My ride from Utrecht to Houten

[@RichardRenes]

What is rarely mentioned is that in the Netherlands, even in the most remote and rural areas, electricity and telephone/ internet lines are underground. Compare that to say, Belgium or Germany... you will know when you crossed the border as that is when you start to see above ground telephone infrastructure.

[@ActiveTowns]

Oh wow! Thanks so much for pointing this out. No wonder I feel so comfortable there. I despise the constant overhead lines of North American cities and rural areas. I really appreciate your comment here, and I hope you are enjoying the Channel. Cheers! John

[@aorta538]

There's about 100 meters of sand above hard rock in the Netherlands...

[@letheas6175]

This, this and the freedom not to have to drive a car is what makes me appreciate the Netherlands even more.

[@riku8342]

Except for the village of Castelre, right near the Belgian border. Until 2018 electricity was supplied by a Belgian company. I believe the above ground electricity lines are still there.

[@ActiveTowns]

@@riku8342 Fascinating. Thanks, Rik. I hope you are enjoying the videos here on the Channel. Cheers! John

[@maxnewts]

I must say just from an aesthetic perspective, the rural parts of The Netherlands is extremely beautiful in my opinion! I absolutely love the historic houses and farmland!

[@ActiveTowns]

I totally agree! 😀

[@climbersisyphus]

i completely disagree. it's extremely boring and uninteresting. Everywhere you go in between cities is farmland. There's little "nature".

[@maxnewts]

@@climbersisyphus there’s a reason why personal opinions are personal, and therefore subjective.

[@infj4w511]

Rural kids definitely be cycling more than 5 km to school everyday. However, as the commute becomes longer, up to 10 km, more children choose the e-bike or bus instead as well. And children in rural areas or farm children also tend to get driving licences relatively early, especially if they grow driving the tractor.

[@ActiveTowns]

Yeah, that makes sense. In my interview with Angela van der Kloof, she mentioned 10+ kms to middle school, but I wonder if those distances are as common today. kzbin.info/www/bejne/g4u0nIuieJqgrrc Thanks so much for watching. Much appreciated. Cheers! John

[@infj4w511]

Yes, that's a very accurate view on it. Back in the day, it was also more common for people to bike specifically to, fe, a protestant Christian school (or sometimes even more specific than that), and I don't think that's very common anymore. However, there haven't been built any extra schools within rural areas, and a lot have been combined, so a 10km still isn't that uncommon. However, the introduction of the ebike obviously still makes a big difference for the present generation compared to previous ones. @@ActiveTowns

[@ActiveTowns]

@@infj4w511 Cool! Thanks again.

[@410_jav]

I thought it said Utrecht to Houston so I was really interested

[@ActiveTowns]

Heck yeah! That would be an epic trip. But technically, I'm based in Austin, so there is that. Hehe 🤣 Thanks for watching. I hope you are enjoying the Channel. Cheers! John

[@Snowshowslow]

That would be an epic waterfiets (pedalo?) ride 😆

[@lkruijsw]

I recommend everyone to take a look on an online map of Houten. As you will see, there is a road around, but no car-connections in the center. While there are pedestrian and cycle paths. So, this forces people to walk or cycle to the shops and restaurants in the center. From the top it looks like the cul-de-sacs of North America on first glance. But those cul-de-sacs don't have pedestrian and cycle paths connecting them and don't point inward to the center. Also all crossings with the road around are with tunnels for the cyclists. Within, the crossings are same level, because cars are supposed to drive not faster than 30 km/h (and probably cyclists have priority). Note further, there are only a few traffic lights.

[@ActiveTowns]

Yes! Exactly. Come to think of it. I probably should have cut away to highlight this more precisely. Maybe I'll do a shorter version and add these types of additional details. Thanks again for tuning in. Cheers! John

[@lkruijsw]

@@ActiveTowns Yes, I think there is still a video missing that points to differences. Jason doesn't have such video either. The modern Dutch neighborhoods have these designs, but that is not always that visible from the map. For Houten it is (but there are others). Even if you have a car, it is not at all bad in Houten. Further to add, is that closer to the center, the housing becomes denser. This means that people that life there are close to the public transit and close to shop and can therefore live without car. While in North America you have these lonely shops in a sea of parking spaces. If you want I can email you the list of differences.

[@ActiveTowns]

@@lkruijsw Yes. Good points. You definitely see that transition in my video of it getting denser as you get closer to the core and then gradually reseeding back out once I pass through and start heading out to the edge once again. Next time I need to just stay put for a while, explore, and appreciate the place.🤣Funny, in 2018, it was a "quick" visit as well, although we did get to meet with city officials in council chambers, which was cool. Sure thing. Feel free to email it to [e-mail]

[@snabbisnabb595]

Rather than cul-de-sac, I think we much more often refer to it as pizza slices. You can get anywhere within your pizza-slice with the car - and you can travel between pizza-slices from the outer ring road. For me that is the difference between this type of design and your typical swirly cul-de-sac setup. Obviously the center of the pizza would in this case also be the village center. Btw it is really not true that the center is car free. It is just that it is hidden in a parking garage. And if you look at the setup of Houten Castellum, then you can even use the parking garage as a connector between several of the pizza slices.

[@Quendiful]

Thank you John, for a ride down memory lane. I cycled from Utrecht to Houten in Oct of 2018; and filmed several of the routes you were on in this video at 13:00 and 18:00 and 22:00 and 32:00 and 34:00. I have photos of the same Dutch cows that you passed - LOL! You know that in Houten if you ride past the front sides of the homes you will see tons of cars, but there's even more greenery, and kids safely playing outside unsupervised and cycling everywhere (to school, soccer practice, the supermarket, etc). My mother said that her idea of the American Dream is her memories of growing up in small town America, roaming, adventuring, and exploring the town unsupervised. How is it possible that the Dutch have higher density suburbs combined with more shared green space (accessible near every home, not a half-mile away, and not fenced off or limited access) than in similarly sized American towns?

[@ActiveTowns]

Cool! Yeah, visiting Houten reminded me that suburban, residential development doesn't have to suck, and in fact, it can be quite delightful. What is super forward-thinking is how intentional they were about providing car access directly to most residences but preserving direct access to everything else by modes other than the car. ICYMI Oulu, Finland, is another fascinating suburban context I profiled with Pekka Tahkola: kzbin.info/www/bejne/e4HQe6atg7eVbdU Thanks so much for watching and for contributing to the conversation. I really appreciate it, and I hope you are enjoying the Channel. Cheers! John

[@laurensjansen4254]

Hi, another dutchie trapped looking at their own country through different eyes. One of the features of our landscape is the rail network and because crossings between rail and car used roads are kept to a minimum they provide an excellent point for a little extra bridge for dedicated cyclepaths to cross main roads. 14:50 is an excellent example. those points shape the cycling network quite a bit, but you will find this used in towns and city's too. Another fun little thing is the black wires across the path at 31:06 is how we measure traffic volume. data is collected between several points to map out how people flow through certain areas. this means the planners can look at solid data to base ideas of for future improvements.

[@ActiveTowns]

Yes! Great points. Many North American cities are starting to employ these strategies now as well. Thanks so much for getting trapped in the Active Towns Channel Dutch cycle network vortex. hehe 🤣 In all seriousness, I do appreciate you tuning in and hope you find some other videos of interest here. Cheers! John

[@iedzjee]

Hi Joh, great video again. In videos on (bike) infrastructure in the NL there is always a focus on the urban environment and it is very good you go out in the countryside, because there is more than that. I live in the southwest of the Netherlands and also here the infrastructure is comparable, though more outstretched. Kids here ride much greater distances to school everyday, for instance from Westkapelle to Middelburg (18 km). On the way kids from other villageswait for them and join the flock growing larger and larger. At rushhour flocks of a hundred or more children and students of all ages flow in the city from all directions. That is also worth a video, although with the introduction of the ebike the flocks get thinned out, I have the feeling and kids tend to ride in smaller groups.

[@ActiveTowns]

Yes! I love this. I've had the opportunity to see and get dropped by these flocks of students a few times. hehe 🤣 Thanks so much for tuning in again. Cheers! John

[@RealConstructor]

At 31:20 you got over the train crossing a bit too early. There is a sign (in Dutch) that says: wait until the red lights are off, it is possible that another train is coming (you wouldn’t have noticed because the barriers were still moving and the bells were still ringing). The red lights are the last sign, so if they’re off, it’s good to go.

[@i.k.8868]

Especially this (27:10) intersection is quite dangerous, as it is one of the more busy tracks in the Netherlands. The crossing was in the news last year, as the railway authority shared a video from a surveillance camera showing multiple near collisions because people crossed before the red light turned off. It is very normal for a second train to come from the other direction.

[@ActiveTowns]

Thanks for the info! 😀

[@hendman4083]

I never understood that design. Why not leave the barriers down while the red lights are on?

[@wimahlers]

@@hendman4083 Because there is a proximity switch on the railroad activating the barriers to shut and open. A train coming from the other direction might just be a few seconds before this switch when the passing train has already given the clear signal indicating it has already passed. However, there is a safety distance. Even then you should have enough time to clear the tracks. But people have a tendency to assume only one train is passing. And that is when accidents happen. And that is why you should always wait until the lights are out. See, among others: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nGm3onxoltF_mck or just plainly stupid (the young ones are indestructible ... or so they think): kzbin.info/www/bejne/qILbephtpaupnc0

[@RealConstructor]

@@hendman4083 I think it’s because the crossing needs to be evacuated before the barriers go down, so the pressure switch in the tracks for the lights are further away from the crossing than the pressure switch of the barriers. Or there is one pressure switch and an automatic time lapse for the barriers. Otherwise people will get a scare if the barriers come down at the same time the lights and bells start. And it is the other way around when the train has crossed. There are also crossings without barriers but still with red lights, so the barriers are an extra tool for safety. But I’m only guessing here.

[@twowheelsgoodbrum1077]

Thank you. The virtual ride in Nederland really cheered me up. Tot ziens.

[@ActiveTowns]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@defilmendefietser]

Hi John, I really enjoyed watching your ride from Utrecht to Houten (and back)! Good to see that you truly made the most of the day, after our bike ride together in the morning and your appointment with Chris at the Dutch Cycling Embassy! If I'm not cycling but running the route you took is one of my longer training rounds in the area. Especially the first part is good for cycling and running; the part between Houten and the restaurant you mention (called 'Vroeg') on your way back to Utrecht can be comfortable as well, but that totally depends on the number of cars and to what extent motorists take slower traffic into account. Greetings from Utrecht! Geert

[@ActiveTowns]

Thanks so much, Geert! I could see running along that route for sure. Yeah, and I was lucky the rain backed off as well. My only regret is that I didn't circle back into the heart of Houten to linger a while, I just rolled through and kept going. Hehe 🤣 Cheers! John

[@james-p]

Sheep, chickens... excellent cattle views... heavenly!

[@ActiveTowns]

Yeah. Reminds me of the area I grew up in outside of Lincoln, CA, although I only wish we had comfortable riding conditions like this. Thanks for watching. I hope you are enjoying the Channel. Cheers! John

[@patypami16]

I don't know how much time I've spent with my son watching trains go by on that bench on the right at 5:23 😅

[@ActiveTowns]

Oh, cool! How fun. Thanks for watching. Cheers! John

[@FHRider-o1m]

This is my cheer up, after visiting Utrect and NL last year I miss the great infrastructure here in the U.K.

[@ActiveTowns]

Yay! This makes me so happy, and I hope you find some more joy here on the Channel. Cheers! John

[@tubingapples]

This route covered 99% of my commute from Houten to the central business district in Utrecht! I hope you enjoyed it and let me know if you have any questions about using this route frequently and all seasons. I liked seeing this through the eyes of a visitor and feel privileged to call this ‘mine’

[@ActiveTowns]

Yay! That's so cool. Thanks so much for watching and for your generous offer. ICYMI A Houten resident reached out to me, and so I interviewed her on the Podcast; you might enjoy it: kzbin.info/www/bejne/i6PIlp6maq2ji6s Cheers! John

[@tubingapples]

Yes, I loved that podcast. I might run into Kylie, as I walk the dog in the green area viewed from the bridge that you showed.

[@tubingapples]

O and to give an example from a completely different part of the world. I commuted by bike to university in Japan, where I cycled 5km over separated bicycle lanes, small residential streets and a car-free neighborhood ( a new town development) and campus. Bicycle lanes and car free neighborhoods are kind of an exception there, but in general Japan has a road infrastructure that causes more interaction between people just like Kylie explained happening in Houten.

[@ActiveTowns]

@@tubingapples Yeah, it's been years since I visited Japan... I was in the Hiroshima area... I marvelled at the mixing of people riding bikes for transportation with masses of people walking on massive sidewalks and the thousands of bikes parked at each transit train stop. I also spent time riding on the rural roads in the countryside and through the mountainous regions. All quite fascinating. I need to get back. Thanks for prompting that memory. 😀

[@ActiveTowns]

@@tubingapples Yay! That would be cool. 😎

[@andydinwoodie1497]

I loved the Dutch cycling infrastructure when I lived there

[@ActiveTowns]

Yes! It is a pleasure to ride in such a relaxed setting. What part of the NL were you in?

[@andydinwoodie1497]

@@ActiveTowns I was in Breda

[@ActiveTowns]

@@andydinwoodie1497 Ah, cool! I haven't explored Breda yet, but the city came up in an episode I recorded earlier this week. Thanks so much watching the video. I hope you are enjoying the Channel. Cheers! John

[@dimrrider9133]

@@andydinwoodie1497 Thats my city to with the beautifal OLV church ❤

[@benobaars]

All Ages And Abilities.💪✅️

[@ActiveTowns]

Yes indeed! 😀

[@hendrikrozijnenblad8666]

9:02 The only TLC that underpass needs is it's wild chickens back. I miss them, sitting in the trees and giving us passing humans avian stinkeye.

[@ActiveTowns]

Oh man, I would have loved to have seen the wild chickens. My two pampered hens in my backyard would have been excited to hear about them. Hehe 😆 Thanks so much for watching. I hope you are enjoying the Channel. Cheers! John

[@hendrikrozijnenblad8666]

@@ActiveTowns I wish i had a camera at the time. I would have been able to send you pictures of them. But this was in the early 2000's, when we had more wild chickens than camera-phones. There was that single group by the underpass, who were a funny and peaceful bunch. The other groups i know of roamed a city park near where i lived at the time. They were not as funny or in any way peacful. Other birds, pets, children, even adults learned to stay clear of them. That's probably not a good story for the hens, though. Anyway, thank you for the great videos, the nostalgia, and being a bird-dad. Cheers! Hendrik

[@Dive1962]

I lived in Utrecht and Houten for a total of 20+ years going by bike between the two. That approach to Houten from the underpass onwards was only adapted about 10 years ago. Before that it was a so called 'sluiproute' or sneak-path between Houten and Utrecht where motorists avoided the rush-hour traffic on the main routes. My son grew up in Houten, learning from a very early age to be independent. We lived in the oldest part of Houten in a house dating back to 1912.

[@ActiveTowns]

Yay! That's wonderful. Thanks so much for watching. I'm so delighted that you found the video. I hope you enjoy the Channel. Cheers! John

[@j.vanderson6239]

What a huge difference from US suburbs !!

[@ActiveTowns]

Yes! But also, entirely doable in North America. Hopefully, the Houtens of the world will inspire more to be built. Thanks for watching. I hope you are enjoying the Channel. Cheers! John

[@Keikdv]

Route from 25:00 on is OUT of Houten back to Utrecht. It goes through Vechten (just a couple of houses across the railwayline at 27:11) and back to Utrecht. Would never ride this route. Narrow, red stripes left and right for bikes but mean nothing. Cars can drive on them and will. Speed for cars is max 60 on paper but expect 80 or more in real live. From 27:33 you ride a parallel route to the main road on the right. Farmer tractors are not allowed on that road and they drive on the 30 km route, looking like a bike road but it is not! See the car at 28:49 and 29:24 and more on the left! A real bike route after 30:54 again. 31:08 is a protected streetcar-crossing but they do run at speed here. Would not have used the street from 32:24. Narrow with cars and parking on both sides. There is a little detour but much safer. Bike on 33:14 turns right on a former railway track, now a bike route. Would love to show you that! ((I am living in Utrecht since 1975 and uses the routes shown here often))

[@ActiveTowns]

Yeah, this route was definitely an experience. Hehe 🤣 I didn't mind though, since I was just exploring.

[@vijaykaturde3685]

Thank 🙏 bro big writ beautiful😅

[@ActiveTowns]

😎

[@ActiveTowns]

😎

[@keessturm2804]

Funny, I'm cycling every day to and from work, do not even own a car, and still find it relaxing to watch you doing the same.

[@ActiveTowns]

Cool! So glad you enjoy it. Thanks so much for tuning in. Cheers! John

[@dykam]

At 6:40 you mention the bus station, you might've missed you also passed a train station there. The access is at the cycling underpass you crossed over.

[@ActiveTowns]

Oh wow! Cool. Yeah, I missed that. Thanks. Cheers! John

[@Snowshowslow]

You actually come across another train station as well, Utrecht Vaartsche Rijn, at 34:43 (and on the journey there as well, but then you're on the other side of the road). It's Utrecht's newest train station and at 1,5 km from the main one I wasn't sure it was going to be very useful, but it does seem to do some work in spreading passengers looking to get into the city center from the East or Southeast (e.g. Houten).

[@dykam]

@@Snowshowslow There's usually a ton of bikes parked, I think it's being used alright.

[@Snowshowslow]

@@dykam That's good :)

[@ActiveTowns]

@@Snowshowslow Thanks for this! Good to know. Cheers! John

[@antoinewesthoff4417]

Going to do laundry as well: combining the pleasant and the necessary things! 😉

[@ActiveTowns]

Great idea!!

[@colleenharrison2942]

Another great video! Colorful time of year to be there. You were very lucky with the weather.

[@ActiveTowns]

Thanks! Yes, it was. Cheers! John

[@renskersbergen7560]

The yourney in the first half of the video was my commute for four years. I never appreciated how special that route is

[@ActiveTowns]

Ah, very cool! Thanks so much for watching. I hope you're enjoying the Channel. Cheers! John

[@eelco_de_haan]

lmao, did the same ride when i worked, among other loccations, at estate wttewaal 27 years ago! 2 times a week from lunetten to houten and back....still looks the same as back then. just bit more use of the pink asphalt instead of the standard color. but largely same route. also at 35:58 you rode almost next to my old apartment on balijelaan, funny to see.

[@ActiveTowns]

Oh wow! That's cool. I hope you enjoyed the trip down memory lane and I hope you're enjoying the Channel. Cheers! John

[@necrionos]

@ around 8:00 that entire street is what i always say, there is no need for total separation of pedestrians, bikes and cars. common ground should be available for everyone and all that is required is to slow down the max speed and make it necessary to take care of weaker participants

[@ActiveTowns]

Yes. Excellent point. And the key is a design that reinforces the desired slow motor vehicle speeds. Thank you so much for watching and for contributing to the conversation. I hope you are enjoying the Channel. Cheers! John

[@eduardveres3501]

Thanks. Enjoyed it.

[@ActiveTowns]

Yay! Glad you enjoyed it, and I hope you are able to find some other fun stuff here on the Channel. Cheers! John

[@hayhook132]

The Dutch are wise people.

[@ActiveTowns]

They are indeed! I'll be back in Houten later this summer. If you enjoyed this video, you might find my conversation with this Houten resident interesting: kzbin.info/www/bejne/i6PIlp6maq2ji6s Thanks so much for watching and commenting. I really appreciate it. Cheers! John

[@rchristiaan3682]

You will see the changes more clearly in utrecht now that the highway is gone in the city center. It's all finished now.​@@ActiveTowns

[@ActiveTowns]

@@rchristiaan3682 Yeah, looking forward to it. I'll be staying a block or two away from where it once was. Thanks so much for tuning in and for commenting. Cheers! John

[@petersteinmeijer519]

That's why we closed a huge very profitable gas field. It's the Dutch version of Brexit. Very 'wise' !

[@twowheelsgoodbrum1077]

Looking forward to this one.

[@ActiveTowns]

Thanks for tuning in!

[@AmazingOracleThird72]

I live in Utrecht-Noord (Utrecht North) and nice to see you were doing a trip to the city of Houten (approx 8,6 km / 5.4 miles) and taking the scenic route through the urban area's. When I was living in the Leidscherijn urban area, I took the very quiet route which goes parallel with the canal and is also a nice route but slightly longer route than you were driving. This outer route takes you closer to the highway area/outer skirts area from Utrecht /Houten and specially closer to the special thing there: a piece of art, interwoven into the roundabout and lane, which is supposed to be a landing strip for UFO's but you cannot really see it from ground level :D Also very nice to hear that we (Dutch) take the bicycle roads for normal /granted as most countries do not have this wonderfull infrastructure. Thanks for the vid and enjoy!

[@ActiveTowns]

Yay! My only regret is that I didn't spend more time in the heart of Houten. In retrospect, it would have been nice to linger a bit. Thanks so much for watching, Sanny. I hope you are enjoying the Active Towns Channel. Cheers! John

[@pbilk]

Loved the rural routes I used. I biked from Woerden, Utrecht province to a small village in 10 minutes. Then we biked from Woerden to Utrecht city.

[@ActiveTowns]

Cool! 😀

[@Keikdv]

Some notes from an Utrechter: strange route out of Bleekstraat at 03:35: cross straight and turn left skips 2 turns. From 05:04 cars are allowed! from 05:16 a car-free route (not showing the cross-over on a blind spot!!!!) from 05:57 cars allowed (stupid route. Continue straight and get a car-free route in about 100 meters and skipping the bridge at 06:33 and joining the shown route at 06:52 coming from the right and no need to cross the cars) From 06:52 to Houten it is car-shared, NOT car-free as can be seen! Don't be fooled by the red pavement at the beginning. The cars do drive at speed around the corner at 09:00 Note the bike sign at 10:21 but cars are still allowed!! Only those who live there but no one stops if the are not (experience!!) (it could have been me at 10:54 doing train--spotting but it isn't me). Text at 11:03 is a bit foolish. The route is taken by any age, mostly going to/from University. It can be very busy at saturday/sundays too with 'recreation-traffic'. From 11:13 cars are again allowed (big tractors too!) From 13:57 (see the signs in the middle of the route) > car-free. Watch out at 15:04! You have priority but do you get it?? Color of street changed at 19:43 >> cars do drive here! But from 20:00 no change but it is a bike-route so no cars (He did a strange route here, could have used a full bike-route) See the speed of the minivan at 25:11 !!

[@ActiveTowns]

Cool! Thanks for watching and for the detailed notes. Cheers! John

[@JulesStoop]

27:01 There’s a big old 19th. century fortress including a great museum just a few hundred meters to the left from this spot.

[@ActiveTowns]

Cool! Thanks so much for watching and for pointing this out. Cheers! John

[@JulesStoop]

@@ActiveTowns I hope you get a chance to visit it. I came across it by mere coincidence as well about half a year ago and was quite impressed by the structure and pleasantly surprised by the museum.

[@kino_cinante]

So interesting their rural roads are like 1.8 American lanes that double as bike paths.

[@ActiveTowns]

Yeah, the Edge Lane Road design - in a variety of widths, as this video illustrates - is quite interesting. Just in case you haven't seen my episode on the subject, here's that link: kzbin.info/www/bejne/apjdeX9vgN95hrM Thanks so much for watching. I hope you are enjoying the Channel. Cheers! John

[@_JoyceArt]

That road was most likely paved for a very long time already, with asphalt. It probably had a limit of 80k on some stretches for a long time, but many road have been reassigned to fietsstraat. There are similar roads around my village that underwent similar transformations.

[@ActiveTowns]

Fascinating. Thanks so much for watching and for these helpful additions to the conversation. I really appreciate it, and I hope you are enjoying the Channel. Cheers! John

[@koengerts]

Groetjes uit Houten.

[@ActiveTowns]

Greetings from Austin! Thanks so much for watching. 😀

[@mavadelo]

You shortly lost our way at 3:40? because you approach to cross ad next shot you crossed the oher way (left instead of straight :P) I waswonderingwhich of the aproximatly 5 differentrooutes from there to Houten you were gonna take but I guess it looks lke the standard GM "Bicycle highway" route. This route is a main feeder route for the university district (hence the many students). Map apps often give you alternative routes. These are often a bit longer but tend to be more scenic as well. 6:00 This is the neighborhood "Lunetten". It was the fourth major expansion of the city. (After Hoograven, Overvecht and Kanaleneiland, the last being my stomping grounds) First residents entered their homes in 1977 7:40 Cars are considered "guest" on these kind of roads. It probably was mentioned somewhere on your route but it is common knowledge in the Netherlands that red pavement is used for two reasons. Bikes and public transport. No worries, the two uses are clearly seperated.No chanceto enter a buslane"by accident" 11:00 I guess this was somewhere between 3 and 5 am?. As, depending on the school they go to, those would be times to return home. And what do you mean "old town Utrecht" , we are merely 900 years old, teens on a European scale (well,....actually... first settlers probably arrived about 2400 years ago where now Utrecht is situated) 13:50 I am not entirely sure but I feel you missed an opportunity here. If I am not mistaken, you were close to Fort (Castellum) Fectio, (straight ahead instead of left towards the railroad) an archeological dig site of a roman fort. It dates back to 27 B.C when Emperor August was in power. They created outlines of the entire camp with all kinds of information. It is a 15 minute visit and completely free. There are also a few watchtowers recreated in the surrounding area. This shot tells me this video was shot somewhere between Dec14th 2022 and Jan 8th 2023.... (give or take afewdays).Why? simple answer.... there is an Oliebollen merchant. Given nobody is buying I suspect first week this year. :P Where Utrecht is traceable to about 27BC, Houten (or at least a community where houten is) can be traced back to the bronze age via archeological evidence. Some finds date backto 2200BC Houten itself was created in 1811 when the Netherlands didn't exist but was a French province. 22:35 That smell is probably what we call Gier, Gier is our name for liquid manure (it is also our name for the vulture btw) During the season, some of these farmers will have a littlestand at the road with fresh fruit and/or produce. You take and pay, often without even talking to anyone. The province still has many small family farms, cattle and fowl are fairly big. Most crops I see is cattle corn. However the province of Utrecht and the neighboring part of North Holland called "het Gooi" also house several international renowned grass farmers (think top grade soccer and tennis fields( and in the woods there seems to be a surprisingly large number of christmas tree farmers. I like the name "edge line road", we simply call it a b-road or landweg (country road) 28:45 the surface is called ZOAB or Zeer Open Asfalt Beton(very open asphalt concrete. The type used for the red bikeroads is smoother than that used for normal roads. In both cases the concrete is created with easy draining, expansion/contraction, low noise production, and comfortable use in mind 35:36 If you would have gone straight ahead here you would have passed a bridge about 100 meters away, continuing about 500 more would have brought you toa bridge over the Amsterdam Rijnkanaal. Next to that bridge are a few "high rises" or Flats as confusingly call them. In one of those flats I amcurrently typing a comment on a video that I enjoyed very much. "fun" facts about the Rabobank building. One or two days before it would be opened, a fire broke out on the top floors delaying the opening for several weeks. Some Utrechters call the building "de dubbellollie" (double lollipop) as it has a similar shape to a popular twin stick waterice lolliepop Sorry for the long comment, I can't help myself. If people show interest in my city and province I start spilling.... lol

[@ActiveTowns]

Love it! Thanks so much for watching and for all the fabulous information. I hope you are enjoying the Channel. Cheers! John

[@vanderquast]

Didn’t see you much driving through the historic city center of Utrecht in your two video’s about this Dutch town 🧐would have been interesting to show how pedestrians and cyclist can share space 😊greetings from The Netherlands 🌷

[@ActiveTowns]

Yes! Good point. I do return to Utrecht at a later date... I think I have some nice videos from that day of precisely that dynamic. To be continued... 😀

[@i.k.8868]

Houten is not 'car fee'. In fact it has a much higher car ownership than Utrecht. Most homes in Houten have a driveway, many even have two parking spots. Houten is quite a conservative, christian and car-loving town. But it was designed with cycling in mind.

[@ActiveTowns]

Absolutely correct... the city center is car-free, and the entire community would be considered "car-lite", but yes, to your point, many of the residences, "all" of the single-family houses, have a place to park their car and access the space, as I mention in the video from the ring road, and access streets. It's been since 2018 when I met with city officials, so some of the statistics are a little fuzzy in my brain. Thanks so much for watching. I hope you are enjoying the Channel. Cheers! John

[@piquertube]

33.15, you just passed a very interesting bikepath, which was an old railroad.

[@ActiveTowns]

Oh wow! Cool. I did miss that. Thanks so much for the heads up and for watching. I hope you are enjoying the Channel. Cheers! John

[@dykam]

I think most people pronounce ICE as an initialism. Though it's quite fun to just pronounce it like ice.

[@ActiveTowns]

Yeah, I was wondering about that.🤣

[@hansolo2121]

@@ActiveTowns The letters ICE stand for InterCity Express. It is pronounced as I.C.E. It is a German high speed train that connects all major cities in Germany. The ICE International that you saw also connects with some cities in Switserland and The Netherlands (Amsterdam, Utrecht and Arnhem).

[@ActiveTowns]

@@hansolo2121 NIce! Thanks 🙏😀

[@sonny_z900]

I rode there last friday (feb 3) it was a bit cold.

[@ActiveTowns]

Cool! Yeah, not surprised. Hehe 😀Thanks so much for watching. Cheers! John

[@mikeowen3478]

John. This series from your latest Netherlands trip are an absolute joy. A real joy. I'm slowly making my way through them. Spreading them out and really going in depth to the places you're showing us by delving into Google Maps and Wikipedia. A real treat/antidote for dreary January evenings in the UK. I've been in design all my adult life (graphics) and seeing such beautifully designed and maintained living-working-playing environments is very exciting. The Netherlands has to be the single most well designed country on the planet (Switzerland and Scandinavia are perfect too but mainly designed by God, so they don't count). My question to you... how do we get our politicians/planners/designers to strive for this level of quality? Growth and development in the UK seems to value money way above quality. How can we turn that around. Which dutchie has the answer? Is this success Political, Architectural, Horticultural? Why does it all just come together here in NL?

[@mikeowen3478]

Think I've just answered my own question... when you design for cars you get ugly - when you design for people you get beauty! If only our politicians and entrepreneurs would put people first and not their cars.

[@ActiveTowns]

Thanks, Mike! What really made a difference for us here in Austin a decade or so ago was getting some of our city leaders and later key transportation staff on several different study tour trips to The Netherlands. I documented the most recent trip on 2019 in this video kzbin.info/www/bejne/qXXFgqate7yGhrc, and I talk about and profile the story of the amazing transformation that's underway in the Austin playlist: bit.ly/AustinDutchBikePlaylist The other thing that is key is that we were able to get the community on board with the vision, and thus, they have, on three different occasions, voted for significant funding bonds to specifically pay for the build-out of the infrastructure. It took the Dutch fifty-plus years to get to this point, and we are a solid 15 years into our journey.

[@ActiveTowns]

Yes. That's true enough. A key to getting the politician there mentally is for them to see that this is what their constituents truly want and demand.

[@mikeowen3478]

@@ActiveTowns Cheers John. Yes I'll add that one to my long Active Towns You Tube queue. Thanks again for this excellent content. You are definitely producing distinctive and wide-ranging work, it must be very all consuming for you, but well worth it from the perspective of the viewer.

[@ActiveTowns]

@@mikeowen3478 Yes, it is quite all-consuming, but it is my full-time career in addition to being my passion. I like to say I have the best job in the world, and I get to make a difference in the lives of many around the globe. That said, it is so fulfilling to hear from y'all out there. 😀🙏

[@rinskegemen3678]

I love your videos, but for the music. The sounds of your voice, the paths and surroundings are excellent ‘entertainment' all by themselves.

[@ActiveTowns]

Yeah, music is a tricky thing. Some people really love it, while others, well, not so much. I think I might start producing matching music-less versions of the ride-along videos. Thank you so much for watching! I really appreciate it. Cheers! John

[@markcramer14]

Would like to pass an ordinance forcing the Los Angeles City Council to see this video.

[@ActiveTowns]

Maybe we should just invite them to do so... LOL 🤣

[@chow-chihuang4903]

Even the stretches alongside heavier car traffic are so much quieter than suburban roads in the US. Imagine how much noisier those neighborhoods would have been if the cyclists were driving cars instead.

[@ActiveTowns]

Yes. Very good point. Thanks for watching. I hope you are enjoying the Channel. Cheers! John

[@mediumrick7667]

What method do you use to navigate through these towns? Once out in the country I would assume navigation is a bit more straight forward with nodes/EF routes/etc. My wife and I are planning a month bike tour of NL in 2023. We have paper maps, Ride With GPS, Google, but navigating in the cities seem like it could be the most challenging.

[@ActiveTowns]

Typically I use have used Google Maps, which is less than perfect but has typically provided enough information to get me to my destination.

[@lkruijsw]

There is also a good planner from the cyclists association. Search for 'routeplanner fietsersbond'.

[@i.k.8868]

Google Maps is not the best option for cycling in the Netherlands (or anywhere, really). Google is car-oriented. It has many mistakes and is not updated frequently. OsmAnd is based on Open Street Map data, and is much more accurate and up to date. To plan trips ahead the Komoot app is best, it also uses OSM data. The fietsrouteplanner by the fietsersbond is decent, as it uses the land register, but it is not as complete as OsmAnd and works horribly on mobile devices.

[@ActiveTowns]

@@i.k.8868 Thanks for this tip. I am unfamiliar OsmAnd, I'll have to give it a test. I hope you are enjoying the Channel. Cheers! John

[@yvobroekhoven972]

it works. it is cheap. wat wil je nog meer?

[@yvobroekhoven972]

nice squatted plot of land on the right. They live in tree houses, caravans and stuff... have organic gardens and so on.... pretty much self sustained. we should treasure people who keep this kind of living alive, not oppress them... this way of living could be our future. kzbin.info/www/bejne/hl6boGSLaZKVjJI did a gig there once. nice friendly people we could learn a thing or two from...

[@ActiveTowns]

Yep. Love it. Thanks for watching. Cheers! John

[@brian5154]

Edgeling Road..??????? What's that........???????? Nice video.......

[@JC-vq2cs]

Edge lane :)

[@ActiveTowns]

Yes, sorry if I mumbled that. Here's a video on this type of facility if it is new to you: kzbin.info/www/bejne/apjdeX9vgN95hrM Thanks watching. Cheers! John

[@brian5154]

@@ActiveTowns Many thanks John, I get it now. whilst this type of road may have started in Denmark, they are now the most common type of road in the Netherlands. At least this is my perception. I have been in Denmark quite recently and the cycling infrastucture whilst good is not to the same standard as the Nethelands. I live in the village of Oosterbeek, near Arnhem, in the Netherlands. As a matter of interest our village hosts the largest one day organised walk in the world !!! It's called the Airborne Wandeltocht to commemorate the famous failed Bridge Too Far attempt to end WW2 quicker. Happens during September. Oosterbeek is also home to the Bilderberg Hotel, where the Bilderberg Group started, the most infamous perhaps secret society in the world. Meets once a year in a different location, and only the great and the good attend by invitation only. Started by Dutch Prince Bernhard after the war, only heads of state, busines leaders, Kings and Queens are invited. Brian ex-Brit, now Dutch Oosterbeek Nederland.....PS keep up the good work..........

[@ActiveTowns]

@@brian5154 Cool! I'll have to visit Oosterbeek on my next trip. Thanks so much. Cheers! John

[@jsb7975]

The only country in the world with houses having big windows. from the sixteenhundreds till now.

[@ActiveTowns]

Good point. It is indeed a very cool feature, and I believe promotes a certain amount of sociability. Thanks so much for watching. I hope you are enjoying the Channel. Cheers! John

[@StephenDuncan]

car passing "kids going to school" @9:43 that is insane.

[@ActiveTowns]

Yeah, I thought that was a little tight. The kids were chill

[@Meditation_with_Ebby]

You're right. The car was speeding and shouldn't have, but children that age are expected to participate in traffic independently (also by that driver), as all kids learn to do so from an early age in the Netherlands. It's not like I would imagine kids out on their bikes are perceived in other places of the world like the US. These kids weren't playing, they were going from A to B like they do daily. The driver probably saw the early signs of the kids noticing him and saw them starting to move out of the way before he passed them. Again he was speeding while he shouldn't have and I'm not going to condone that, but as a Dutch person growing up in similar circumstances I had the full confidence those kids would handle it fine.

[@ActiveTowns]

@@Meditation_with_Ebby Yeah, I noticed that they didn't miss a beat in their conversation and did not perceive it to be a close or scary pass in the least. Thanks for watching and for your contribution to the discussion. I really appreciate it. Cheers! John

[@Greengate777]

That infrastructure made the car almost unnecessary in a place like Houten. So it sort of went from a must have, to a want.

[@ActiveTowns]

Yes. Precisely.😀

[@smarkasmc]

🙂👍🌻

[@ActiveTowns]

🙏

[@twowheelsgoodbrum1077]

The return trip is far less pleasant and less safe. Really needs a separated path.

[@twowheelsgoodbrum1077]

And then you get one!

[@ActiveTowns]

It all really felt quite pleasant. The speed-up of the video hides how chill it was. 😀

[@garyharty1902]

@@ActiveTowns Yes, I had to remind my self that the cars are being filmed in double time which makes it look scarier than it really is. With perhaps the exception of the one car earlier in the video when you commented that the driver was driving too fast on that particular fietstraat. Cheers.

[@ActiveTowns]

@@garyharty1902 Yeah, I may work to tame down the speed of the videos in the future in these areas, so it doesn't give a false impression of being uncomfortable when it most definitely typically is not.

[@i.k.8868]

​@@garyharty1902 It really depends on the kind of driver you encounter on these small roads. Some people take these routes not for the scenery, but to rat run or to race. I lived in Lunetten and had friends in Houten and later I worked there as well. I've had some insane encounters with mad drivers, one even threatened to drive me off the road because he thought I wasn't allowed to rollerblade on the cyclist priority street (there is no sidewalk, so I definitely was).

[@bartvschuylenburg]

Most 1970-2000 housing buildings in the Netherlands are not that interesting and especially the ones from the 80’s are ugly in my opinion. From 2000 on traditional elements of Dutch design returned into new houses. There’s a part of Houten where you see houses in a style that reminds you of the 1920’s but the houses have the size of modern houses.

[@ActiveTowns]

Yep. My opinion, too, for the most part. Thanks for watching. Cheers! John

[@i.k.8868]

The 1970s-80s is definitely the most interesting and progressive period in Dutch urbanism. Unfortunately there was so much investment in public space that there was not enough left for the architecture.

[@ActiveTowns]

​@@i.k.8868 Interesting. I hadn't thought of it in that way. Thanks for watching. I hope you are enjoying the Channel. Cheers! John

[@dimrrider9133]

Me as a carpenter are totaly agree with that the 80ies oef soooooo ugly Nieuwengein is just like that to

[@richiesd1]

That’s how normal people should live. Not American car centric hell

[@ActiveTowns]

Can't argue with that. Hehe 🤣 Thanks so much for watching. I hope you are enjoying the Active Towns Channel. Cheers! John

[@jooproos6559]

Passing someone before a blind corner is NOT recommendable!!

[@ActiveTowns]

Good point! Thanks for watching and for the good catch. I hope you are enjoying the Channel. Cheers! John

[@SteffiReitsch]

There's still too many cars. Raise the taxes.

[@ActiveTowns]

Hehe 😂 I suppose it's all relative... we would love to have this in North America. Thanks so much for watching. Cheers! John

[@lexburen5932]

we pay already more then enough road taxxes. and to many cars ? you should've seen the difference compared to 10 -15 years ago

[@SteffiReitsch]

@@lexburen5932 No, car drivers do not pay enough road taxes. Soak the car drivers with higher fees to get them off the roads.

[@kailahmann1823]

The one back really had a bit to much cars for my taste too