StreetFilms

Biking a Dutch Cycle Superhighway

It's no secret that the Dutch have the best bicycle infrastructure on Earth. And it keeps getting better. I recently got to ride the Arnhem-Nijmegen Cycle Superhighway. Imagine being able to bike 11 miles between two downtowns and not have to stop once for cars -- that's what the superhighway provides.

By Clarence Eckerson Jr.

2:58 PM PDT on June 20, 2017

It’s no secret that the Dutch have the best bicycle infrastructure on Earth. And it keeps getting better.

While attending the Velo-city 2017 conference in the Netherlands, I got to ride the Arnhem-Nijmegen Cycle Superhighway. Imagine being able to bike 11 miles between two downtowns and not have to stop once for cars — that is what the superhighway provides.

The Arnhem-Nijmegen route is one of a few cycle superhighways in the region. I brought my camera along on one group ride and got to chat with Sjors van Duren, the program director for Velo-city 2017, about what makes it attractive compared to car travel.

Interestingly, there was already a bike route between the cities of Arnhem and Nijmegen when the cycle superhighway was built. It’s perfectly safe and usable — a stellar piece of infrastructure that I would welcome with open arms here in NYC. But it has several junctions where you need to come to a full stop. That’s where the cycle superhighway comes in.

So watch this Streetfilm and get the tour. By the time it’s over you’ll want a cycle superhighway for your hometown.