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.
Pff, who needs a high basket to not see children, when you can just look down at your phone like everyone else? Rookie 😎
Ah, btw, this is Winterthur train station, backside.
And front side.
What a beautiful sight!
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.
There also a massive indoor bike parking structure by the central station in Utrecht.
IIRC it's no longer true, but there was a time when the largest bicycle parking in the world was at Utrecht Centraal (the central train station).
The second-largest bicycle parking was on the other side of that same station.
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!
I know. It was a joke.
Ah. Something about the phrasing there sold it as something you actually believe. Maybe that you said you still believe it to be so. 😃
actually, we somehow do
It's not a rental, but a normal parking, albeit a temporary one.
Now I want to eat Falafel. These Maoz guys made awesome falafel back in the ‘90s when I lived there.
These big American trucks are infesting our roads now too. They are technally not street legal because they are not measured to the same enviromental and safety standards compared to a European car for some reason beyond me.
The EU has not done anything yet, but there are many enviromental groups pressing the EU on getting these trucks banned.
Importing these trucks (and any truck) without paying any vehicle tax registration is getting cancelled in 2025 here in the Netherlands so let’s hope these trucks will get the fuck off our roads. This law was kind of a loop hole to import these trucks for cheap.
Quite a few of those ghastly RAM trucks where I am up in the mountains
If they find out it's me that's sticking the "Fuck your environment, I'm compensating for my micropenis" stickers on them, I'm fucking dead
Cheap as fuck on AliExpress
the Netherlands is so great! the train station near me has a giant bike parking garage, and only like 10 car spots, which are made just for bringing and picking up people. And from then its less than an hour to get from anywhere in the 'randstad', the part of the Netherlands with most cities, to another.
also, most Dutch neighbourhoods (/suburbs) have a single lane road which is also used by the bikers, meaning the cars are forced to go only as fast as the bikers.
Half the bikes are abandoned, and one fifth is stolen. If they have the same ratios as in Rotterdam.
And every other building would have been knocked down to make room for parking
After a quick Google search, snowfall average per year in Amsterdam is 6.1cm
Toronto is apparently 121.5cm
Biking in the snow is significantly harder, and the accumulation of snow in the road in winter makes it even worse.
I don't thin that's the best comparison to make
Just to counter that:
Snow in Toronto would rarely cause someone to not be able to bike. In fact, the only time it might be too risky to bike, is when it's also too risky to drive.
That said, Montreal gets more than twice the snow and colder winters compared to Toronto.
Yet they have been making an effort to encourage active transportation, and cycling over the winter has been increasing.
Even their ride share runs in the winter (it doesn't in Toronto).
If Montreal has a few bad snow days out of a few months in the year, and is still very bikable, then we should stop making excuses that people in Amsterdam can do it only because the weather is nice and the land is flat.
Also, the least bike friendly places in North America have great weather most of the year, and snow is never a concern (Dallas, Miami, Raleigh, etc.).
I think we're too used to making excuses to drive everywhere. It doesn't have to be this one-sided, favouring only cars.
Edit: I posted this in another reply, but I was biking in this the other day, and I live close to Toronto (close enough to bike):
we should stop making excuses that people in Amsterdam can do it only because the weather is nice and the land is flat
The land is definitely flat, but I don't think anyone would ever describe Dutch winters as nice. It's not as cold as in many Canadian cities, but the wind from the North Sea and the lashings of sidewise rain aren't easy to get used to.
Even if biking is safe when driving is safe in snowy conditions, it's still much more annoying to be a cyclist on a snowy winter day. You either have to sweat in a ton of layers or wear flimsy ones and be chilly every time you aren't in motion; having some environment to insulate you would be a huge advantage. I say this as someone who is not a driver but as an amateur cyclist (though not in the winter... yet).
I'm still figuring out how to make winter cycling feasible for me, and I think for most people it's a lot of dedication and commitment that the average commuter will not want to put in. Also, icy road conditions are the worst for pedestrians and cyclists; they can be bad for cars too, of course, but obviously car tires are much bigger and can withstand much more.
I can only say this as someone who's been a driver during Canadian winters, and also as a cyclist who rides through the winter.
Unless it's the most miserable snow storm, like the type where I would not be driving anyway, most winter outings are worse in a car.
Since I don't think it's good to idle "while it warms up", you still have to be in a cold car and battle steamy windows. You still have to scrape ice from all glass and mirrors. And then get gas when it's cold outside (this could include going out of your way to get to a gas station, then possibly waiting while you're there). You'd have to take the car to the car wash or risk having it rot in rust multiple times a month. And then you have to contend with finding even fewer parking spots (no on street parking around here when there's snow). Getting around is also slower and more dangerous.
This winter has been the first where I've actually made an effort to do things right when it comes to cycling gear. Rather than my running shoes, which I've worn through past winters, I got some cheap snow shoes/boots that are insulated and keep my feet warm while riding.
And I've been doing layers right, and it's SOOOOOO much better than just wearing whatever. I've never found myself to be too cold or sweaty, and we're talking multi hour bike rides on a very heavy (40lbs+) manual bike, with temperatures dropping down into near -20C with the windchill! Pogies on the handlebars are a game-changer in the winter, and I've had them on mine for the last three.
And yes, if your city doesn't prioritize cycling, then it can be miserable to cycle on roads where the "bike lane" is not cleared. Still, I'd rather be on a bike!
And if winter commuting by bike was something I had to do, I'd likely invest in an e-bike that could take moderately wide tires. This would eliminate the concern over being sweaty, and make it easier to get around in general.
I’m still figuring out how to make winter cycling feasible for me, and I think for most people it’s a lot of dedication and commitment that the average commuter will not want to put in. Also, icy road conditions are the worst for pedestrians and cyclists; they can be bad for cars too, of course, but obviously car tires are much bigger and can withstand much more.
Yeah, it's hardest for pedestrians. I do give you kudos for trying to make winter cycling feasible.
Start with what you have, and take small trips by bike when the weather is "good enough". See how that goes, then build from there!
I work in Montreal.
People biking year round are very rare, and dping so require significant effort compared to using public transit.
I'm all for reducing car usage, but what I am saying is that solutions should be tailored to location.
Bike work for Amsterdam, great!
But I think cities where snowstorm are somewhat frequent should probably focus on public transit instead.
( I'll admit tough that I assumed Toronto weather was similar to here and didn't expect that much less snow! )
But I think cities where snowstorm are somewhat frequent should probably focus on public transit instead.
For sure, this could be a good option, too. Anything to lessen car dependency would benefit those cities, and the people who live in them!
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