Why Dutch bike facility design works so well

In Ep 104, I connect w/ Lennart Nout with Mobycon likes to say the "Devil is in the Details" when it comes to creating "All Ages & Abilities" active mobility networks that not only encourage users to walk, cycle, and take transit more often but also to prompt motor vehicle drivers to drive slower with patience and attentiveness.
Thanks for watching this first episode of 2022. A couple weeks ago I had the opportunity to connect with Lennart Nout, Manager of International Strategies, for Mobycon, a mobility systems design consulting firm based in The Netherlands.
What's in this video
0:00 Cold Open w/ Lennart
0:44 John's intro to the episode
02:28 John welcomes Lennart to the Podcast
03:13 Lennart gives the background on his "Big Rock" nickname given to him by Brandon Lust aka @AmericanFietser / americanfietser
04:27 Lennart's background info
11:21 Dutch-designed intersection in North America (Canmore, Alberta)
16:43 Dutch-style intersection designs (overhead view)
18:57 Dutch-style Roundabout design
25:51 Slow Streets and Shared Space
27:43 Traffic Calming
36:54 The Devil is in the Details - Pavers
42:51 Speed Tables
46:28 Continuous Sidewalk and Bikeway Crossings
53:40 Mobility for All webinar
55:19 Lennart's final thoughts
57:43 More roundabout zen
Helpful Links (Note: may include affiliate links to help me support the channel)
- Mobycon: mobycon.com/
- Mobycon Channel: / mobycon
- Curbing Traffic book: bookshop.org/a/85379/97816428...
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Credits: Video, music, and audio production by John Simmerman
Resources used during the production of this video:
- My recording platform is Ecamm Live: bit.ly/3rwsUup
- Editing software Adobe Creative Cloud Suite: bit.ly/35DBDDU
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Background:
Hi Everyone! My name is John Simmerman, and I’m a health promotion and public health professional with over 30 years of experience. Over the years, my area of concentration has evolved into a specialization in how the built environment influences human behavior related to active living and especially active mobility.
Since 2010, I've been exploring, documenting, and profiling established, emerging, and aspiring Active Towns wherever they might be while striving to produce high-quality multimedia content to help inspire the creation of more safe and inviting, environments that promote a "Culture of Activity" for "All Ages & Abilities."
The Active Towns Channel features my original video content and reflections, including a selection of podcast episodes and short films profiling the positive and inspiring efforts happening around the world as I am able to experience and document them.
Thanks once again for tuning in! I hope you find this content helpful and insightful.
Creative Commons License: Attributions, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives, 2022

[@LuficariusRatspeed]

You know you're addicted to road design when an hour-long video feels like a few minutes.

[@ActiveTowns]

Hehe 😂 I can relate. Thanks so much for tuning in. As you probably already know, there's much of that "goodness" here on the Channel. Cheers! John

[@dotistlaurie]

It was a delight to see photos of Canmore, Alberta in this video. Although, some people call Alberta the Texas of Canada, and there's truth in the comparison, Canmore has a different culture. Its located in the Rocky Mountains, a stones though from Banff, Canada’s most popular tourist destination. The Town of Banff has severe residence laws; not anyone can live there because its in a National Park. So, a lot of people who love the Rocky Mountains choose to live in Canmore. There's money there; hence the town council sought to make the town centre pedestrian & cycling friendly. Also , there is a very active community there participating in hiking , mountain biking and skiing in the mountains. I'm writing from Calgary and the Banff/Canmore area is the 'playground ' for active Calgarians because its just 45 mins away. I go there every weekend to hike, distressing in the stillness of the majesty of the mountains. But, back in Calgary I've been honked at by aggressive cars when I've had full legal right to be cycling....

[@ActiveTowns]

Oh wow, cool! I need to come to Canmore for a visit one day. So sorry to hear about the aggressive treatment by drivers in Calgary. Thank you so very much for watching and for this contribution to the conversation. I really appreciate it, and I hope you are enjoying the Active Towns Channel. Cheers! John

[@peregrin71]

Another benefit of having the traffic lights at the near end of an intersection is that if you move too far ahead you can't see them anymore. Thus you naturally stop at a point they are still in your field of view. And don't end up at the part of the road pedestrians and/or cyclists are crossing (in front of you)

[@ActiveTowns]

Yes! Very good point. Another great example of design nudging the desired behavior. Thanks so much for watching. Cheers! John

[@Haroekoe]

Thanks for this video 🙏🏼 Very touching, very emotional.... Yes, in that part of the Netherlands the Canadians were the main liberators, and each and all Canadians who died on the fields or eventually were part of the liberation deserve the eternal gratitude. But we also don't forget the Americans and also the Polish soldiers who sacrificed their lives.... I visit war cemeteries whenever I come near them, to commemorate the brave soldiers who sacrificed their lives for the freedom of the Netherlands. Margraten, in the province Limburg, is one of them.... It humbles everyone of who visits it. Also.... The graves there are adopted by locals, who take care of the graves, put flowers to it on special occasions on or request of the families, who are not able to do it themselves. Also, if possible, if they retrieved the family, they did a small write up on the soldier. It's very emotional....

[@ActiveTowns]

Yes. It's so important that we remember and understand the past. Thank you so much for watching and posting this important contribution to the conversation. I really appreciate it and I hope you are enjoying the Active Towns Channel. Cheers! John

[@Haroekoe]

@@ActiveTowns hi John, it appears that my remarks posted on a previous video, appeared under your video I watched thereafter. That's why it slightly doesn't make sense. Will have to change that. But also this video was very informative. Thanks. Really enjoy your channel 👌🏽 Greetings from Rotterdam 🇳🇱

[@ActiveTowns]

@@Haroekoe lol 😅 no worries. The subject has come up before during my episodes, I couldn't recall whether Lennart had mentioned it. Delighted to hear you are enjoying the Channel.😃

[@kailahmann1823]

He said a very important thing about "managing where you want the traffic to go" - because this in my opinion is the very first step. In fact every single German village as long as it has more than one street has a traffic-priority plan (and I guess it's the same in most of Europe, clearly in the Netherlands), where all streets are categorized as either through-streets and residential streets. Those residential streets are on average some 70% and those only need slow speeds and clearly not bike lanes. On the other hand you only have about 10% that clearly need things like protected bike lanes, traffic lights or roundabouts and other things to keep the traffic flowing. Seeing examples from North America it often feels like almost all streets are the same and bike lanes are primarily build in residential streets.

[@ActiveTowns]

Depending on the city, far too many bike lanes in North America end up on STROADs because they are inherently wider (have more excess space) thus, they are far less comfortable to ride on than getting off into the quiet, low-traffic, low-speed residential streets, which typically have little to no traffic calming or actual cycle-specific facilities.

[@freudsigmund72]

41:00 for slow moving cars, the engine is the loudest. For cars moving over 40 km/hour, then the tire noise is higher... since these bricks are generally used in 30 km/hr streets, then the extra brick noise is not an issue.

[@ActiveTowns]

Thanks! I think that's pretty much what Lennart said - and with the increased number of electric cars at slow speeds noise pollution will drop even lower. Cheers! John

[@vincenzodigrande2070]

I think making global design language will help a lot to make it safer when people are travelling to other countries, so they know already how to behave in certain situations. Props for using red too for cycle lanes, so everybody in the world might eventually know they should not walk there.

[@ActiveTowns]

Thanks so much for watching and adding to the conversation Cheers! John

[@Zoza15]

That be amazing, if that works then we could apply that same methods with other problems too like healthcare, social issues like housing etc etc.

[@LennartNout]

It is a great idea and something the Global Street Design Initiative has been working on in some form. It is tricky though as local circumstances may make some design elements less feasible in parts of the world, but uniformity is definitely a great idea for safety!

[@arposkraft3616]

our design is the most correct one, the manual for it each year is public property available and may be translated and used in any language, the issue is that never in the history nor future of the world (likely at least) all humans will be able to agree at any one given time, things work in clusters, but the design elements are there, they are founded by science and trials, my dutch infra is simply the correct way to do it, but people are going to people and find their own ways to the end result of their respective communities and relations

[@mikeowen3478]

Super video John. Big fan of Lennart. Excellent dialogue. Surprised no name drop of Lennart in YT thumbnail or title. You’re getting all my heroes on these days. Great work 👍

[@ActiveTowns]

Thank you very much! Yeah, I debated sneaking his name into the title - I think I'll do that now that it's out in "the wild" now. Peter Norton is up next week. Cheers! John

[@pwat3091]

Arrived on this channel for the first time tonight. Lots of very interesting points made. I will definitely re-visit, and will recommend. I strive to convince people that UK designers could learn so much from the Dutch, but they always brush off the idea because; (a) "It's only because Holland (sic) is flat", (b) we are all wedded to (welded into) out metal boxes, (c) unless or until they experience Netherlands from two wheels they will never understand what could be achieved. Thanks for a great video. I look forward to watching more.

[@ActiveTowns]

Thanks so much! And just so you know I do have some upcoming guests this year from the UK. It's always helpful for local officials and community members to hear from thought leaders and practitioners closer to home saying pretty much the same things as the Dutch and Danes... makes it seem less distant and foreign. We run into the same thing here in the States, which is why it's so nice have a few cities demonstrating impressive momentum such as Austin, TX, New York City, and even Fort Collins, CO. Cheers! John

[@twowheelsgoodbrum1077]

UK designers in the UK are now obliged to take on most of the principles set out by Lennart by LTN1/20. Just give them a copy.

[@pault.3524]

The difference between mindsets at 43:51 Speedbumps vs speedtable tells me there is a long way to go.

[@ActiveTowns]

@Paul T., Thanks so much for watching. We're definitely seeing some encouraging developments and humans do adapt amazingly well and surprisingly fast. Cheers! John

[@garyharty1902]

Great episode - We were in Canmore Fall of 2019 when some of construction was taking place proving that it can be done in other places than the Netherlands. It was amazing to see all the school children riding to and from school in this very small town. At young ages they were becoming very proficient on mountain bikes. And they were obviously happy children. Thanks John.

[@ActiveTowns]

Thank you so much for watching, for this fabulous contribution to the conversation, and for your continued support. I'm thinking you're going to like this week's episode too. Cheers! John

[@PickupthePieces76]

Hi John, great talk. I've enjoyed a few episodes now and one of the things I find interesting is the psychology part of designing infrastructure. Lennart talks a bit about it. Designing with that in mind so that traffic participants drive or act intuitively more safe and be less annoyed about it is very important. I'm Dutch and what I find is a new challenge on the roads are electric bicycles. They can be fast, but the cyclist (also older people) are not always aware of this and may cause more dangerous situations than normal bikes. Maybe you could make that a subject of one of your videos. Keep up the good work.

[@ActiveTowns]

@PickupthePieces76, Thanks so much, glad you enjoyed it. Yes, good point. E-assist bikes will become an increasingly large proportion of cycles on our facilities in the future and it will be important to nudge the behavior in the direction of enhanced caution and awareness. Personally, I'm convinced we'll be able to get a positive outcome eventually as I don't see as much of the outward aggressiveness as seen with the mo-ped riders, who are increasingly being banned from the cycleways. I'll research who might be a good subject matter expert to have that discussion with. Cheers! John

[@bartvschuylenburg]

@@ActiveTowns Yes, E-bikes can be a challenge. Especially on the more recreational cycling paths which are just wide enough to have two cyclist pass each other in the opposite direction. I found that most E-bikes have wider handlebars than standard Dutch bikes and old people put a mirror on it that sticks out even further. I’ve been forced into the roadside several times and was hit on my hand (luckily no injuries) by by those mirrors. Many of those rural cycling paths should be widened by an extra 30 cm.

[@maxnewts]

Some of them, depending on local laws, can get up to 45km/h (28mph) and because they have so much torque, I agree - there can sometimes be major problems, especially when people are new to riding that bike, or riding eBikes in general. That’s why it’s sometimes better to go with mid-drives where the power is regulated by the measurements of three sensors - pedal cadence (how fast you pedal), pedal strength (torque), and the bikes overall speed. Since it’s a mid drive, it places the power down by putting it through the whole drivetrain, too, so you have an efficiency benefit, and it is less likely to have motor failure where for the majority of life of the eBikes’ life it has been ridden with minimal pedalling to assist the motor, because the system has simply registered small pedal strokes which do not carry enough torque to remove strain or load off the motor system. :)

[@ActiveTowns]

@@bartvschuylenburg My "rule of thumb" is to always make the cycle path wider 😉

[@twowheelsgoodbrum1077]

Any international discussion about ebikes is difficult because it means such different things in different nations. European countries broadly treat ebikes as pedal assist bikes limited to 26kph. Anything with a throttle or capability to assist beyond that speed is classed as some form of motorbike and is not allowed on a cycle path. I know it is very different in North America, with differences across nations and states.

[@colleenharrison2942]

Great podcast....very interesting changes done in other countries. All our crowded cities need to be more friendly to people....not cars.

[@ActiveTowns]

Thanks so much for watching and contributing to the conversation... and obviously, I agree. Cheers! John

[@okkietrooy6841]

Just to mention something that is maybe allready talked about, but I think it is important. The Dutch design also include many items that benefit the disabled. Like pedestrian traffic lights on an intersection also include an audible signal. Blind people can independently cross the street. At a railway station there are changes in the tiling that can be felt with your foot or your cane. In that way a blind person will know he/she is close to the railway track. Again increasing independence.

[@ActiveTowns]

Yes, absolutely. Thanks for watching and for this important addition to the conversation.Cheers! John

[@Inge-99]

Interesting interview! Thanks!

[@ActiveTowns]

Glad you enjoyed it... Cheers! John

[@Roman500]

Great podcast! Thanks :)

[@ActiveTowns]

Glad you enjoyed it... Cheers! John

[@chriswojtewicz]

Love those drone shots!

[@ActiveTowns]

Me too... need to start including more drone shots in my own vids. Cheers! John

[@maanvis81]

Indeed, if the red would be continuous I would automatically assume that everyone yields to me. Thanks for explaining how that is actually a rule ;)

[@ActiveTowns]

@Sander vd Donk, Thanks so much for watching and contributing to the conversation. Here in Austin we increasingly have our cycle paths in red (concrete) and then the "U.S. standard bike lane green" in the "conflict zones" at the intersection which doesn't necessarily communicate priority but to alert drivers that a cyclist might be present and to "yeild if the cyclist is there first" - much less defined. I'd prefer the Dutch approach. Cheers! John

[@maanvis81]

@@ActiveTowns Thanks for your reply. I just looked up a bit about red bicycle paths, the first red bicycle path was only laid in the Netherlands in 1980, so not so long ago :).The first red one was in (surprise) Tilburg! And the red color was just chosen because the city council wanted an alternative color, but they didn't want to pay much for it. And red was the cheapest alternative color :)

[@ActiveTowns]

@@maanvis81 Yes! Isn't that just fabulous. I think I heard it was basically soemthing like a rust-based pigment. If you haven't done so yet, check out my videos profiling the emerging Austin infrastructure - you'll see some familiar rust colored installations. Cheers! John

[@lkruijsw]

@@ActiveTowns I think the first red bicycle paths in the Netherlands are the one made of stone. I think it is far cheaper to have red stones than other colors. Then later the asphalt came.

[@gerbentvandeveen]

In Amersfoort heb je bij de stoplichten een "groene golf " met een scherm, wat je snelheid "max" van 50 tot 70 km/u. Als je er net onder blijft rijden in de auto. Heb je altijd groen licht. Zelf kom ik uit Bunschoten Spakenburg. En we hebben maar 2 punten met een stoplicht. Bij het in rijden van ons dorp, de rest 13 rotondes. Met voorrang voor fietsers. Dit is als je uit de richting van Amersfoort en de snelweg A1komt. Kom je ook de A1 bij Baarn naar Bunschoten-Spakenburg, is er een stuk met Trajectcontrole. Met een maximum van "80 km/u". Hier wordt de tijd gemeten, die je doet over de afstand! Greetings from Spakenburg The Netherlands Come and vistit Spakenburg The Netherlands

[@ActiveTowns]

Thanks so much! Very interesting information. Yes, I would love to come to visit Spakenburg. Cheers! John

[@gerritvalkering1068]

it's often one of the things brought up against roundabouts, the idea that the roundabout can be so busy that you'll have enormous lines waiting to enter it from one or more directions. And yes, it's possible. And the answer was already given in the video: Then that is not the right place for a roundabout. There is no 'one design fits perfectly for every place'. You look at the situation locally and decide what the best solution is.

[@ActiveTowns]

Yes, precisely. It's also worth noting that initial queues for new facilities are not good indicators of what things will look like in the future. The friction may very well prompt a behavior change - adopting a different mode of travel, taking a different route, driving at a different time to avoid the peak hour, etc. Inherent to this is thinking locally, as you mention, while also keeping the suite of mobility networks in mind - we want drivers, especially single occupancy vehicle (SOVs) drivers, to have readily accessible and convenient mobility options to make a mode shift practical and pragmatic when the ultimate journey(s) are of inherently walkable and bikeable distances. Thanks so much for watching. I hope you are enjoying the Channel. Cheers! John

[@hansbraam73]

'Ballet' (or perhaps 'symphony') is actually a perfect metaphore for a properly functioning junction for multispeed traffic, i.e. cars/bikes/pedestrians. I guess that any junction which does not evoke that association needs improvement.

[@ActiveTowns]

Well said! Thanks so much for watching and contributing to the conversation. Cheers! John

[@DidierWierdsma6335]

Hey John Happy New Year from the Netherlands🇳🇱 Let's hope 2022 will be a better year for all of us and also let's hope this year will be the year that America finaly embraces biking seriously it's so great for you're personal health as well so many benefits. Other than that a great video keep it up👍

[@ActiveTowns]

Happy New Year right back atcha! Thanks so much for watching. Cheers! John

[@bobbieboothroyd8531]

I always find myself thinking how can I design my town to be more bike friendly when I watch theses videos. anther very interesting video.

[@dutchman7623]

Sadly in many videos the network aspect is not shown. Again in this video it is not mentioned. To make a town more bike friendly it is essential to create a car friendly network. If drivers have a quick and good network, they will not enter any narrow or smaller streets, unless they have to be there. Automatically those areas become more bike friendly because there are less cars going through. It is a myth that the Netherlands is bike friendly, this can seem unrealistic but it is true. The Netherlands have the most dense highway network in Europe, and maybe even in the world. Where ever you are, you can be on a highway within five minutes, and exit the highway within five minutes from your destination. And slow traffic isn't allowed on those highways, they are maintained to a very high standard and are kept traffic jam free as far as possible. Our economy depends on them, we are the gate to Europe and want to stay a transport hub. So large truck combinations are given all the space they need. Result is that no truck driver will go through a village unless it is his destination! From the highway, wide roads with multiple lanes give access to the cities, with separate bike lanes, so no slow traffic on them either. From these wide roads, other roads with one lane in both directions will lead to the neighborhoods, also with separate bike lanes so cars are not slowed down. Within the neighborhoods the streets are shared and speed is reduced so sharing becomes an option. And again there will be no cars or trucks unless they have to be in that specific neighborhood. Why would a driver go through a neighborhood when he/she can take a route around it that is much faster? When the car network is functioning, you can design routes for bicycles through the city or town that conflict (cross) the car network as less as possible, create over and under passes where there are lots of cars, and reach your destination where bicycles can mix because it is within a neighborhood.

[@ActiveTowns]

Thanks so much, glad you enjoyed it. Cheers! John

[@ActiveTowns]

@Dutch Man, Great points. Yes, in this conversation Lennart and I focussed more so at the details at the facility level (I will edit the title to reflect that), and my conversation with Jason of Not Just Bikes: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qXO1hGeDpsxqitE was much more about the various mobility networks and how they work together as a whole. Cheers! John

[@dutchman7623]

@@ActiveTowns Correct. In Dutch it is called 'ontvlechten' which can be translated to de-braid-ing. Taking the strings of a braid apart. Jason of NJB mentioned it as well. Lead cars to streets or roads that can handle the amount of traffic, and make sure this longer route is faster, they will not take a route through a neighborhood that is shorter but takes much more time for cars. The route with much less cars you have created, can be used by bicycles and others. If you want cars to go straight, make sure the left turn gets longer red. If they go left anyway, make sure they encounter another red light, a speed bump, and yet another red light. Next time they will go straight because they know the other route takes more time, and going straight is faster.

[@bobbieboothroyd8531]

@@ActiveTowns I have been sharing your videos with my friend

[@erikloupias7642]

By applying our Dutch infrastructure of bicycle paths,with the same red color, I imagine myself a bit in my country. Now adapt the mountains to our environment because it is tiring cycling uphill.🙃👍

[@ActiveTowns]

Yes, indeed! It really makes me smile when I see the red bicycle path color here in Austin. Your mountains show up unexpectedly on occasion in the form of high winds and y'all pedal on. Hehe 🤣👍

[@erikloupias7642]

@@ActiveTowns I live in the South of the Netherlands, in the province of Limburg, and there we are not bothered by the wind as much as the other areas in the north.We have a hilly area here, the highest piont of our country with an altitude of 300m above sea level.Where there also a lot of cycling.

[@ActiveTowns]

@@erikloupias7642 Cool! I’m going to try and make it down your way during my Nov trip. Looking forward to exploring 😀

[@S_Roach]

Regarding traffic-calming. I have an idea. I've expressed this idea in the KZbin comments before, possibly even on this channel. Place an open picture frame on a t-post so that it sticks out to be JUST EVEN with the curb like a hollow plastic flag, or maybe beyond, if the area immediately adjacent to the curb isn't counted as part of the lane of travel. Do this on both sides in pairs. You can see through it, so you'll be able to react to stimuli beyond it, but it'll visually protrude into the lane, narrowing it. If you hit one, it'll provide negligible resistance. Maybe some lost paint, or a welt if you manage the feat on a bicycle or motorcycle. String several of these down a stretch, so you're encountering such a constriction every couple hundred feet. The overall cost would be low, and they'd be easy to set up by a small crew, or even one person, on either an interim or permanent basis.

[@ActiveTowns]

Interesting... would certainly make it appear narrower.

[@ianmcgregor8152]

Is there a way to access the webinar that featured the rock as a retrofit?

[@ianmcgregor8152]

Sorry, the content was so good I couldn’t wait to ask. I’m now subscribed to their channel. Fantastic guest

[@ActiveTowns]

@Ian McGregor, The rock has appeared a couple of times - here are a couple of traffic calming videos: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aKWQoX6Jj7uJlZo and kzbin.info/www/bejne/eZjPqq1tmqd2rbc

[@nispen]

Lennart 👍🏻

[@ActiveTowns]

I agree! Hope you enjoyed the conversation Cheers! John

[@zachz96]

Now, they just need to keep pedestrians off the red concrete.

[@ActiveTowns]

True, however, we must always remember to take a deep breath and extend the same grace, caution, and courtesy towards people walking, in wheelchairs, and using mobility devices that we, those of cycling, expect from drivers of motor vehicles. Essentially the law of the more vulnerable user of public space always ultimately has priority. Thanks so much for watching and adding to the conversation. Cheers! John

[@Whistler4u]

As a Dutchman I can tell you. Pedestrians are really careful not to walk on the red. It's dangerous.

[@ActiveTowns]

@@Whistler4u Yes. I can relate. From my personal observations and experience over there, when you walk, you learn quite quickly, and then before long, it's second nature. Thanks so much for watching and for contributing to the conversation. Cheers! John

Hi!! is this webinar available to the public?

[@ActiveTowns]

Yes. Head on over to the Mobycon KZbin Channel: kzbin.info Thanks for watching. Cheers! John

nevermind i did not finish the video =D

@@ActiveTowns Thanks for the reply!

[@GerHanssen]

There is something about roundabouts, that has always made me wonder. Why don't we give priority to the left instead of the right? Maybe even on normal equal crossings. You wouldn't need shark teeth anymore and for bikes going the wrong way, they would have to give way. It would seem so much more natural. Priority from the right will prioritise filling your crossing instead of clearing it.

[@ActiveTowns]

Interesting point... Lennart will probably have a few thoughts on this. Thanks so much for watching and contributing to the conversation. Cheers! John

[@Snowshowslow]

The same reason you let people off the train before you let others get on: the capacity is very limited and things will come to a grinding halt quickly if people are supposed to be allowed to join first, but there's no space.

[@jelledevos841]

The idea is that you dont have to stop when you are on the roundabout. When it is rushour and entering has priority it will cause a deadlock within seconds.

[@dutchman7623]

When on a roundabout there is NO traffic from the left hand side... Approaching a roundabout the left HAS priority. Or are you the one who goes clockwise?

[@GerHanssen]

@@dutchman7623 First all, I am talking about right hand side driving. Then there is only traffic from the left approaching you when you enter the roundabout. I hope we agree about that. Now the only reason why this traffic from the left has priority is because the roundabout is a one way traffic priority road. That has not always been so! In the 1960 and 70-ies they built roundabouts with no sharks teeth or other priorities. That caused congestion of course. Nobody questioned the rule "priority from the right" to turn into "priority from the left". They just introduced the priority roundabout.

[@ChrisSmith-bh2hg]

I come from Australia and we have bike paths, but here I keep hearing about bikeways. Is there a difference between the 2 or is it just rhetoric like petrol Vs gasoline?

[@ActiveTowns]

Hi Chris, First, thanks so much for watching and serving up this good question. Yeah, no need to get too hung up on the nomenclature, bike paths/lanes, bikeways, cycle tracks, etc., etc. The key things to keep in mind are the conditions: when near motor vehicles traveling over 30 km/hour protected and/or separated facilities should be provided, if motor vehicles are traveling at or below 30 km/hour some form of a shared facility can be used so long as it is obvious and intuitive to motor vehicles drivers that vulnerable roadway users (people walking, cycling, using wheelchairs, scooters, etc.) have priority. Obviously, this approach must extend to how intersections, where the mixing of modes occurs, are handled. Cheers! John

[@ChrisSmith-bh2hg]

@@ActiveTowns 👍

[@AndreSomers]

At 31:50 ish there is a remark about the traffic lights being on the stop line on the intersection in Kenmore. I noticed that, but I also noticed that this is not the case for the bicycle lights. Those were still way over three lanes of traffic. Anyone has an idea why that is?

[@flower_power]

Maybe because as the biker has to look over the whole crossing and see if the cars really stopped for their red light? Edit: bicycle light are on the side were you stop. Sometimes also at the other site as well. Pedestrian lights I accually do not know. I have to look next time. I think at the other site of the street.

[@dutchman7623]

Bad copy of Dutch design. There is not even a stop line for bicycles. So how are they alerted to look for a traffic light? If I am on my bicycle and see a fat white line across my path, I immediately look for a light (or a stop sign), when there is none, I do carry on as usual without stopping... Pedestrian lights are always across the street, without a stop line.

[@ActiveTowns]

@André Somers, Thanks so much for watching and contributing to the conversation. I see if Lennart can chime in. Cheers! John

[@arthurhagen3826]

Here in NL they are also near the stop line for people on bicycles. Often with a push button and sometimes a waiting time indicator. I am also curious why they decided to put them on the other side of the road instead.

[@ActiveTowns]

@@arthurhagen3826 Thanks for watching, Arthur. The lights are oriented strictly for the benefit of motor vehicle drivers with little to no consideration given to anyone, not in a car. I believe, that it is literally written in the MUTCD (Manual for Uniform Traffic Control Devices) to be like this. Here's just one horrific diagram from the 2009 edition: mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/htm/2009/part4/fig4d_03_longdesc.htm

[@arposkraft3616]

@0:05 I concur, but all engineering is 90% psychology and human at that, and 10% engineering

[@ActiveTowns]

Thanks for watching. 😀

[@dougwedel9484]

Did I hear Canmore finished their first protected intersection??? Finally !!!????

[@ActiveTowns]

Yes! :-)

[@bertkassing8541]

I have followed many courses at the CROW organization. I always found it very interesting about how people thought about infrastructure, but indeed always the thought "Let your own brain work too". Maybe that's typical Dutch :-)

[@ActiveTowns]

@Bert Kassing, Thanks so much for watching and contributing to the conversation. The funny thing is that there are similar statements in North American manuals as well, but too many just ignore that statement that they should exercise their engineering judgment. Cheers! John

[@hendman4083]

@@ActiveTowns I think in america it also has to do about avoiding liability. An engineer or transport department can always say "we followed the guidelines", even when coming up with literally lethal designs.

[@ActiveTowns]

@@hendman4083 Yes. That is one aspect for sure. Of course, those same manuals literally say, engineers and designers should use their professional judgment and not blindly follow any guidance. Two hopeful points, the manuals and guidebooks are changing (slowly), and constituents are starting to hold elected officials accountable for these deadly designs and they, in turn are demanding changes in the transportation departments. In some cases, lawsuits against negligent design are helping to move the needle as well. Thanks so much for watching and for the comments. Cheers! John

[@dougwedel9484]

The Dutch red? It's actually pink. :)

[@ActiveTowns]

We're calling our terracotta here in Austin

[@zephaniahgreenwell8151]

He must not have grown up in farm country because here people flip if they get stuck behind a tractor on the road.

[@ActiveTowns]

Hehe.🤣 Well, I guess it all depends on the location. I grew up on a ranch in northern California, and tractors, horses, cattle, etc. were frequently on the road slowing down the cars. As a driver you just expected it. No big deal. Thanks so much for watching! I hope you enjoy some of the other vids on the channel. Cheers! John

[@MrImmers]

51:00 you are creating a lane for cars so the bikes/cyclists can't DAMAGE your precious cars ....

[@ActiveTowns]

Yeah... that too. Thanks so much for watching. Cheers! John

[@lowrads3653]

Brick has a negative impact on micromobility diversity, as it makes life difficult for skaters, boarders and small-wheeled scooters.

[@dutchman7623]

It is a positive impact! We do not want them on the road but on the sidewalk or not at all.

[@ActiveTowns]

@lowrads, You bring up a good point that highlights the preference to construct smoother surfaces for a broader audience, including those who need to use wheelchairs and mobility devices. Thanks so much for watching and contributing to the conversation. Cheers! John

[@RealConstructor]

I don’t see a problem here. The road users you describe are mostly recreational anyway and they are not allowed to use the road, only the sidewalk. Most sidewalks are surfaced with pavement tiles, not with bricks.

[@dutchman7623]

@@RealConstructor 👍

[@LennartNout]

That really depends on how you lay the bricks. It's perfectly feasible to create smooth brick paths.

[@amylang2602]

There are no bikes in your roundabout.

[@ActiveTowns]

My roundabout? What is your point?

[@amylang2602]

@@ActiveTowns that I would like to see the movement with bikes when watching from above. I wanted to send your video to our city council- we are working on some quick build intersection projects and I would love to get them to consider a roundabout. It would be useful to see how the vehicles and bikes interact through the intersection

[@ActiveTowns]

@@amylang2602 Ah, gotcha... hmmm, well the challenge with most overhead roundabout shots of auto-infrastructure is since bikes take up so little space that, unless it is jammed packed with bikes ( kzbin.info/www/bejne/pKXWi4airaikmbM ) it looks quite empty... that said, here is another overhead I shot in Nijmegen kzbin.infoii7E3-b5CIw?feature=share and here's another, better view of the same roundabout w/ over a half a million views: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fIOYnWdulM1oe9E Best of luck! Let me know how it goes. Cheers! John

[@amylang2602]

@@ActiveTowns those are very good. Thanks. My interest was piqued by the discussion in this video about the space requirements for roundabouts not being as large as most people think. I love roundabouts but always assumed they required a lot more space than an intersection with a stop light.

[@ActiveTowns]

@@amylang2602 Yeah, key is following the Dutch dimensions and keeping them to one lane in each direction. The biggest challenge with roundabout in North America is that they are primarily a safer intersection for drivers but not for people walking or biking. Wrong design and promoting too high of speed.