Just to compare, this is the utopian dream for Toronto:
There are approx. 18 cars and trucks in that image.
They are taking up SIGNIFICANTLY more space, and are causing traffic.
Still, we keep saying, “give us more of this, please!”.
Insanity or stupidity?
And all those old buildings would be torn down and replaced with McMansions, strip malls and big-box retail outlets.
Canadian checking in. A bike will never be a replacement for a truck (the best kind of vehicle for city driving) until the front basket can be mounted high enough that the rider cannot see a child in front of them.
Look we all want to be a pothead cyclist sex worker in the paradise of Amsterdam, but they can’t fit us all.
They have entire fried fish fillets being sold on the street for like 2€ it’s stupid bro it’s fucking stupid how good they got it.
I blame the civil engineers.
Edit: I visited Amsterdam during a work trip. They have a tram system that stops at every other street and goes up every other spoke of their bike wheel city. It’s cheap and it runs almost all night. I was sharing a jazz cigarette (Marijuana joint) with a local after drinking many fine Belgian beers and remarking about this in a broken German the local was ever so polite to entertain and they laughed at me, telling me the tram was slow, hardly stopped anywhere and cost too much, next time I should just rent a bike.
They don’t even know how good they fucking got it.
They have entire fried fish fillets being sold on the street for like 2€ it’s stupid bro it’s fucking stupid how good they got it.
I prefer the kibbeling (little chunks of battered cod). The smoked-eel sandwiches (broodje paling) are also great.
I go to smaller Dutch cities when I want a break from the neglected and incompetently-managed infrastructure of England. There are too many Vice-reading Joe Rogan fans in Amsterdam.
As for bike rental, last I checked, locals could rent an OV-fiets using an OV chipkaart (and presumbably the OV-pas coming in this year), but visitors can’t do that. I’ve heard that there are workarounds, but I’m not convinced that they can be relied on to work.
They don’t even know how good they fucking got it.
That’s because this way of city planning is normal there. You wouldn’t think that making streets and sidewalks safe for human beings would be such a big deal, but to us it’s unheard of!
When we put a pedestrian crossing with gasp, a signal, motorists around here lose their minds! Not really, they just ignore them. /s
It’s normal because people in the 70s put in a lot of effort and protesting to make it normal. I thank them every day for that.
It has nothing to do with protected historic buildings and a sweeping canal system squeezing the roads making them much too narrow for modern cars…
Thank the architects that made such a beautiful city.
That’s because this way of city planning is normal there.
If we’re allowed to factor in “normality” here, it’s a good idea to add some context to what’s got you so ornery…
It sucks that America’s urban development came alongside the commercialization of cars, but here we are.
Yes Amsterdam is great, it’s a beautiful city with great public transportation. It tracks that a city founded in the 13th century would be designed for a population that walks everywhere.
It’s a strange comparison to make.
Perhaps in 500 years Americas infrastructure will suit whatever social transportation trend people will be arguing about online. Until then I’ll just do my best to minimize my impact and try not to be a cock.
So what is stopping america from building its new neighbourhoods in denser and more compact design like new neighbourhoods in the netherlands? Its not 1350 anymore yet they still seem to be able to build density and walkability.
Many American cities were founded before the car existed, why aren’t those neighbourhoods walkable and cycleable?
You might be interested in this recent video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uqbsueNvag
Change can happen very quickly, both good and bad.
There’s no reason why cities in North America have to throw up their hands and say “we can’t do anything about this.”
Plenty of places have already returned cities back to people, and many are still trying. Some seem to have given up, and others don’t want to quit their car addiction.
This is why you vote/advocate for bike friendly infrastructure to exist where you currently live.
Hence why I also said advocate.
If there are no relevant ballot issues, you will need to find like minded people to create petitions. Start small: Painted bike lanes, reduce speeds in neighborhoods, signage, etc
The other option is be angry and bitter on the Internet. 🤷♀️
Ah, btw, this is Winterthur train station, backside.
And front side.
This is A bicycle parking lot at the main station in Utrecht. Now imagine to replace this amount of bycyles with cars and how much space this would take up. However, I still believe, that this is just a bicycle exchange station. You just leave your bicycle there and just grab another one when you leave. You ain’t gonna find your bicycle anyways in this huge pile of bicycle.
You ain’t gonna find your bicycle anyways in this huge pile of bicycle.
lol the amount of bikes has nothing to do with it. By that logic you wouldn’t be able to find your car in a mega parking lot because there are so many cars. You just go to the place where you parked it? You don’t start looking at the first car and then go to the second car and so on. You go directly to where you know it is. Granted you know where it is, of course…
As a matter of fact, it’s probably more likely you would lose your car in a huge lot than likely you’d lose your bike here. This is a much smaller area to traverse and search, in case you forgot where you parked.
Also bikes have locks just like cars.
Ignore the FUD, folks, buy a bike today!
