Category Archives: The Netherlands

Leon Daniels and ‘knee-jerk reactions’

Posted on July 18, 2013 by aseasyasriding

In the wake of the latest cycling death in London, the head of Transport for London’s Surface Transport, Leon Daniels, told BBC News I think it’s very important we don’t have too much of a knee jerk reaction. Of course, … Continue reading →

Posted in Go Dutch, Gyratories, Infrastructure, London, Subjective safety, The Netherlands, Transport for London | 43 Comments

Where are Britain’s practical bikes?

Posted on July 1, 2013 by aseasyasriding

One of the many impressions from my recent trip to the Netherlands is how everybody rides pretty much the same bike. This is the basic – and pretty indestructible – classic Dutch bike. It’s either single speed, or has hub … Continue reading →

Posted in Cycle sport, Cycling renaissance, Helmets, Infrastructure, Subjective safety, The Netherlands | 129 Comments

Don’t misunderstand the Fietsstraat

Posted on June 12, 2013 by aseasyasriding

The Times’ excellent correspondent, Kaya Burgess, is currently in the Netherlands on a fact-finding mission, along with London’s Cycling Commisioner Andrew Gilligan, Scotland’s Minister for Transport Keith Brown, and others. I hope they like what they are seeing (it’s impossible … Continue reading →

Posted in Andrew Gilligan, Cycling Embassy Of Great Britain, David Hembrow, Go Dutch, Infrastructure, Street closures, Strict liability, Subjective safety, The Netherlands, The Times | 21 Comments

The environment and legality

Posted on June 10, 2013 by aseasyasriding

There’s an interesting piece by London’s Cycling Commissioner, Andrew Gilligan, in today’s Evening Standard. It’s actually pretty good. The focus of the article is, broadly, compliance with the law by cyclists, and by motorists. It has a silly headline about … Continue reading →

Posted in Andrew Gilligan, Bollards, Car dependence, Horsham, Infrastructure, London, The Netherlands | 5 Comments

When people demonstrate they don’t want to cycle with traffic, why don’t we listen?

Posted on June 4, 2013 by aseasyasriding

Over the recent bank holiday weekend I went out for a brief ride up and down the Downs Link in Sussex. This is the old railway line that used to run between Guildford and Shoreham, and now – like so … Continue reading →

Posted in Cycling Embassy Of Great Britain, Cycling policy, David Hembrow, Hierarchy of Provision, Infrastructure, Subjective safety, The Netherlands | 92 Comments

A letter from Zohra

Posted on May 16, 2013 by aseasyasriding

I recently chanced upon this amazing letter, written to the British Medical Journal, almost exactly 13 years ago. Why do school children cycle on the continent, but not in the UK? Dear Editor, I have been reading the responses to … Continue reading →

Posted in 20 mph limits, Cyclecraft, Cycling policy, Infrastructure, John Franklin, Subjective safety, The Netherlands | 28 Comments

The sound of silence

Posted on May 14, 2013 by aseasyasriding

I’m in the midst of reading the fascinating Noise – A Human History of Sound and Listening, by David Hendy. Towards the end of the book, in a discussion of our recent ‘search for silence’ – how silence is increasingly … Continue reading →

Posted in Car dependence, London, noise, Pedestrianisation, Subjective safety, The Netherlands, Town planning | 14 Comments

Accessibility versus amenity – how the bicycle can solve the dilemma

Posted on May 10, 2013 by aseasyasriding

Yesterday I gave a brief presentation at a Town Centre Opportunities event in London; the theme of the conference was on revitalising urban space and keeping ‘The High Street’ thriving. I was invited to talk in a supposedly provocative capacity, … Continue reading →

Posted in Car dependence, Cycling Embassy Of Great Britain, Department for Transport, Infrastructure, Parking, Pedestrianisation, Subjective safety, Sustrans, The Netherlands, Town planning, Transport policy | 14 Comments

We don’t need ‘innovative’ solutions – just copy what works

Posted on May 1, 2013 by aseasyasriding

We saw yesterday what Transport for London have been asking the Transport Research Laboratory to test for them. It is an almost exact copy of a conventional Dutch roundabout with perimeter cycle tracks. They have even copied across the Dutch … Continue reading →

Posted in Absurd transport solutions, Andrew Gilligan, Infrastructure, Safety, Subjective safety, The Netherlands, Transport for London | 23 Comments