This Utrecht street became car-free, finally!

[Ep. 1012] A ride in the Utrecht city centre street called "Oudkerkhof". In the before situation (2017) it was still open to private cars. After a reconstruction that was finished in 2018 was supposed to be a better place for walking but cars were still allowed. However, on 1 August 2022, it was finally officially made car free. Only one parking spot remained, for a resident with disabilities. More information in the blog post: bicycledutch.wordpress.com/?p...

[@andrebartels1690]

The absence of cars instantly makes the scenery look a lot like a place to go on vacation to ❤

[@Kieru88]

i'd say more - it makes it more nice to live! :D

[@KJSvitko]

So much quieter and less stressful when cars are replaced with bicycles. What an improvement.

[@odo324]

The restaurant was much busier in the first part with the cars, where much of the noise was coming from ~ thus isn't a good comparison for noise. I suspect you're right because it's a much more open space for noise to dissipate but the video doesn't depict a comparison either way. --- When my headache goes away, I would like to count the potential occupants parked to see how many more people are present in a less-busy area then w/the bulky cars and busier restaurant. I'd bet it will be significant.

[@orangecookie3132]

​@@odo324looks like the store we're doing better without the cars. But very hard to tell and if we go with bikes = 1 person then the street is more busy if we go for cars which usually is just one person per car but since these are restaurants maybe 2 per car but it looks like it is better business without cars

[@AssBlasster]

The before still looked way better than any American main street with diagonal parking. My local Californian street just installed a bike lane with repaving (that removed some parking spots)...guess what my neighbors do? Just continue to park there like the paint doesn't exist! It must be nice having street changes like this that people actually respect.

[@derekjolly3680]

But isn't part of that simply the charm of streets having been there since the middle ages or perhaps in places just after that?

[@polywannacrackrock]

@@derekjolly3680the part of the Dutch street? Because if that is the case, don't forget the wars that the country was apart of that led to the reconstruction of a lot of their country's infrastructure after the advent of the car.

[@odo324]

@@derekjolly3680 That doesn't mean such a comfortable space should be subjected to those conditions. So many people shrug off the issues in America with the fallacy that, "we're is not Europe" and "we don't have narrow streets", as if these conditions were required for pleasant road infrastructure.

[@ScramJett]

@@derekjolly3680 fun fact: streets built “in the Middle Ages” were built that way before the Middle Ages and even after the Middle Ages. It’s called the “traditional development pattern,” or, how cities used to be built before the car dependent suburban experiment. Even in North America, we used to build our cities that way. Then, after World War II, we bulldozed our cities to allow for car movement and car storage. I’ve been reading a book about the streetcar networks in the city I live in and it’s really amazing to see what was there in old photographs before they were bulldozed. Btw, European countries also began bulldozing their cities for the car, even in the Netherlands (at least the places that weren’t bombed) and Utrecht. The difference is that the Dutch and other Europeans rebelled (even literally rioted in some cases) against their cities being bulldozed (to varying degrees of success). Outside of some extremely limited examples, Americans just let it happen. Now, here we are. Car dependent hell.

[@baltulielkungsgunarsmiezis9714]

The police should fine them all.

[@coolnewpants]

Good to see they made accommodations of the disabled person. Helps dispel the NIMBY myth that pedestrian streets necessarily infringe on disabled people's rights.

[@tessabakker662]

In my experience people who are resistant to change will often use disabled people as a shield. They care sooooo much about the freedom of movement for those who can't get around with the same ease as themselves, up until there are plans to put in a disabled parking space closest to the entry of whatever amenity. Then you suddenly get those same people taking that very space because "it's rarely used anyway" or scrutinizing disabled people who don't require the use of a wheelchair at all times and can walk short distances with a cane or unassisted. Suddenly the non-disabled are very concerned with who is disabled 'enough' to use the space they themselves aren't entitled to use.

[@JonnyCisero]

@@tessabakker662 Unfortunately, this is a by-product of gentrification; the entitled still feel entitled to do whatever they want. Greetings from an old Amsterdamer

[@knilschbromen7147]

Dear lord it looks like an actual place to live now!! No longer storage space for metal boxes. Amazing stuff

[@stormer7502]

beautiful. if only we'd learn how ridiculous it is to put heavy machinery on every square inch of public space here in chicago

[@kevinmbrooks]

Ahem, I think you mean the Morgan Stanley space, at least for the next several generations.

[@stormer7502]

​@@kevinmbrooks yes thats a huge issue lol, but we all know how hard it is to get rid of parking spaces and create road diets regardless of that

[@miles5600]

@@stormer7502chicago sold their streets. To a company and i’m not kidding.

[@derp3044]

​@@miles5600yeah they were just talking about it in the comments above lol The company is Morgan Stanley

[@miles5600]

@@derp3044my bad didn't notice 😂

[@apolloxiii5574]

The street looks twice as wide as before.

[@DanAndHoe]

My (Dutch) neighbourhood is from the 1930s. I was shocked when I saw pictures from the 1930s, 40s, even 50s. The roads were so wide! Now they feel so small, because cars are parked on the sides everywhere. Also a big difference is that there were still hardly trees in the 1930s, as it was a new neighbourhood. Now all streets are lined with trees. That also changes it visually.

[@erikthehalfabee6234]

People moving (and parking) by bike or foot makes such a big difference to moving and parking by car. Spread the word.

[@AzMedic]

A vast improvement! I wouldn't be surprised if the businesses are making more money. Especially that cafe.

[@slumberycell4129]

The duality in volume of that relatively busy street to even my small American town thanks to no cars, it's just so much more peaceful

[@krzysztofmckaczmar5234]

Fantastic! Congratulations Utrecht

[@ellmatic]

You love to see it. Keep up the good work, Utrecht!

[@papaya8634]

It's so much more beautiful now! Thank you for recording and showing to us!

[@kesslerdupont6023]

They did this last summer in Montreal but undid it in the winter... hoping they bring it back soon.

[@thatpersonsmusic]

It feels so much more lively now. I’d really like to see them do this in Lincoln Square in Chicago, it is begging for this

[@Josukegaming]

Damn your voiceover sounds amazing in this! Also hooray for no more car sewer!

[@baltulielkungsgunarsmiezis9714]

I was looking trough my photos this month and realized that what is now an open place with benches and potted plants in front of Hāgenhill market used to be a parking lot 3 years ago.

[@niceone99]

It looks so much more alive without the cars

[@deeplife9654]

Beautiful street ❤

[@isabellaperez5743]

So peaceful. What a dream

[@Kieru88]

thx for that! im not very familiar here with every street - but things like that made move here!

[@MarijnvdSterre]

Looks much better this way.

[@peterjones3557]

Wonderful!

[@peter1062]

There is actually a lot more parking in the new situation. But now it's bikes.

[@rodrigosouto9502]

Amazing!!!

[@markifi]

interesting how the sound changed but may be just the difference in time of day between the two recordings

[@odo324]

The restaurant is much less busy in the second part.

[@MarianneExJohnson]

Also, the carillon is playing in the second part. It adds a nice bit of ambience. 😊

[@talkingmotanka]

I wish more able-bodied people would use their bikes. Where I live, everything is so close, being a tiny town. Yet people burn by me in their diesel-engined trucks every day just to go pick up a carton of milk from two blocks from wherever they live. It's a joke. I made a TikTok about bikes and of course read the excuses people make. "I'd bike, but it snows where I live." "Where do you live?" "Toronto." "Yeah, well it doesn't snow year round there. Try riding in spring, summer, and fall." (no reply) 😂

[@Fjodor.Tabularasa]

I am from the Netherlands, live in a 10k small town. And judging the amount of parked cars vs. bicycles at my local supermarket I guess that 80% of the people go by car to the supermarket. As long as there is ample parking space, people take the car, no matter how good bicycle infrastructure is. The only thing that needs to be done in my town is to remove 80% of the parking spaces at the local supermarket.

[@DanAndHoe]

I am so disappointed when I read all the arguments Americans use for why they wouldn't be able to change anything. "The Netherlands is flat, the US is too hilly." Okay, I've seen bike paths in Switzerland. There's flat parts everywhere, use them. "My job is a 3 hour drive away." Okay, so go to work by car. "In the Netherlands everything is so close by, the US isn't as densely populated." Okay, but why aren't bikes more common in densely populated cities? "It's too hot/cold/wet/dry where I live." People cycle in tons of countries with snowfall, or in Italian summer heat, or in Dutch summer heat. You can dress for rain. "Roads will only get busier if we give space to cyclists." No, people who now have to use their car will choose to go by bike, which takes up significantly less space, so your commute by car will in fact become easier. Like, is all of the US just always 110+ degrees fahrenheit humid heat, hills, or extreme cold with tons of snow? No temperate climate whatsoever? Same with discussions about huge pickup trucks. Everyone always says they need them for work or to tow a boat or something, but somehow in Europe I hardly ever see anyone use one. People like boats where I live, people manage to get all their tools to the construction site with a van. Hell, to me a van often seems more useful than a pickup truck.

[@irritantegast2131]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/pqLdn2Clpr15raMsi=_94TpIWa4-ahN0i8 Meanwhile in the netherlands…

[@leonpaelinck]

I love it!

[@yash1152]

> _"and no, that doesn't make deliveries a problem"_ 0:20 this was awsom.

[@GuusJanssen]

How to get people to cycle instead of driving: 1) build cycling infrastructure, with direct and short routes for bicycles and longer routes for cars. 2) give bicycles top priority on all intersections, streets, roads, and at all traffic lights. 3) ban cars from city centers and at nice and interesting locations. 4) cycle, get healthier, get happier, enjoy life 😊

[@odo324]

You're right but the all-mighty-dollar would need to support it before it gets done. At least in the US, money is the only indication of prosperity that the Government will recognize.

[@Wildcard71]

Passengers aren't drivers. That's where the idea backfires.

[@odo324]

@@Wildcard71 Can't beat a dead horse. 🤷‍♂️

[@GuusJanssen]

@@Wildcard71 What do you mean, passengers aren't drivers? Where did I mention drivers or passengers?

[@ratbert1]

You reap what you sow.@@odo324

[@sacroyalty]

You love to see it!

[@Kevin_geekgineering]

I wish all streets become car free

[@MarijnRoorda]

So cars aren't allowed to park there anymore, but are cars still allowed to drive through? Or are there poles in place or triangles that come up?

[@BicycleDutch]

No, they are also no longer allowed to drive through. But there are only signs that prohibit that.

[@indetermite]

@@BicycleDutch I think a bollard in the middle could also help.

[@ojassarup258]

I'm going to start using "infested with cars" more often 😂

[@cloudyskies5497]

Whoa that's a marked difference!

[@krzysztof1700]

Great stuff! But the question is, where have these cars gone? do they park on a different street or park in a dedicated parking lot? did they sell them?

[@apolloxiii5574]

Who cares, cars have no place in a citycentre, there is lots of alternative ways to travel there as you can see.

[@weetikissa]

You are responsible for your own private property. The city is not on the hook for storing personal items.

[@shraka]

Parked at home rather than being used to drive to the shops, I presume.

[@krzysztof1700]

@@shraka the customers probably do, but what about the residents of this street?

[@krzysztof1700]

@@apolloxiii5574 so you're saying that only shoppers parked there, meaning no one lives in these buildings or owns a vehicle?

[@Michaah]

are you allowed to enter the street with a car when moving furniture?

[@houghi3826]

Posted in November. Man, the weather looks like it is summer there. Where I am it is 3C. ;-)

[@BicycleDutch]

This was filmed late September. Just 2 months ago.

[@DanAndHoe]

Yeah, it's definitely older footage. Now the trees have mostly lost their leaves. This morning their was ice on the puddles outside, and in the afternoon it snowed.

[@XEinstein]

I actually think that a street full of parked bikes like that makes the street look a cluttered mess. I'm Dutch, so i am allowed to complain about already great infrastructure: it's what we Dutchies do! In my city of Den Haag they banned bikes from the Grote Marktstraat shopping street, because all these bikes made the pedestrian shopping district look like a mess. Before they installed the ban though they put a bunch of free and guarded cycling parkings all around the centre and now the city is a much more comfortable place to be. At first I was annoyed that I could not park my bike right in front of the shop where I needed to go, now I am happy that all these damn bikes are gone from the shopping streets. This street filmed here in this video also needs a better solution for the residents to put their bikes.

[@gerben2559]

I think you’re one of the few complaining about it.

[@irritantegast2131]

@@gerben2559no but they have a point. In Utrecht i’ve parked my bike several times on the pavement. Come back some hours later and guess what… my whole bike is trapped in a sea of other bikes. Still better than cars but not that great. Try to get the bike out, other bikes fall over. So yeah

[@irritantegast2131]

@@gerben2559i work at the end of the street in the video, and this place has no dedicated parking in the area. So i just drop my bike somewhere on the pavement. Been doin it for two years and not big a deal but Its just funny that you just drop your bike somewhere instead of placing it in a nice parking spot

[@5fr4ewq]

my condolences to you, i hope they will find a cure for your condition

[@960guy]

Looks good!

[@midasghijsels158]

👍👍👍

[@GaryvanderMerwe]

What happened to the rubbish bins that were on the right just before the restaurant? I'm sure having them not there is much nicer for the restaurant, but how do people on this street dispose of their rubbish?

[@oliverkykal8087]

Do you mean the green container on the right? (0:40) This is a temporary container for doing renovation or something like that. Rubbish bins in the netherlands are often placed under the pavement, so they do not waste space.

[@ttaibe]

@@oliverkykal8087 only in some cities. Mostly we are not allowed to place our bins on the street unless it is garbage collection day. You have to keep your bin inside, in a shed, on a balcony or in your garden. Anywhere but on public streets and out of the way for others.

[@Sivah_Akash]

Assume the shops are getting more business done?

[@collectioneur]

Meanwhile, the area between Leidseveer and Smakkelaarskade has been one giant mess for decades. I have no idea why they can't sort it out...

[@eriktraag8518]

where are those cars now?

[@zumazuma568]

In the garage, I guess

[@blubberwasser5105]

Ich bin fürchterlich neidisch

[@P.Aether]

It's easy to make it car free when you have already established the right infrastructure and logistic systems (for delivery) and the culture of people who are not brainwashed since birth with the car in mind

[@bmcd9490]

Let's hope that the recent election results in the Netherlands dosen't mean the end of bike culture.

[@5fr4ewq]

i don't think they can pull it off

[@qualm43]

are you still allowed to drive on it?

[@ttaibe]

Nope. unless you have a permit or are a first responder. Often delivery trucks are allowed for businesses on weekday mornings, idk if that is the case here.

[@tjerklol]

Yeah deliveries aren't a problem, supposedly... But imagine the hindrance to electricians, plumbers and other tradespeople who rely on a van filled with tools and materials to help you. As an electrician I've started declining jobs in these areas or charge an "inner city fee". Else it just isn't worth the hassle.

[@theOtherNism]

Excellent. Now, let’s get rid of that advertisement display.

[@ellmatic]

r/CarFreeUtrecht

[@Siranoxz]

Haters gonna hate.

[@jchizel6968]

Your stuff is great, but a lot of your stuff doesn’t provide solutions for the US or other places where most major cities were built AFTER their car was invented. It’s easy to say, “I’ll flee to Europe, to cities built in Napoleon’s time or earlier” to show great solutions in cities from pre-industrial times. Show me some solutions for modern cities built after the invention of the automobile, then I’ll care. Then it will matter

[@sam512]

So the endless examples of car centric cities changing isn’t enough?😂

[@Rafael112able]

That is not true. Most american cities were built along railway tracks, before the invention of the automobile. They were then bulldozed for the car. Learn your history.

[@SadBloke]

Most of the European cities were rebuilt following the second world war using a car-centric design. Apart from the historical city centre most of the buildings are "recent". The main factor that makes possible streets like this is the interest in making them from the public and the people in power.

[@fikaa2388]

Why don't you show it when there's snow and ice? Good luck to the cyclists!

[@irritantegast2131]

Well, if there is snow and ice it would be slippery. Probably won’t stop people from riding their bike :)

[@fikaa2388]

@@irritantegast2131 I believe you are right when your comment is based on PROBABLY! Until you are sure of your conviction, check what happened in Montreal where they did the same thing, but with the arrival of winter they returned everything to what was logical and functional!

[@irritantegast2131]

@@fikaa2388 ahh, can you tell me what happened in Montreal? Anyways, I live in Utrecht and in the Netherlands everyone rides a bike. Doesn’t matter if its slippery or not. No one gives a shit. But that doesn’t mean that no one falls ofcourse, if you go out cycling in the winter there is a 90% of seeing someone fall. But in a lot of places the government will lay down salt on the streets to make it accessible. Probably gonna happen with this street too!

[@cristoforestman]

​@@fikaa2388look at Oulu. Basically if the city takes care of cleaning bike paths first, it'll no longer be slippery and pretty comfy driving. NL gets few snow so they don't need such measures as Oulu. Still, weather is not that a big factor. Nl gets a ton of wind+rain combo but ppl still bike a lot

[@gerhard6105]

We Dutch are used to walk and cycle in bad weather and snowed under roads. As kids we cycled to school. In all kinds of weather. And as you could read in some comments, the people in the city centre do not have cars. They walk or cycle. Entire school children groups cycle to school: they have no driving license..... And his "probably" means "sure" for sure. It is a way of talking.

[@derekjolly3680]

Probably should say "car prohibited", not "car free". It's more honest about what is allowed or not allowed. I'm not against the concept when it's selective and smart. An old small, narrow street like this? Lots of bike traffic and walking? That's reasonable. Everywhere in a city center? Probably never reasonable.

[@derekjolly3680]

I sure wish more people walking on the through routes in store parking lots acted with more awareness like this instead of being lemmings and bird brains like they often do. On a bike or in a car and that's become more of a problem here.

[@zooi.]

every city center is a bunch of "old small, narrow streets"

[@frankhooper7871]

The Dutch know exactly what "autovrij" means in the same way we anglophones know what "fat free" means when food is thus labelled.

[@derekjolly3680]

I'm sure they do, whatever the "VRIJ" literally means. I just object to saying this is free or that is free, when really, it's the opposite of free. Free suggesting allowed not prohibited. It's exactly like saying "smoke free" when it's actually screw you, you can't have a fag here. It's a crap term and always has been as far as I'm concerned. Some kind of a stand on your head euro crap thing that we see too much of really. If you're going to be prohibitive then admit it and say something is prohibited and not "free". Kind of a pet peeve with me I guess.

[@shraka]

Other than deliveries there's no real reason for city centers to have any cars in them at all.

[@Bad_muts]

I hope they will ban the parking of bikes also. Now it looks like one big garbage dump with those bikes everywhere

[@baxobapo]

No, it does not.

[@shraka]

Looks better than it does with cars parked everywhere.

[@fryfrysk]

nonsense ; the whole idea is to reduce car traffic and promote cycling : so less serious accidents and less pollution within the innercity . All bikes are parked properly leaving both driveway and pavement free. A school example of dutch cyclists behaviour.

[@FrostyShadowYT]

Why would they ban the main form of transportation in Utrecht?

[@ttaibe]

That basically only happens in crowded areas where people often make multiple stops (main shopping streets) and where it is possible to build (underground) bicycle parking lots nearby. If you make little streets like these so that you you are not allowed to park there people will just ignore it and park anyway.