition. Mopeds, travelling at speeds up to 70kph, often use the cycle paths. The decentralisation of decision making has made it harder to support local cycling experiments and exchange good practice. Cycling is so popular that parking facilities, for example at railway stations, are often totally inadequate. In Denmark, which also has high cycle use, the town of Odense has a government demonstration project aiming to improve the quality of cycling provision, thus reducing car use for short trips.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/00396303
• Corporate Authors:

  Hemming Group, Limited

  32 Vauxhall Bridge Road
  London,   United Kingdom  SW1V 2SS
• Authors:
  • MCCLINTOCK, H
• Publication Date: 2000-7-13

Language

• English

Media Info

• Pagination: p. 13-5
• Serial:
  • SURVEYOR
  • Volume: 187
  • Issue Number: 5590
  • Publisher: Hemming Group, Limited
  • ISSN: 0039-6303

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bicycles; Bikeways; Conferences; Construction; Crimes; Decision making; International; Maintenance; Modal split; Motorcycles; Parking; Quality control; Travel; Urban areas
• Uncontrolled Terms: Quality
• Geographic Terms: Denmark; Netherlands
• ITRD Terms: 1211: Bicycle; 8525: Conference; 3655: Construction; 2722: Cycle track; 2248: Decision process; 8028: Denmark; 9034: International; 698: Journey; 3847: Maintenance; 675: Modal split; 1221: Motorcycle; 8078: Netherlands; 1516: Offence; 955: Parking; 9063: Quality; 313: Urban area
• Subject Areas: Construction; Maintenance and Preservation; Pedestrians and Bicyclists; Security and Emergencies; Terminals and Facilities;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00799692
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transport Research Laboratory
• Files: ITRD
• Created Date: Oct 6 2000 12:00AM