Bicycles in Amsterdam

Last year I was in Amsterdam and was intrigued by their bicycle culture, so I took a few photographs. To tell you more about Amsterdam’s bikes, here are some headlines from “19 interesting facts about bicycles in Amsterdam” (Amsterdam Hangout, September 2019): 

– 1. There are over 881,000 bikes in Amsterdam. 

– 2. The number of bikes is four times the number of cars. 

– 3. Statistically, each resident of Amsterdam owns at least 1.5 bikes.

 – 4. The most popular type of bicycle on Amsterdam’s streets is the traditional Omafjets (see blue bike in photos). 

– 5. 35% of trips daily in Amsterdam are by bike. 

– 6. 60% of Amsterdammers use their bike every day. 

– 10. Amsterdam has a wide network of traffic-calmed streets. 

– 13. Amsterdam has currently over 400 kilometers of bicycle paths. (Read more from the hyperlink above.)

Modified e-cargo bike to deliver parcels for DPD in the UK

DPD's e-cargo bike (Source: The Driven)

“DPD and Electric Assisted Vehicles Limited (EAV) have launched a sustainable initiative that will see parcels delivered by the new Project 1 (P1) e-cargo bike in July 2019. Launched at the eBike Summit in Oxford, UK on April 10 [2019], the new P1 scheme focuses on neutralizing DPD’s carbon footprint through the use of e-cargo bikes in the UK.” (Parcel and Post Technology International).

The electric bike, devised in Oxfordshire, is designed to carry many parcels that can be easily accessed. Such a zero-carbon vehicle will be useful in the Ultra Low Emission Zone in London and help other UK cities reduce carbon emissions. They will also assist the UK to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

Read more:
- DPD and EAV launch e-cargo bike initiative. Parcel and Post Technology International, April 16, 2019.
- Electric assisted cargo bike rethinks delivery van. The Driven, August 5, 2019.

Berlin’s e-cargo bike subsidy exhausted in one day

An e-cargo bike, Germany. Photo: DPA (Source TheLocal.de)

The Berlin €90,000 budget for individuals to buy electric bikes built to help carry objects or other people has been completely exhausted in one day, the Senate Department for Transport reported. There is a further budget of €110,000 for commercial and community organisations wanting to apply for e-cargo bike subsidies.

The state government wants to win over more road users to make the switch to “environmentally friendly, quiet and space-saving” bicycles. The e-cargo bikes can handle situations where a car previously seemed indispensable. Parcel and other services are also looking for alternatives to stinking, large delivery vans, such as the e-cargo bike.

A desire to go green has been key to the rise of electric and manual cargo bikes in a country where dozens of smog-choked cities are considering diesel driving bans to combat air pollution. Berlin joins a growing group of German cities, counties and federal states that are supporting the switch to environmentally friendly transport options. These include Munich, Heidelberg, Regensburg, Bamberg and Baden-Württemberg.

Read more:
Berlin buyers exhaust EV cargo bike funding in just one day. RenewEconomy, July 10, 2018.
Pedal power: the rise and rise of cargo bikes in Germany. TheLocal.de, May 2, 2018.
European Cycle Logistics Program Symposium in Berlin. April 13, 2018.

See also in this blog: Copenhagen’s bicycle culture.

Copenhagen's bicycle culture

Bicycles crossing in the early morning at one traffic light change. Such traffic crossed time after time.

With the import tax on cars being from 100-180% in Denmark, car ownership is low and bicycle use is high. It is such that in Copenhagen there are more bicycles than people. Thus cycling is the most popular means of transport with 1.2 million kilometres covered daily by cyclists in the city, where cycle tracks are an integrated part of the traffic design (see below).

When talking to one enthusiastic rider, she said she was proud of the fact that she has ridden to work everyday, including winter, for the last two years without resorting to using The Metro. Below are some recent photographs of cycling in Copenhagen.

Bikes in Copenhagen (photos by Julie May)

Left: Footpaths and bike lanes are wide. Right: Road lanes L to R: pedestrians, bikes, vehicles, vehicles, bikes, pedestrians (J May)

Left: Small traffic lights for bikes. Right: RH turning lane for bikes and riders use hand signals. (J May)

See also in this blog:
Berlin’s e-cargo bike subsidy exhausted in one day.
Electric car-sharing in Copenhagen.