Junction design in the Netherlands [311]

[@NotJustBikes]

It surprises me that this video has less than 400k views, after so many years. This is the best video about Dutch junction design that I've ever seen. Everybody should watch this.

[@AndreSomers]

NotJustBikes also has quite a few interesting ones. Edit: but you knew that, as you made them...

[@appleslover]

@@AndreSomers ?

[@1a2b]

@@AndreSomers uh check who made the comment it might help

[@AndreSomers]

Morgan Smith you are right.

[@lightdark00]

It's because on the channel most of the videos are long talks. These 5-10 minutes videos are much more watchable, but as they aren't the normal factor of the channel, they too suffer.

[@wva6809]

In some cases. I think that the Netherlands is one of the most citizen friendly countries in the world.

[@Kravv]

wiebe V aken idk, 20% tax on everything...

[@PGraveDigger1]

Not true. Anything medical is taxed at 0% or 6%. And most necessities, like bread and milk, are also taxed at 6%. And the taxes are used for the benefit of the citizens, so saying 20% tax makes the netherlands less citizenfriendly is just not correct.

[@ftbsecret]

also that tax is a european VAT tax,in the us and canada it depends on state but like BC canada has it at 15% so its more standart as high

[@DamonBMW]

Maarten van den Beld not true. dont spread lies.

[@ronrolfsen3977]

+Logan Lentilus You do realise in the Netherlands life in prison means you spend your whole livf in prison? Unlike most other countries where you still have a change to be released. A murderer might indeed get less cell time then someone who commited money related crimes, but changes are, the murderer got TBS with that as well. Meaning he will not be free, till a doctor decleares that it is save for the rest of society for him to be free (This might be the rest of the person's life). The judicial system in the Netherlands is indeed not perfect (and you never find a system that is perfect), but not as bad as people make it out to be. Usually the poeple who complain are those who do not understand what TBS means. Example. The lonstest "sitting" TBS patient. He got sentented to TBS for a sexual crime (not sure what he did, but it was not rape. Nor did anyone die in this crime). He has been inside a TBS clinic for over 51 years. If he only had a prison sentence for rape (with he did not even do) he would have been out in 12 years (max).

[@greatleapforwards]

notice the indication at 3:12 . that is what happens when cyclists are aware of car drivers and car drivers are aware of cyclists. The car driver was prepared to wait for the cyclist, but the cyclist indicated to the car in good time that he was going right...respect all around

[@xFD2x]

You are right. There was communication between the two. Drivers and cyclists seek eye contact, and communicate with very small signals, hardly visible signals. Cyclists and drivers try to stay moving forward. Fast or slow, but keep moving on.

[@edkroketje1]

At a roundabout near where I live I often fully point that I am going right but due to the angle that I come on a lot of cars don't seem to notice it and still slow down for me when they want to exit the roundabout. I actually get frustrated by the fact that the car can't see/doesn't seem to notice that I point that I will leave the roundabout and that they can exit as well because I won't be passing them. And often when car drivers let me pass on my bicycle they make a small hand gesture while holding the steeringwheel and that is already enough for me to see that I can pass. as thanks I put my hand up to show the appriciation. This is because as said by FD2 we often seek eye contact and try to communicate our intentions with eachother.

[@dutchman7623]

@@edkroketje1 Try to signal your right turn with your left arm across your chest. It works fine with me, pointing with the arm they can see. I only do this on a busy roundabout with bidirectional cycle path. And I always go counterclockwise because many accidents happen with bicycles that go clockwise. Car drivers do not, or too late, notice them.

[@smeetsnoud1]

@@dutchman7623 or raise your right arm a bit above the shoulder and head, to make it more visible

[@Mortomes]

I think this is because cyclists and car drivers are not 2 different groups of people. A lot of people who drive also cycle regularly and vice versa. They understand each other.

[@sescopian9118]

As a cyclist in the U.S. it Feels like I'm living in a third world country looking at what they're doing in the Netherlands we have a sad situation for cyclists in this country.

[@FirefoxisredExplorerisblueGoog]

As a Dutchie, cycling in large US cities sounds terrifying to me, especially if turning right through red is permitted.

[@sescopian9118]

Yeah you take your life into your own hands most of the time when you ride a bike in this country, it's not for the faint of heart.

[@sescopian9118]

Getting doored on a bike is an American right of passage.

[@Kravv]

Sescopian i thpught every country exept some uad this...

[@Derpster2493]

Population density in US 30/km^2. Population density in Netherlands 500/km^2.

[@wzupppp]

Im Dutch and moved to our southern neigbours Belgium. The difference in traffic and infrastructure is like night and day. It really feels like im in eastern Europe at times. Youll see the change as soon as you cross the border

[@goranDbest]

we in Serbia(eastern Europe),have the same bike lanes as shown in the video :P PS.I tought it was normal lol

[@omzldn6472]

Jan Jacobszoon Yh it’s so bait the road quality and infrastructure improves so noticeably. At the same time tho the flanders part of belgium has some similarities in terms of streets to the netherlands

[@zino4030]

Waar woon jij dan? Ons is het echt exact hetzelfde

[@wzupppp]

@@zino4030 antwerpen

[@eelcob1818]

That is true, I’m also Dutch and I’am helping a refugee family from Iraq... They once went to Belgium to visit a family member and when they came back they told me the roads of Belgium did them remember the roads of Iraq 😱

[@JulianaAgra]

I am a bike activist in Brazil and a often see you videos. They are very useful and informative to teach the dumb road designers here how it should be done. thank you so much, keep up the good work.

[@69PlzBitch]

Juliana Agra a fucking bike activist? That must be the funniest Shit I've ever heard Good for you though!

[@JulianaAgra]

Error_69_ I am glad, I made you smile today =). Peace

[@RobertAdoniasCostaGomes]

I understand why there is a need for bike activists in Brazil... people don't give two shits about bikes (even in the cities that pretend they do...) I'm also pretty sure no one would design a road to be "as narrow as possible" here (as the video states)... here is all about the cars, cars, cars (and motorcycles, if you can't afford a car)...

[@bulacomunistu8727]

@Rob Blokdijk You mate are the voice of reason.

[@JulianaAgra]

Guys I understand that Brazil is very different from the Netherlands. But being flat is not a criteria for disqualifying public policies aimed for the safety of those who ride bikes. It does not matter if it is a 90 degree decive, if there are cyclists using them they deserve to have their lives preserved. The video is about juction design that is safe for ciclists, at least in my city we have junctions and we also have ciclists, lots of them. I agree that Brazil is a huge country but when it comes to mobility policies for cycling we are talking about cities and not a country.

[@davidbarr5701]

Good to see someone is giving the cycling world the attention they deserve.

[@screamified409]

mostly because this whole country is cycling unlike others...

[@ssshenkie]

Aids Delivery guy That's because it's made more attractive. Driving by car can be a nightmare in the Netherlands atleast in Noord-Holland and Utrecht during peakhours. Lots of traffic flowing on 2% of all the roads. It can cause traffic jams that spread beyond 100KM in worse case scenarios (that's liks more than half of the total height of the netherlands on the map) If you can go by bike or public transport, it's usually always faster.

[@LCARS43278]

FUN FACT: Exactly ONE cyclist in that video was wearing a helmet, and it was an American.

[@josdenhartog7385]

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@ivanor2206]

In safe environment (like dutch streets) you may not use it.

[@Atoximed]

@@ivanor2206 That's what he meant..?

[@bobosims1848]

Yeah, in Dutch traffic, cyclists don't need helmets and the law doesn't require them. The narrator, on the other hand, was obviously Dutch. His 'no accent' accent is so thick, I think he's from around Haarlem or so. (As am I :) ) The avantage is, he knows how to pronounce Dutch words and names :)

[@gladius_arbor]

yeah a helmet is not obligated

[@ElectricityTaster]

Mister BicycleDutch, your job documenting all this is invaluable. Bicycle infrastructure around the world is better thanks to your videos.

[@inesalag]

"...they end when you need them most"

[@Hagenees1905]

When the world needed him the most

[@zegel9580]

@@Hagenees1905 he dissappeared

[@marekcech7365]

its just so amazing i spent half a year in Netherlands and the traffic infastructure is just epic... not even comparable with czech republic

[@aneeshprasobhan]

compare it to India -_-

[@ikhouvanytxd1871]

Aneesh Prasobhan haha you have got some nice trains in India !

[@MusicIsLegal]

India doesn't have a infrastructure... and if it does have it people ignore it.

[@shitbird5241]

@@aneeshprasobhan no

[@corens1033]

@@MusicIsLegal India is a third world shithole

[@2_Wheeled_Wolf]

Please send your road designers & builders to UK & show how it should be done!!

[@dutchman7623]

Should we send our water engineers too? Would keep England from flooding... It is a big plus when a bicycle lane is a little dry.

[@Scuderia1talia]

Not possible anymore due to Brexit ;)

[@Youtube..Enjoyer]

it's still possible

[@arnoudkrikke2987]

Angry Panda 😂😂😂😂😂

[@jonathanwieringa8808]

Angry Panda lol you dumb? so you can't move to Switserland? ofc you can still travel

[@rohan4389]

My parents are Dutch and Irish, and have ended up living in Ireland. I do however visit family in the Netherlands on a regular basis and it always shocks me how far ahead they are in road design. In Ireland its cost + speed of construction, Usability and safety come later, the opposite to in the Netherlands. The country is a great example for the rest to follow.

[@peter1062]

It doesn't cost that much more to get it right the first time,

[@davidcorneliocornelio9178]

Vrouwen spelen een belangrijke rol in de Nederlandse samenleving, velen van hen gaan elke dag van het jaar met hun kinderen van verschillende leeftijden op de fiets, mijn respect. Groeten uit Lima Perú 🇵🇪 nederlandse honderd procent 🇳🇱

[@ElectricToast2099]

In Boston, cows and other livestock design the streets.

[@alanfrost75]

Hahaha this really made me laugh :D

[@RoarofdalioN]

😂

[@type17]

@@alanfrost75 Don't laugh, in Ireland the Gaelic word for road, Bothar, literally translates to English as cow-path - our streets aren't even as good as Boston's, for the most part.

[@alanfrost75]

@@type17 Hehe :D Thanks for the info man :)

[@hds66nl29]

When they un veal the street, it was a sheep design?

[@anSealgair]

Hopefully Australia will get to this level in a few hundred years.

[@RoarofdalioN]

😂

[@appleslover]

Hopefully my country (Turkey) will get to the level of Australia in a few thousand years

[@Pjotrpost]

30 years is when this can be achieved on average. The cycling infrastructure doesn't take much extra space. So every 30 years when you replace the sewer beneath the road you can place back a design that has cyclists in mind. This way it will take about 30 years because the sewer needs replacement or big maintenance in 30 year intervals. This way it's not a matter of money because you need to place a road back anyways, so why not redesign it before you place it? Then this doesn't become a financial issue but a political one. You have to convince your politicians to make cities cycling friendly, this is cleaner for the air it gets you from A to B just as fast.

[@Snufkin812]

The roundabouts that can be crossed by bike are amazing! In many countries it is difficult to ride a bicycle in the city center, but in the Netherlands it seems more difficult to drive a car in the city center. Patient and good consideration for cyclists and pedestrians at crosswalks is wonderful.

[@jasperdiscovers]

lol 5:06 'so easy a child can use them', and then the girl exits the crossing at the wrong end.

[@LeinadzzVids]

Henk Kamp cyclists in Amsterdam go through red light at high speeds, Thats how easy it is

[@Youtube..Enjoyer]

ok henk kampf

[@SashaMasonVR]

Well no matter how easy and obvious you make something, there will always that one person who doesn't get it. But you don't need 100% of people following the rules anyways. 99% is also good.

[@Riskiboy0101]

I'm pretty sure she know what's the right and wrong end, but she chose the shortest and most convenient path since there were no on-comming cyclists.

[@ssailiQ]

Henk Kamp its the lazyness, u would also do it if you ride your bike everyday and the same road

[@VitorMadeira]

I WANT THIS in my country! Thank you and greetings from Portugal.

[@GG-si7fw]

Dutch cycling continues to amaze me.

[@gwho]

0:36 that little kiddo is so cute! raising kids with these bike lanes would be so great.

[@LaKoeps]

The first city in the clips, up until the Amsterdam and Houten examples is 's-Hertogenbosch. Not that anyone was asking, I just grew up there and wanted to share. They have one of, if not the best traffic light system in the world. Every lane is analysed and processed in such a way that waiting time is almost nihil. Including the cycle lanes.

[@PEKUMBU]

Another great cycling infrastructure video.

[@martialartist99]

If you thought the video was interesting maybe you’ll like reading what I’d like to add. Living here in the Netherlands, yes, the cycling infrastructure may be arguably one of the best, I’m thankful that ever since I was born I could get around by cycle easily and peacefully not knowing worse. Over here even young children may go on adventures (together) by bicycle safely. I see room for improvement in our infrastructure too though. I believe our country needs to upgrade it’s public transportation to a prosperous, comfortable, futuristic, beneficial, efficient and sustainable way of travel. Just as cool as some countries in Asia have done but then more sustainable and if possible less busy. I believe doing so would help our roads. Especially highways since we’re a small country with lots of cars and bicycles. It’s honestly too busy, people may be used to traffic jams and busy roads, and we might have clear rules and high standards for driving licenses but as I notice this can be improved. To quickly get back to bicycles, I’d also like to share we have this thing called the OV-bike. I only wish it would get more popular like it is in China. It’s basically a bike owned by the government or the company doing the public transportion which you can rent for as long as you use it. Search it if you’re interested. Lots of words did I exchange here. Thanks for reading and hope it didn’t feel like a waste of time😂

[@lhukhjhkihyj7470]

I like your idea yes. Good to read

[@jorgsmellink3427]

The train or tram is ALWAYS to late 😂

[@martialartist99]

@@lhukhjhkihyj7470 Thanks for the heads up :D

[@martialartist99]

@@jorgsmellink3427 Yes! And even worse when they get canceled or don’t drive further than a certain stop... 😩

[@LaKoeps]

@@martialartist99 percentage wise it's not all that bad. You may have had some bad experiences, but the trains per km of rail and stations are almost 95% punctual on average. Ofcourse trains around Amsterdam and Utrecht will have the highest change of congestion, while those in Groningen and Limburg are upwards of 97,5% punctual. It's not Japan or China levels of punctuality, but we simply don't have the space to build more rail in our tightly packed country. Sources: InfoPlus information available by NS and ProRail.

[@sescopian9118]

The automobile is a prime example of what can go terribly wrong when the majority gets it's way without question, all public space was just handed over to the automobile industry in the United States virtually without question. I'm still waiting for a city or town in this country to restrict automobiles to the City limits, I'll move there in a heartbeat!

[@sescopian9118]

So what's unclear in my comment?

[@daveboy2000]

You do realize that the majority didn't chose for this right? The auto industry made up worlds like jaywalking to victim-blame pedestrians involved in automobile accidents. This manipulation eventually led to passive acceptance that the roads belong to cars, not pedestrians, and led to the focus of cars over public transportations and simple walking. (Note: Jaywalking meant a lot more to the people of that era that it does to us. A jay was.. well it was a word compared to 'lout' or 'idiot'.)

[@sescopian9118]

Did you say whine, Krömeier? Well I don't know if you're familiar with the term freedom of speech in Germany, that's what it's called here in the United States, it means you can say a lot of things others may not agree with. Hell you can even just say what would be nice in place of what is, though your neighbor is a stoic and doesn't think you should express anything but resignation. What kind of doctor are you anyway?

[@sescopian9118]

You know Calamity, in America a political majority may in fact be a minority, and from what I get General Motors, Firestone Tire, Standard Oil and others as well as the highway lobby that pushed through Congress a vast network of urban freeways that fueled suburban development and increased auto dependence was the spearhead of the auto industry takeover of public spaces, which was for the most part unopposed.

[@sescopian9118]

Nice to meet you Eric, for the purposes of the Internet, I'm sescopian, a black guy in America doing my damnedest not to become a statistic, while trying to cobble together something I tend to think of as a life.

[@michavanderlee2608]

As a Dutch person living in Canada this is one of the main things I miss about the Netherlands. Bike trails and efficient road design, it really feels like they are not even trying here😂

[@juncedan]

You've got to love The Netherlands

[@iberlo85]

Traffic is just one aspect of it, no need to glorify it over one aspect.

[@levoGAMES]

I agree, it's very pleasant to cycle in the Netherlands,

[@svrakata]

man i'll visit your country just to tryout this... so nice. In my country i have to light a candle and say few words to God before going out on the streets

[@Shadowking-jtm]

Is you country Russia?

[@TheXanUser]

This should be implemented in every city!

[@dutchik5107]

TheXanUser it is in every city in the Netherlands. but you'll have to remember. it's extremely small so you can get practically everywhere by bike. towns are close. and all. it's also extremely flat. making cycling easier and it would be hard to implement in every city. since I think that when the bike got mainstream we started putting down cycle lanes.

[@mourlyvold7655]

@@dutchik5107 Works both ways; biking also became more mainstream exactly because of the infrastructure.

[@peterslegers6121]

@@dutchik5107 The change towards the current Dutch safe traffic design paradigm started in the 1970s. Gas prices went through the roof thanks to shortages, and traffic was so car centric and unsafe, that people started a protest movement to "Stop the Child Murder". Corona can be an incentive to start the same kind of policies. The size of the country and its flatness doesn't matter in making a choice in favour of safe traffic design. A century ago, every city in the world had more cyclists than car drivers. Any city can make it happen again.

[@Mr.Riffian]

At 5:04 you can see the grey box across the street that controls the traffic lights with sensors in the streets. This means if you approach a traffic light that shows red while the other directions detect no traffic you will get green to keep you moving.

[@DougGrinbergs]

3:57 awesome dual-level roundabouts!

[@syiridium703]

I am watching this in 2021 from a central European country and it still feels like this was filmed in a far distant future on another planet. Yet it was filmed in 2014. That is just sad...

[@7249xxl]

HOUTEEEUHHH my town has been featured. Im proud.

[@callumappleseed4184]

I'm English but live in NL and benefit from this fantastic infrastructure design everyday as I cycle to and from work

[@peksn]

The time you spend in the left turn, you gain it in the right turn. Hell yeh very well said.

[@leovigild_]

If I could move anywhere, I would seriously consider moving to the Netherlands. I absolutely love the bike infrastructure there, it seems like such an awesome idea. Where I live in Australia, cycling is encouraged, but is no where near as prevalent as in the Netherlands and thus doesn't have comparable infrastructure.

[@ilikelampshades6]

We need this is england

[@baddriversofmoosejaw8681]

We need this in Canada too. Impressive, most impressive.

[@ersia87]

***** Why not?

[@wookwookey1150]

***** You don't need to respect bicycles - you need to respect people. People driving cars don't generally want to run over other people currently on bicycles. People who use both cars and bicycles for transport (which is what happens when cycling is a normal mode of transport for normal people) are more respectful than people who have only ever used one of these modes.

[@aneeshprasobhan]

we need this more here in India -_-

[@HarmonicaMustang]

"People driving cars don't generally want to run over other people currently on bikes". You'd think that, until you look at a city such as Oxford in the UK. I studied there, and I had my fair share of close calls with taxi drivers who don't respect other drivers, cyclists or pedestrians. Oxford is ranked top in cycle crime in the UK, and I'm not surprised considering the amount of cyclists on the roads. This system would have been a blessing, but because Oxford is full of old architecture, the roads are pretty narrow and its impossible to build such lanes. I found the best way to respect other users of the road is by experiencing both sides of the coin; I cycle and drive, so skills in one mode of transport are useful in the other. As a cyclist, I know the Highway Code and therefore what I can do, what I can't and how I should behave in various traffic situations. As a driver, I know how and where to look out for cyclists and how much space to give them.

[@spike4850]

God these are the nicest, most mature and sensible drivers I've seen

[@mourlyvold7655]

Because all of them were cyclists first, probably still are.

[@rachilray]

I work for the DOT in US. And this shit is turning me on

[@BeingJohnMalkowitz]

DOT ? explain ...

[@rachilray]

BeingJohnMalkowitz department of transportation

[@shiroineko13]

You should come over to the Netherlands and take tons of pictures of the roads here to take back for study. And ride a bicycle while you're at it.

[@whiteroomsimulations4492]

I like how it looked back then, they are redoing all those roads now

[@MRJeroentjuh94]

i see a lot of junctions in 's-hertogenbosch, rosmalen and vught. proud to see my city in this video

[@OverSoft]

MRJeroentjuh94 And Eindhoven, Amsterdam and Groningen. ;) Half of the Netherlands is in there. ;)

[@thebrosmen7001]

OverSoft utrecht mag ook zeler niet vergeten worden!

[@meowthindegame8127]

MRJeroentjuh94 regio den bosch is gewoon fietsvriendelijk

[@michelfug]

En Utrecht en Houten dus

[@hamidkhan262]

This is really awesome. Thanks for sharing and making videos on such important things. We badly need this in India. All the best and keep it up.

[@jacoubec]

I wish we had these in Czech Republic !

[@Batavijf]

Great video, I’d like to add that at some junctions cyclist get a green light for all directions. You can then cross the junction diagonally.

[@pkferna]

Great video!

[@mariadulcearrudacorreia1251]

Que organização!! assim até eu quero pedalar!

[@nee__8132]

We need more of these in Belgium.

[@kikajetske11]

I love my country i cycle everyday. Holland is the best 💪🏻

[@mourlyvold7655]

Holland is great. But in Brabant brandt nog licht... 😎

[@einundsiebenziger5488]

In this regard, it is indeed.

[@hajjdawood]

Hope one day you can afford to buy a car.

[@kikajetske11]

@@hajjdawood i have a car, i just love cycling, its much quicker (no traffic jams) and healthier

[@pux0rb]

As an american, watching this video is like peering into a magical box of dreams. Our streets are so packed full of cars and overly wide, it feels so alien to be outside a car.

[@orangepurplemusic]

When you said: houten, and saw the picture i thought like: WOAH THAT'S LOOKS SO COOL. I didn't know it was like that when i go around the roundabout everyday cuz i live there.

[@estoniaman]

I drove around Amsterdam on a bicycle for half a day, it was good fun. I am from Estonia myself. Here we have bicycle tracks, but only few in the cities.

[@StefandeJong1]

2:07 Is that in Groningen?

[@BicycleDutch]

No, Utrecht.

[@jaardpeer4148]

lijkt idd op het eind van de petruscampersingel

[@jaardpeer4148]

'lijkt op'

[@ls200076]

EaqIe allemaal in t grond getieft

[@Grunn007]

@@jaardpeer4148 Kapteynbrug idd.Komt door die kerk.

[@gnarlykoala]

Nette en informatieve video en vooral je engelse uitspraak!

[@berrietrippe]

Just drove passed 6 of the crossings displayed in this video :)

[@UmVtCg]

You should not watch ytube video's when driving. Watch out for the cyclists.

[@berrietrippe]

Rem ko I drove by on a bike, and I watched this video the same day at home. You should be able to derivate that :)

[@fryguy8473]

Berrie Trippe

[@gnarlykoala]

Niet zo trippe joh, hij was sarcastisch.

[@brickman409]

Wow! That's really cool! I wish I had that in my home town, I would ride my bike much more often!

[@TheSkskitey]

I am a cyclist from Australia , Dutch idea very safe for cycling and bikes seem to have priority over cars , not like that here , cars rule the road and we have to wear helmets . I see the Dutch do not wear helmets so is that as safe as it could be ?

[@MisterCOM]

Stephen Kite yeah cycling is realy safe in the netherlands most cycling lanes are seperate from the road and are properly cared for

[@bramvanduijn8086]

Well, I'm 35 and I haven't yet cracked my skull cycling, and I am pretty suicidal on my bike.

[@Saartje05]

Wearing helmets gives a false safety feeling. Also in The Netherlands we have seperate bicycle roads everywhere. I have family in Australia and my mothere went there several times. She always came back complaining they had to wear helmets while cycle so she simply stopped doing that there. Here in The Netherlands she never wore a helmet.

[@roy_hks]

1:35 in Groningen most intersections let the bike-lights turn green at the same time allowing cyclists to cross diagonally.

[@ElectricityTaster]

Groningen is like a kick to the groin to taxpayers who paid for shit bike infra.

[@rawkinbones13]

As someone who comes from an area who is considering putting in bike lanes. I'm confused about a few things the guy said in the video. First and probably most significant is he said that "cars operating at lower speeds is good for the environment because of reduced noise and less exhaust fumes" is wrong. When vehicles are stopped they get 0 (zero) mpg. They are burning fuel unnecessarily. Even when they operate at slower speeds cars get the worst fuel economy because the engine is trying to get a few thousand pounds of steel moving. Buses or 18 wheelers which weigh significantly more than cars or trucks create the most exhaust fumes at low speed or when the accelerate from a stop. This is also the period of time when they create the MOST noise. Higher speeds and fewer stops is the only thing that increases fuel economy which in turn is better for the environment and generally the road noise is less because the engine isn't laboring to get the vehicle moving. The fact that bikes are given precedent over vehicles kinda blows my mind a little. As a person who owns a vehicle and a bike I can tell you I paid LOADS of taxes upon buying my vehicle and a much smaller tax (sales tax) for my bike. I pay yearly taxes in the form of registration for my vehicle that I never pay for my bike and I buy fuel for my vehicle that has an integrated tax as well as a sales tax that my bike doesn't have to worry about. All of the taxes I brought up were put in place to build infrastructure like roads, bridges, overpasses, underpasses, stop lights and interstates. As well as maintain that infrastructure. Where does a city get money to build bike lanes and maintain them? I read a comment below saying that the city salts the bike lanes and could give them priority sometimes. Who pays for that? If the temperature is low enough for snow, would you rather be in a warm car or in 3 or 4 layers of clothes freezing on a bike? Where the odds of injuring yourself are far greater if you run into the smallest bit of ice in your path. In flight training I learned a very important rule that the smaller, more maneuverable aircraft always gave the right of way to the larger and less maneuverable aircraft. It makes perfect sense. Having a car stop for bike traffic seems to be the exact opposite of that rule. So a car that needs to make a left turn in an intersection has to stop watch for oncoming traffic of other cars when turning. Then stop again in a small designated area for bike traffic(which the Mercedes in the video was still partially in the road and could have easily been struck by oncoming traffic). Then he can proceed to his destination. That logic puts all the responsibility on the automobile driver. When a bike easily has a much larger field of vision, a much quicker ability to stop, and only looking for traffic coming in one direction where the car was looking for traffic in multiple directions (oncoming vehicles then crossing bikes). And it seems these rules are put in place so the bike rider simply doesn't have to stop as often? Is the argument for bikes having a continual flow of traffic opposed to cars purely because it would place some inconvenience on the bike rider? I fail to see the practicality or the economics behind any of this. I'm sure taxes are different in the Netherlands then they are in America

[@eleo_b]

+Justin Moore I think you misunderstood a couple things. Bikes don't have precedence over cars. The examples where the car is waiting for a bike is when the bike comes from the right. And the example on the roundabout is just like how a car on a roundabout has precedence over cars that are not on the roundabout yet. But yes, if a bike is on the outer ring of a roundabout, they have precedence over the car trying to go off the roundabout, just like you would when there are two cars next to each other. Another example is when there is a car and a bike next to each other, the car has to turn right, while the bike goes straight. In that case, the car has to wait for the bikes before making a right turn. This makes sense, since the stream of cars is usually a lot longer. The thing with a car stopping and starting again is hardly a problem, it's much more work to stop and start on your bike again. In your car, it's a matter of pushing the gas while sitting down. So, it would take much longer before the bikes are out of the way, then it would for a car. Plus, it would be very hard to ever get in between on a bike, since cars will keep coming and there would be no way to stop them. I don't really understand your issue with taxes. I pay a lot of taxes for things I don't use myself, like hospitals or schools, I don't see what that has anything to do with it. You're right, it does put some responsibility on the cars, but in the Netherlands, most drivers are cyclists too. It's not two different groups of people. So, it makes sense to all of us. It must be a cultural difference. It rains a lot here too, I even think poor cyclists in the rain should have priority over people in their warm cars! By the way, road taxes are paid by car owners here too. Strictly speaking, it's not road taxes, we call them vehicle taxes. As for the slow cars being more environmentally friendly; if you're in the right gear and you keep your Rpm around 2,000, it really does use less fuel. So it's less to with speed, but more about optimal use of the engine.

[@citizenwolf8720]

+Justin Moore **I fail to see the practicality or the economics behind any of this** Clearly the Dutch don't because they do it to great success. It's a pity that you grew up in a country where everything is car-orientated because it really has affected your world view. I don't say that as a put-down, I say it as an observation. I've lived in NL and I can tell you that their cities are so much more safe and livable than any car-orientated city. They're all healthier and happier. And as far as preferring to be in a car or on a bike on a cold or wet day, honestly, I would prefer to be on a bike. I'm outside, I'm not made of sugar, and I feel so much better when I commute to work by bike than car, no matter what the weather. I just wear appropriate clothes. It's a non-issue for me

[@rawkinbones13]

That's great. I'm glad you feel that way. Although a few of your points might not be a solid as you think. I've seen other articles and looked at their comment sections. First, the Dutch are starting to realize what I already said by eliminating the tax incentives and wanting to start adding bike registration so they'll have a way to tax bike owners for all the additional overhead that comes with bike specific lanes and crossings. Someone has to pay for it. The Dutch are starting to realize that, and people in NL are mad that they'll have to pay for it. Salt on bike lanes cost money. Where do you suggest that money come from? As far as safe, I can't tell you how many angry comments I read that stated how much Dutch citizens regretted investing money into their bike only to have it stolen. It such a common practice that when they reported it to the police they told them to just to steal another bike. That sounds like a place I want to live. I'm glad your happy riding your bike in the rain or snow. I like being comfortable and dry. Just because I had a few negative things to say about this video doesn't mean I don't own a bike. I like riding my bike when I can. It's also not my only outlet to nature, and being outside. I live next to the second largest delta in the US, there are plenty of opportunities to be out in nature a bike could never reach without someone with a machine cutting a trail for that bike. Where I'm from very few people live close to where they work. It's common place to have to drive 15-20 miles one way to get to work. How long would that take you on your bike? On a sunny day? Then think about how long that would take in the rain or worse the snow. As far as having a problem with my world view, that works both ways. Every problem is specific to that area. Just because something may have worked temporarily in NL doesn't mean it would work where I live. I believe that's short sighted on your part. Just as you said though. I'm honestly not saying any of this to put you or NL down. It's my observation.

[@citizenwolf8720]

+Justin Moore I commute 35km each day to work, sun, hail, rain, wind or snow. Who pays for the infrastructure for bikes? Taxes do, just the same as what pays for the infrastructure for vehicles. You seem concerned about keeping cycle lanes open when it snows, but surely you realise that carriage-ways for vehicles also have to be maintained during bad weather. It all comes from taxes, and it so happens that cycle ways are far less costly to maintain than carriage-ways for vehicles as there's just orders of magnitude more wear and tear by vehicles. Who pays for that? Taxes. Vehicle pollution kill tens of thousands of people each year in the UK (I use the UK as an example because I've seen the figures). What are the monetary costs (aside from the emotional and social costs) to society of that? Vehicle pollution will incapacitate multiples of that figure due to ill-health. Who pays for that cost to society? Bicycles are actually more efficient at moving people around cities than cars, pollution free, safer, and in a far less stressful manner than vehicles. All this has very real benefits to society. In addition people on bikes are far healthier than their car-bound counterparts that commute daily by car. This is also a saving to society. I'm really amazed that you focus on the cost of building and maintaining cycle lanes when you don't apply the same standard to vehicle carriage ways, even aside from the social, health and environmental benefits of not using cars. I didn't say that what works in the NL will work everywhere. Each situation is specific. I was answering to your post where you queried how the costs of the NL system stacked up.

[@04smallmj]

+Citizen Wolf The Department for Transport issued a report a while ago stating that for every £1 spent on cycling schemes, you effectively get £5 back - www.bikebiz.com/news/read/dft-discovers-cycling-s-benefit-to-cost-ratio-is-off-the-scale/017088 . The Dutch are pretty much getting money back for building better cycling infrastructure. Children also benefit greatly since cycling is their best personal mode of transport.

[@Robbedem]

Junctions are designed similar in Belgium, but the thing you mentioned about the lights timing at 1:50 and space for cars to wait for cyclists is something that is clearly missing...

[@noideawhattoput.3908]

One question How did I get here?

[@tamar597]

But somehow it's fun to watch hah

[@hendman4083]

By bike?

[@ForeverDirt3]

Awesome stuff, wish it was adopted worldwide...

[@ooglefluffg857]

Meanwhile, in North America, we put stop signs everywhere so traffic flow is ruined even if there's only one car.

[@efyization]

I live in Holland and I love here. Fantastic country!!!

[@mourlyvold7655]

I live in Noord Brabant. Not bad either, though it's not really a country... 😉

[@nabilblack]

Been living in amsterdam for 2 years now and im loving it. The tax are high but i am finding it more peaceful than Sydney! You gotta cope with the weather being cloudy and rainy most of its time but meh you will past that. I just couldnt stand sydney traffics. Also the nederlands is just great all around.

[@steinmov]

I have been there several times and riding a bike is so fun even for a employment commute.

[@baronjutter]

Thank you so much for this!!

[@SoopaFlyism]

The Netherlands, it's a magical place.

[@SW-uy1kr]

hmmmm.... i want to play cities skylines now

[@Shadowking-jtm]

Dutch edition incoming suddenly 😂

[@destructionnl8165]

3:18 funny to see that roundabout. It's in the Aa-landen, a neighborhood in the city of Zwolle, overijssel, netherlands. I cross that roundabout a couple of times every week.

[@Wayoutthere]

Are you watching Brits and Americans? No silly helmets needed. You'll be ok.

[@Jakromha]

That's Germany.

[@Mr.Riffian]

Wouter d.B. Wearing helmets while allowing everyone having a gun.

[@jasperweiss01]

@@Mr.Riffian Having a gun and wearing a helmet are so different from eachother.

[@sanssheriff3829]

Only after drivers don't regard cyclist as enemies, and there is respectful communication between the two on the road. Good road design is only as good as the people are willing to give eachother space.

[@mourlyvold7655]

@@sanssheriff3829 It's been pointed out time and time again: All (I dare say) drivers are cyclists first in the Netherlands, and most all still are. That's key.

[@jimmyinfrance]

As a driver, this is good to know. Vriendelijk bedankt!

[@ryanscott6578]

Scotland will start doing this in a few thousand years,, so there's hope for the future yet :D ʰᵉˡᵖ

[@GerardC75]

Writting from the Netherlands here, while I think that this system is great, you made a point that isn't true at all, making cars go slow and stop frequently doesn't reduce pollution and fumes, it's the opposite way, it is worse for the environment to make vehicles stop and start all the time but for the rest of the video it's a great job explaining it

[@TheDheeradj]

Wrm kijk ik dit lol

[@marvmerchants8225]

Ik scroll door de comments, vraag me ook af waarom

[@northafrican6777]

Het is leuk om buitenlanders zo amazed te zien hahahahha

[@RobinvT2000]

NorthAfrican Echt he ik heb nog nooit nagedacht over fietsverkeer in de VS, blijkbaar zijn daar amper fietspaden 😳

[@coenvdb6032]

@@northafrican6777 Check het kanaal: Not Just Bikes. Gaat over een canadees die ons land helemaal geweldig vind haha.

[@simonkraemer3725]

I'm sooo envy of your bike infrastructure...

[@1MTEK]

All that fancy cycling infrastructure does not solve the cultural problem. Where I live in the U.S., too many drivers behave selfishly and irresponsible toward one another -- never mind cyclists -- they're outright the enemy. In this video, you see cars yielding to cyclists upon exiting the traffic circle. That's nice. Here in the U.S., the cyclist would have to yield. Traffic circles are very foreign here. Now couple that with an ingrained right of way attitude and it's a recipe for disaster. Even if locals are accustomed to traffic circles, all it takes is one out of town driver to ruin your life.

[@thomasabcd2641]

@@HugoZeilt thats just bullshit. Im a Dutchie, and I love the traffic here. I drive through whole Europe for my work, and the Germans and Dutch surely are the best drivers. Smooth, relaxed driving with no road rage. Sure, there are always some rotten apples, but its just utter bullshit that we, at a seperate road drive ,ike maniacs

[@RideWithMe_eu]

I love your movies! Netherlands has awesome bicycle infrastructure.

[@diederikgeertzen9469]

I am 17 years, and i am Just learning driving in the netherlands... and IT is easy, but the bikes make it way harder. they do not follow the rules, they are Just evil

[@Dilligaf777]

Thats because here cyclists have priority on the road, because they are fragile road users.

[@mrfats0]

Just bump them and they will get out of the way.

[@UmVtCg]

Look at you, and how have you been going around those previous 17 years, walking? Je had natuurlijk zelf altijd licht op je fiets, en je reed altijd aan de goede kant van de weg. Huh huh, tuurlijk...

[@diederikgeertzen9469]

Rem ko nee, dat niet. Maar nu ik zelf rijd probeer ik zelf wat eerlijker te zijn omdat ik door heb wat voor hufter ik zelf ook was:)

[@StMargorach]

Gozer, je doet niet eerlijker alleen ontwijkender. Je noemt de fietsers nu slecht en wijst nog steeds naar anderen. Je zelf reflectie komt pas nadat Rem Ko het in je gezicht drukt.

[@dieztormenta]

Cycling in the Nederlands is like music partitures. Their own roads, own time away from autos. Is just a perfect way to go to work and school. Every season! It's beautiful even in winter parents cycling theyr kids to school. Women dressing hills to their office in winter dropping kids at school .no matter the wheather. Is Amazing! Ik houd van Holland.

[@hajjdawood]

Yes it is sad. They should lower taxes so the people can afford cars.

[@kenwynmorris4042]

Fascinating! So simple, yet so effective.

[@mourlyvold7655]

Funny you'd say that. It's so effective excactly because it's so simple. Intuitive, I'd say.

[@bearworldwide101]

Man the Dutch literally made expressway (motorway) versions of bike paths from the way they bypass roundabouts and other junctions.

[@arnomrnym6329]

Wish we had it in Berlin. Thanks. 👍🏾😎

[@wassimmahmoud7062]

The flat terrain and well-maintained paths make cycling in the Netherlands seem like a breeze! 🌞 What's your favorite cycling memory

[@Lukas-bg4yn]

It's nice to see this kind of design being used as new intersections in Germany as well. Now if only we could have them consistently, and wider cycle paths too..

[@thilogutermann2521]

Thats... just... genius!

[@turmat01]

I love that design! You need a lot of space though. If you've ever been to cities like New York, you know there isn't enough space to make that happen!

[@bramvanduijn8086]

We knocked down historic buildings to create many-lane car roads in the fifties and sixties, so once we stopped liking cars that much we had plenty of space.

[@hannahsmovies5612]

there's plenty of space if you have the motivation, esspecially in NY, the roads are a lot wider than here. you might think that narrowing them would create more traffic but safer cycling = less cars

[@Knobbler]

the regular 4 way "+" junction with protected cycle-lanes needs no extra space(assuming the incoming cycle lanes are already there).

[@cecilhenry9908]

Truly impressive design and planning. Let's get this done in North America!!

[@TomBartram-b1c]

The cleverest bit is the way they got rid of all the hills!

[@vincenzodigrande2070]

Yeah, but now try the wind in NL, it is at least just as horrendous at times, and unpredictable. Yet people cycle, even in rain, even in snow.

[@sergioFAsoto]

i love it.. in Sydney i ride with the cars and sometimes people in cars are just not using their mirrors to check for things around them.

[@pimdeboerr]

I live in Houten where that big roundabout is

[@chemicaldemoneye]

1:40 this is not always the case. here in Enschede there i live, some of the lights for straight and turning left are going at the same time. and for people that dont know this those triangle are called shark teeth. they will almost ALWAYS be pointed to cars and shows that a bicyclist has priority to go first. the only reason when its aimed at a cyclist is when you are on a road where you have a street that got the priority.

[@Shadowking-jtm]

Haha Eschedeeeeee

[@ZomB1986]

That's something I didn't know about The Netherlands... or rather, lack thereof in the rest of the world. We're blissfully oblivious :P

[@SandinoPatricio]

It´s awesome to know how the world is progressing!

[@thechosenone1923]

Sandino Az. Yes I know right. I live in the Netherlands and I thought this was common in other countries too, but it isn't hahahahaha.

[@hajjdawood]

The USA is far ahead of the Netherlands by making it affordable to have cars. They are far more comfortable, can seat 5-8 people, you don't get sweaty and wet. Maybe one day they can afford cars.

[@frankhooper7871]

"Speeds at turbo roundabouts are usually so high that there is no alternative than to have cyclists bypass them in an underpass" - and in the UK, of course, cyclists are expected to share the roundabout with motor vehicles, regardless of speed or safety.

[@daphnegeessink35]

Do people in other countries also use hand signals? When you want to turn left or right you stick that hand out.

[@dylanschell7643]

It seems about right. Good job!

[@laurasanchez7105]

I lived in the Netherlands my whole life and I basically do everything on a bicycle but I never even really paid attention to this haha. Never noticed it really.

[@killuminatii1]

Where do you live now?

[@anthea7683]

I love that I saw my own city too and not only Amsterdam

[@KM____________]

Once upon a time the roads were for people and the occasional carriage. It's nice to see that at least in some places cars aren't granted the entire road

[@CRTukkerr]

Nice to see a different part of the netherlands in this video instead of the obvious and default places like Amsterdam, Rotterdam etc. 4:51 Enschede Google coord: 52.217750, 6.836054