DELFT: Join me for a relaxing ride to "my old" neighborhood and TU Delft

[@Siriusly_Sirius]

It’s funny the things that we remember. The video from last year, I think it was, you mentioned your squeaking bike when you passed the archery center. 😅 (and maybe what part was failing) These NL videos are always enjoyable. Fun way to see the place that I long to live! 😊

[@ActiveTowns]

Yeah, that was shot the fall of 2022. I had that failing part replaced at the Brompton shop in Amsterdam a few days later. Thanks so much for continuing to follow along. Cheers! John

[@Ssarevok]

The way you mention the modular curb pieces is a great example of why I love videos like this as a Dutchman: it would never have occurred to me that curbs could be made of anything else...

[@Ssarevok]

And for the record: electric fatbikes with throttles are illegal. It seemed like the girl was pedaling as you should on a regular e-bike, tough, so she's ok.

[@ActiveTowns]

Yeah, it’s mind boggling how difficult and expensive we make things in North America. Thanks so much for tuning in and for the comment. Really appreciate it. Cheers! John

[@reneolthof6811]

Dutch bike infra in the year 2024. Normal to me, but awesome to most non-Dutch people with a vested interest in urbanism. I liked the reference to the fat bike discussion that is currently raging in this country. We have problems, too! Looking forward to Part Two.

[@ActiveTowns]

Well said. Every place has its issues they are working through because change is always a constant. In Part Two, we'll go in search of a couple of surface parking lot conversions.

[@thedude78723]

Nice ride, John! Thanks for the tour and sharing your insight. I felt like I was riding next to you!

[@ActiveTowns]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@sahilkukreja1194]

Exactly the same feeling - cant explain how enjoyable the video was

[@ActiveTowns]

🙏

[@sahilkukreja1194]

You are so lucky, Nederlands is truly the best place to live and bring up kids ( well I dont have any at the moment but just saying)

[@ActiveTowns]

I am quite lucky to have visited! Thanks for tuning in. 🙏

[@colleenharrison2942]

Interesting and relaxing bike tour.

[@ActiveTowns]

Glad you enjoyed it! 🙏

[@An3z-u5h]

I attended TU Delft in the early 90s. Back then the cycle infra was really primitive compared to what I see in this video. This one brought back memories for me:)

[@ActiveTowns]

Yay! That’s fun. Glad you enjoyed it. 😀

[@ageoflove1980]

Sometimes, dont know if thats the case here at 05:30, these large sidewalks actually function as "stealth" parking spaces for emergency vehicles. I mean, nobody in their right mind would park there right on the sidewalk, so the space will always be available. And, since it will be mostly unused, hopefully, it doubles as a nice big sidewalk so the space isnt waisted.

[@ActiveTowns]

Thanks for watching and contributing to the conversation

[@herfkr]

29:32 Hey, you're not allowed to drive in here, can't you read the signs? 😄 The campus tram has a long history of failures. The tram tracks have been there for a decade, but a tram service has never been operational. First (in 2008) the Sint Sebastiaansbrug (bridge) appeared not to be strong enough and had to be rebuild (2019 €25M). Then the tram caused too much vibration and electro-magnetic disturbance for some delicate instruments in the TU Delft. In order to prevent vibrations and electromagnetic radiation from the tram line, they are rebuilding the tram track on the campus, isolating it better and placing the overhead line masts closer together. Together with TU Delft, the MRDH has been working on a new system in recent years: a new and heavier electromagnetic reduction system. This system, together with the insulation and shorter distance between the overhead line masts, prevents disruption of research activities on campus. Completion in 2025 (?)

[@ActiveTowns]

Cool! Thanks for the details. What an interesting and dramatic history.

[@egelmuis]

Zuidwal, the road you cycle along 32:09 - 33:42 is an example of how the Netherlands tried to follow American street design in the 1960s. It's fairly tamed now, but if you look at street view from 15 years or more back you can see that it was a four-lane stretch of stroad then.

[@ActiveTowns]

Yeah, I think I remember someone mentioning that before... perhaps during my 2022 stay there.

[@OutdoorVeluwe]

The trees are still beautifully green in Delft 🤭

[@ActiveTowns]

Yes! This was shot on July 2, 2024 so it is a glance back to a warmer time for sure. Thanks for watching 🙌

[@JustClaude13]

@@ActiveTowns It looks like the wildflowers were at their peak.

[@iedzjee]

At 36,42 the guys were transporting a tailplane by the looks of it.

[@ActiveTowns]

Interesting… thanks! 🙏

[@nielsterheijden1486]

The "new" tramline through the tu campus is a whole saga. Its already taking more than 8 years i think. With the current road breakup already being there for a couple of years. The initially added the track when they turned the road into a park. During construction of the track there where delays because the trams might interfere with sensitive research being done. After that they noticed that a bridge the tram would go over was damaged by a crane and the original plans of that bridge where missing so they completly had to replace the bridge. Meanwhile busses ran instead of trams. After the bridge was fixed the company running the trams switch to newer heavier trams restarting the entire research discussion again. This was solved by a new concrete mix that should dampen the vibrations. That did mean they had to ripout the never used tracks. And dig out all the old concrete. When that was done the construction company refused to make the new concrete for fear of damaging its equipment. I believe that has now be solved so maybe the trams should run in late 2026?

[@ActiveTowns]

Wow! That’s crazy insane. Thanks so much for watching and for the background information 🙌

[@JulesStoop]

@@ActiveTowns while building and improving explicit and implicit active transportation infrastructure is very easy in the Netherlands, getting public transportation done properly is often very tough.

[@ActiveTowns]

Fascinating!

[@borchen0]

14:00 About the doop-di-doo's; who said the Netherlands does not have hills?

[@ActiveTowns]

Hehe 😂 Yeah, there you go… proof! 🙌

[@bobjhg3887]

21:37 was that near the Air & Space Faculty..? In that case the object would most likely be an aircraft wing of any kind or experimental making, probably a horizontal stabilizer given the shape. Nice vid again John!

[@ActiveTowns]

Interesting! Thanks so much for tuning in again.🙏

[@nfboogaard]

Hi John, I do think they could have added some more traffic calming designs in the street ( 3:07 ), it's a long straight that invites speeding.

[@ActiveTowns]

No argument from me. I always like me some traffic-calming elements. I do know this street is a bus route though, and there may have been some hesitation for that reason. Thanks for watching and for the comment. Cheers! John

[@egelmuis]

There are some designs to calm traffic: the crosswalk in the middle that has lines as if it were also a speed bump and the width of the street, two cars cannot pass each other at speed, especially if they also have to pass a bicycle.

[@starrwulfe]

The tram serving TUD has been out of service for a few years I believe in anticipation of this new trackage. Line 19 specifically ends at Delft Station but will continue onwards into the university in about a year from now in 2025 according to HTM.

[@ActiveTowns]

Cool! Thanks for watching and for this update. Much appreciated. Cheers! John

[@8uurag]

It was supposed to start running when I started my studies at TUD, it has been a couple of years since finishing my studies - so I am taking that estimate with a grain of salt.

[@JulesStoop]

It’s just around the corner from a TU facility known as the ‘low speed wind tunnel’.

[@egelmuis]

Renovation of tram line on campus A new, heavier type of tram vehicle produces too much vibration and electromagnetic radiation on the existing tram tracks, which can disrupt research on campus. Therefore, the tram tracks on campus will be removed and reinstalled. In addition, a new final stop will be constructed.

[@ActiveTowns]

Cool! Thanks, Wouter. I knew that one of my regular viewers would know the answer to this "mystery." Cheers! John

[@captainchaos3667]

The main problem with the fat bikes is that they are intentionally made to be extremely easy to take off the limiter. E-bikes are only allowed to provide (diminishing) assistance up to 25 km/h, but most people who buy fat bikes immediately take off the limiter so they go up to 40 km/h. I wish the manufacturers of these bikes would be held accountable. They could easily make the bikes so they are not so trivially easy to unlimit, but they intentionally don't because they know people buy them specifically for that reason.

[@ActiveTowns]

Yep. I see the issue to be similar to the challenges posed by the ICE motorbikes (of all the different types and varieties) It's clear to me that the kids riding these Fat Bikes are having a blast doing so... thus as you say, the manufacturers will find a way to give 'em what they want unless and until it is limited in some way on the supply or demand side of the equation.

[@Jojo87171]

that's so beautiful it hurts dammit

[@ActiveTowns]

It really is! Thanks so much for tuning in and commenting.

[@omervandenbelt]

I do remember your previous video about this street. I commented that it would be terrible to ride there with a city bus behind you. kzbin.info/www/bejne/a3Kzm5yQr8SLebs Watch from 03:37. Chris Bruntlett shows what that construction at the university was before.

[@ActiveTowns]

Cool! Thanks 🙏

[@marcelgerritsen4253]

The blue building "House of Delft' has become a developers nightmare. Nobody wants to buy an apartment over there. It is still not finished. Losses are over 10 million euros.

[@ActiveTowns]

Oh, wow! I was wondering what the heck was up with that. Thanks for the background story and for tuning in. Much appreciated. Cheers! John

[@maumor2]

Parallel parking next to the canals? That wouldn't work in the US, I can see cars going into the water every other day

[@ActiveTowns]

I know! I’ve joked about that several times in my suite of videos from my 2022 visit. Thanks for tuning in! 😀

[@JustClaude13]

What are the signs that look like an orange arrow? Do you know? I'm guessing some kind of wayfaring mark.

[@ActiveTowns]

I’m not entirely sure.

[@reneolthof6811]

AT wthat clock time or times in the video do I see these orange sighs?

[@tuinbuddy3385]

Do you mean the yellow ones with a letter on it. That is to show you the way when a construction blocks your normal way.

[@JustClaude13]

@@reneolthof6811 The first one is at 2:00.

[@JustClaude13]

@@tuinbuddy3385 So it marks a construction zone. There must be a lot of work going on in Delft. There are yellow signs all over town!

[@aeiouaeiou100]

1:55 Hugo de Grootstraat looks even shittier than it did when I lived there 5 years ago. I hope it's up for redesign soon already looked horrible but now it's just unacceptable.

[@ActiveTowns]

Yeah, that would be very helpful. Thanks for tuning in. Cheers! John 😀

[@thedutchhuman]

It is certainly possible in other countries, the problem is that the drivers have to GET USED to and adapt to the idea and THAT is the problem. They feel superior compared to a cyclist who supposedly gets in their way. Turn the tables and imagine as a car addict that YOU are the one on the bike, would you like to be hit? It is all in your head and there is more than just driving, here and in other places in Europe it is possible, so also in other places in the world............nice and quiet in the neighborhoods huh.

[@ActiveTowns]

Yep! Well said. Thanks for watching and contributing to the conversation

[@thedutchhuman]

@@ActiveTowns You're welcome, have a nice weekend

[@eddybulk1992]

Fat bikes should be banned

[@ActiveTowns]

I'm definitely concerned with the fact that these mostly young, capable riders don't need to pedal at all and, of course, the size, power, and speed of these devices while being used in the bike lanes and paths. That said, in North America, my concerns are the threats being posed by the drivers of large, powerful, speedy cars, trucks, and SUVs and the infrastructure that encourages speeding, unlimited access, and dependency. Thanks so much for watching and commenting. Cheers! John

[@eddybulk1992]

You are welcome

[@reneolthof6811]

Banning things is rarely a sustainable solution. It should be made unattractive to the age group that uses tjis mode of transportation and likewise the fat bike manufaturing industry should be made (financially) responsible/liable for the problems their product creates