A Dutch Evaluation of American Cycling

Warning: This five-minute video may be the most critical evaluation of American cycling conditions you will ever watch. After viewing, you may understand what separates cycling in the U.S. from that in The Netherlands - it's not just infrastructure.

2 minute read

June 24, 2013, 6:00 AM PDT

By Irvin Dawid


Bicyclists White House

Elvert Barnes / flickr

It's common for bike advocates and planners to visit Amsterdam to experience Dutch cycling conditions, but what of the reverse? Mark Wagenbuur ‏of Bicycle Dutch did just that, and clearly he wasn't pleased with what he found, except in Davis, Calif.

Wagenbuur doesn't think much of bike helmets, lycra, recreational cycling, and all those 'street cycling skills' that many experienced city cyclists pride themselves in practicing. Cycling, 'Dutch-style, is primarily utilitarian and casual, which describes most of the biking in Amsterdam, comprising an astonishing 60% of all inner-city trips.

Wagenbuur evaluates riding conditions and evolving bicycle street infrastructure (which he refers to as 'infra') throughout the U.S.  The more protection from autos, the better, like "Chicago’s Parking Protected Bike Lane Designs" (PDF), though he still finds room for criticism.

But it is still not much more than paint.  Curbs would make it prettier and less easy to reverse.

He does seem to find conditions somewhat close to home in Davis, Calif., the city that boasts the highest amount of trips (22%) made by bike in the U.S. "But there's a lot of cycling here despite the (lack of) infrastructure, not because of it", he remarks, referring to the downtown area of this university town of 66,000.

There the bicycles were far more of the upright variety and people were cycling in normal clothes without all the superfluous safety measures. Good to see that this is also possible in the US. This relaxed type of cycling obviously attracts a far wider range of people, even without specific cycling infrastructure.

Before you shrug off Wagenbuur's criticisms - after all, the U.S. is not Europe and comparisons may not be valid, bear in mind his observation that a "cyclist in the U.S. is 30 times more likely to be injured than a cyclist in the Netherlands."

Thursday, June 20, 2013 in Bicycle Dutch

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Close-up of Donald Shoup during interview.

Legendary Parking Guru Donald Shoup Dies at 86

Urbanists are mourning the loss of a dynamic voice for parking reform and walkable cities.

February 10, 2025 - StreetsBlog NYC

Red 1972 Ford Pinto with black racing stripes on display with man sitting in driver's seat.

Analysis: Cybertruck Fatality Rate Far Exceeds That of Ford Pinto

The Tesla Cybertruck was recalled seven times last year.

February 11, 2025 - Mother Jones

Row of vehicles parked and plugged in at EV charging station.

Federal EV Charging Program Suspended

The National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program planned to fund the construction of hundreds of EV charging stations across the country.

February 9, 2025 - Wired

Firefighter in yellow uniform stands in grassy field monitoring wildfire in the Everglades, Florida.

Federal Funding Cuts Spark Concern Among Wildland Firefighters

Federal firefighting forces, already underresourced, are being slashed even as wildfires become a year-round problem.

2 hours ago - Pro Publica

Downtown Los Angeles viewed from Echo Park with lake with artesian fountain in foreground.

A Sustainable Future for LA: Updating the OurCounty Plan

Los Angeles County is updating its Sustainability Plan to refine its vision for climate action, environmental justice, and community well-being, with residents encouraged to participate by taking the OurCounty 2025 Update Community Survey.

3 hours ago - Los Angeles County Chief Sustainability Office

Painted bike lane with bike symbol and diamond on street in downtown Toronto, Ontario.

A Troubling Trend of Backlash to Bike Lanes

Some cities are going so far as to rip out protected bike infrastructure that took years of advocacy to build.

4 hours ago - Momentum Magazine

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.