Bicycle Use Surpasses Car Use In Amsterdam

12 Comments

1. Steve says:

   June 24, 2009 at 9:54 am

   ah, there’s your problem! you are looking at a roadway designed solely for bicycles and pedestrians and not some 1 foot wide path hastilly drawn in at the last minute next to a 7-lane highway! Of course people will actually ride bikes on it and even walk if thats the case!
2. Mike Lydon says:

   June 24, 2009 at 10:20 am

   Ahhhh, I think you put your finger on it, Steve. Ha.
3. Brody says:

   June 24, 2009 at 10:21 am

   I love Amsterdam!
4. Ry says:

   June 24, 2009 at 12:35 pm

   not one person wearing a helmet
5. joel says:

   June 24, 2009 at 12:37 pm

   It looks great, and I really do envy it… But how is this realistic in a climate like Miami’s? The heat/humidity from 2 days ago would bring people to their places of employment (most likely without shower facilities) drenched in sweat (I biked to work for months, I know…). And what about crazy rainstorms during the summer? I had to bike through some of those, too… I believe in a better way, and there must be a better way, but dreaming about Miami as if it could be Amsterdam or Copenhagen one day isn’t feasible. I ask, what is the best way to forge Miami’s future?
6. Mustafa says:

   June 24, 2009 at 12:40 pm

   I agree with Joel, the weather here is not conducive to that sort of thing
7. Steven says:

   June 24, 2009 at 1:10 pm

   The weather here may not be conducive to bicycling as the only means of transit, but as an alternate means it is excellent. Likewise, Amsterdam has a very good transit system as well where Bicycles are an alternate mode that people take advantage of. If we create a more extensive transit system where bicycles are a viable alternative with proper pathing and adequate shelters or covered areas (trees or covered paths) then the only reason not to bike would be those rainy days. Basically, I am saying that we don’t provide the adequate infrastructure for Bicycles as a viable transit mode as we have it now, but if we did (much like with the other transit projects) people would ride even more.
8. Mike Lydon says:

   June 24, 2009 at 1:13 pm

   Sure, Miami is not and never will be Amsterdam or Copenhagen in a lot of respects, bicycling or otherwise.

   However, weather is a bit of a straw man argument in Miami. Certainly, without showers or changing facilities, summer time commuting can be more challenging. This is why a central bicycle facility makes some sense for downtown/Brickell. Also, we enjoy some of the best weather anywhere for bike commuting from November-May.

   One could could make the same argument in Copenhagen when it becomes bitterly cold, or in Amsterdam when it rains.

   Furthermore, the weather doesn’t deter most from bicycling in Miami Beach during the summer. More important than weather, you see, is the urban structure and pattern. With a high degree of density and a mixture of land uses and destinations, most trips remain feasible in Miami Beach, no matter the weather.

   What other areas in south florida can learn however, is that gradual, but consistent improvements in policy and design lead to measurable outcomes. Indeed, Copenhagen was well on its way to becoming as auto-centric as any American City in the late 1950s and early 1960s. They saw the insanity of it all and decided to slowly make changes, taking away 2% of auto-related space per year and replacing it with other modes of transport–as Jan Gehl explains it.

   so the real question is, what type of city do we want Miami to become?

   Regardless of the answer, many Miamians will need boats, not bicycles, as the water keeps rising and we just keep on driving.
9. Mike Lydon says:

   June 24, 2009 at 1:14 pm

   Excellent points, Steven.
10. Mustafa says:

    June 25, 2009 at 10:37 am

    Mike and Steve great points but again, I just do not see that being practical here for commuting to work, at least not for me. It is just to humid in my opinion. As far as November to May being the best weather “anywhere”, that to me is subjective and based on what a person considers to be “good weather/climate”. I for one do not find South Florida weather appealing at all, but that’s just my opinion.

    Copenhagen can be ridiculously cold but I don’t show up to work smelling like I just wrestled a giant and looking like I just took a dip in the Atlantic if I decide to bike or foot it to work. Also, it’s a wash when comparing rainy places because we have a lengthy and unpredictable rainy and then hurricane season ourselves. But I think all these arguments are not necessary, it boils down to personal opinion. What is necessary is varied modes of transportation outside of automobiles as Mike pointed out.

    So for those who would want to bike to work cheers, to each their own. It definitely wouldn’t hurt to have that option though, the more options the better I say.
11. Rog in Miami Gardens says:

    June 25, 2009 at 8:25 pm

    Yes, Miami weather is horrid, but if we continue to change the culture, maybe employers might start to invest in showers for their biking employees, maybe they’d install covered or enclosed bike areas. Maybe, we’ll become less self-conscious. I’ve found that Americans have very low tolerance for body odor. In certain European cultures, the opposite is true. I feel like if more people rode their bikes for everyday commute and used public transportation in the South Florida, the tolerance for it would increase and the sweatiness and odor would become more acceptable and less of an “issue”.
12. Mike Lydon says:

    June 25, 2009 at 9:30 pm

    Not to mention that most places crank the AC so high that within ten minutes you can cool off easily. I bicycle frequently to meetings in the middle of the day during summer. Do I sweat? You betcha, but not profusely if I move at about 10mph. I always plan to arrive early to cool down and wipe off my face. It’s really not that big of a deal. Showers remain the single most important amenity, however, as you are right Rog, most people remain very self-conscious.