@@PatrickScheips no unlocking mechanism, it only looks solid but can be pushed down by any vehicle which wants to enter; Imagine if only buses and local service vehicles were equipped, but out of town vehicles which need to go into that street as well, wouldn't have a chance to enter it - like e.g. an ambulance, fire truck or tow truck
@@EnjoyFirefighting their are lots of places which have real locked poles, so I assumed they just use the same system across city/province borders and it would just work. So it would work in this case too.
@@autohmae most poles we have here have a uniform pole opening mechanism, however there are also poles which have an individual mechanism. In my response area alone there are like 5 different pole and gate locks which all require a different approach: keys, telephone numbers, pin codes , transponders etc
Dutch road designers and engineers really do lead the world with their innovative thinking. The emphasis on making urban environments pleasant for all is laudable. A proper 'hat tip' to all involved.
There are some seemingly small things that dutch road designers do correctly but are ignored here in the US, like putting the manholes in the middle of the street instead of middle of the bike lane. It makes riding bike much more comfortable.
I have never seen a manhole in the middle of a bike lane. You're gonna have to link a pic, because that it such an illogical thing I think you're lying.
@@TheRedStarman Lol, no I don't have to post a pic to convince a random commenter on YT. But if you really want to see, you're more than welcome to check out the bike lanes in San Francisco.
So many things to appreciate. 1. The prioritisation of walking and cycling ahead of motor vehicles in a central retail area. 2. The planning of a well thought out cycle infrastructure. 3. Greenery that is linking to the locality rather than just a contractor shoving whatever wherever. 4. A warning for drivers rather than an immediate fine along with a threat of higher fines if not paid quickly.
I like the one letter warning for naughty motorists. I really don't understand why we don't do it in Italy, it would help changing things for the better.
cause there isn't enough political power, people in the netherlands protested in a really hard way and eventually got attention and so did the ridiculous laws that're now changed for good.
Italians in general don't adhere to rules, so a single letter won't change that. It requires a general mindset change from Italians where they genuinely believe that it's not ok to get away with things if no one is looking.
@@XEinstein You are right. The all mentality has to change, but to receive a letter that says "You did this which is against the law. This is a warning, next time you'll be fined" it's a start and takes away the possibility to say "I didn't know", even if in Italy the law doesn't accept ignorance.
If only we could get Dutch guidelines in Australia. Perth is the only major city that has taken direct inspiration from NL, as Bicycle Dutch has reported. Since then, Melbourne and Sydney have changed a bit over the pandemic (mainly in CBDs), and they have better strategies for the future (not enough yet), as well as Hobart (which has stalled forever, but finally asked for federal funding because it is quite poor), Canberra (which is changing its planning policy now) is similar to Perth (but smaller) and has good goals but isn't yet as committed money-wise as Perth, and Brisbane just is quite slow.
I swear in Sydney they just reduce speed limits and had speed humps every 100 metres. In the end we have drivers going over speed limit bc speed limit is so not self enforcing and the speed humps are such a pain in the ass when they are every 100 metres…..
@@cityplanner3063 Yes, the whole country needs to establish national standardised guidelines so that our urban infrastructure designs aren't just haphazard or arbitrary, or like they've always been, reactionary within a closed framework. Traffic calming is a lot of things, and it needs to factor into the transport network of a region as a whole, such that the section of traffic calming is consistent with the goals of the surrounding areas, and it can sufficiently achieve them. Bicycle Dutch does have a lot of videos on traffic calming, and indeed, lots are based on human psychology and designing around, not just the car, but around people.
If only here in the USA too. The Dutch have it substantially figured out and yet our cities and states act like they are reinventing the wheel - often a really out of true, flat one - project by project, if at all.
@@JC-vq2cs I know, the whole destruction and contortions have been normalised so much. If it weren't for our collective domination of the automobile, racism, and then the boom of subsidised mass-produced housing for soldiers, then we may not have turned our cities into massive sinks for money and well-being. Now, since people know nothing else, it's defended like the status quo is always better (logical fallacy) and extreme selfishness is acceptable.
I cycled on that street a few months ago! It was already closed to cars, but only with the temporary measures. I can confirm that it was not the most pleasant of streets for cycling, but I am happy for the improvements that have happened since.
I felt more safe in the old situation than in the temporary one. Was knocked twice from my bicycle, once by an illegal car at high speed, once by the tail of a swerving bus. Did everything to avoid this street, even a detour that doubled the distance from home to center.
I loved seeing those cyclist use the sidewalk when the road was closed, and the cars ignoring the sign if it's not enforced. It shows that pleasant street are the result of good infrastructure and not cultural differences. So it can (and should) be applied everywhere.
It pays for itself. The reduced number of vehicle accidents is a huge win for society. There is really no reason for cars in city centers, except for some logistics outside of peak hours. In an ideal world, motorists would park their car at the edge of the center, which should be well connected with public transport, bike sharing, walking routes, etc. Yes, yes, there are some rough edges but those are solvable if we start thinking outside of what we're used to.
"will help pay for the street" Nah, taxes pay for the street. The fine is just there to deter people. Bike infrastructure is dirt cheap by the way. The Netherlands pays about €30 per person per year on bike infrastructure. That's not a lot of money, and the healthcare benefits of the added exercise alone already more than make up for it.
I am a great fan of cycling and pedal anywhere and everywhere in this notoriously crowded city of Mumbai. Trust me, it's so different to cycle everyday in a tropical climate, but yes, I enjoy every bit and save myself a lot of valuable time.
You mean the actuall work on the ground? It isn't that difficult with an exsisting road. You plan everything in advance make sure al the peaces are made and ready to be delivered on site and the actual work is done quit fast. Of course it took about 2 years from planning to completion so the project time was about the same. The pain for the citizens just a couple of weeks.
@@arturobianco848 In Arizona we got to tack on another year for environmental studies and add six months for utility relocation to take place. Then two years for the actual work. Other states and municipalities take up a lot less time on projects. It still takes time for the environmental study.
@@garcjr Those are important, thats the environmental studies. They can take a long time to here in the Netherlands. Fortunatly most of the current plans are basicly upgrades from existing roads so they just have to update the old ones takes a lot less time. Doens't mean that everything here goes as fast as this project. The replacement road around my town was delyaed for over 10 years because of civic procedures.. Fortunaltly the main complainer died and they could start.
I rather like those metal structures for the climbing plants to ramble over. Probably better than trees that can get broken when people are in "high spirits" after coming out of pubs and clubs. Amusing that both cyclists and car drivers are breaking the law, but the car drivers get the fines! I would have thought the bike white painted cycles on the red surface would have been a clue that it wasn't for cars, even if a visiting driver didn't notice the no vehicles sign (which isn't an excuse).
I can understand car drivers making the mistake, since there are many cycle streets in the Netherlands where cars can enter, but bicycles have priority. Therefore I think it's a very good idea to send car drivers a warning letter when they enter the street for the first time
This was done on a road near me too, it connect to the city near by, of course the city announced immediately they would not allowed their half of the road to be redone this way and said police will not enforce the rules there. My town now also doesn't care about their own half anymore and cyclists end up having to yield for cars on a road prioritized for cyclists.
I have like two streets in my college town that sorta meet the "before" situation, which is very pleasant for biking by USA standards. We are way behind here.
It will probable improve There are several parking earias close by and everybody likes to walk in a nice place. It used to be real shitty street when the hospital was still there now it looks like a part of the centre so people will go there more naturally. Edit i think its just over Het kanaal. that was street no cars really needed thats a real improvement.
In most pedestrianised (?) parts of the cities in NL businesses are doing better than before. In some cities business owners even asked the city to change their 'normal' streets into pedestrian area's.
A bus should stay behind the bicycle and go the same speed. The street is short, the delay minimal. And just like illegal cars, bus drivers should get a ticket for overtaking bicycles. The new design is safer than the temporary one, because buses swerved to the sides to avoid each other in the center lane, pushing bicycles to the edge, even crushing them against the side walk.
I understand they want to promote public transportation. But a lot of the problems bikers have is with public transportation, specifically buses. It is when they are off/on loading. They have many blind spots. And their turning radius 1:99 such they are such large vehicles is unfavorable to bikers. So maybe they should use smaller buses and restrict larger buses to bigger streets.
This is not really an issue in the Netherlands. This street has no bus stop as far as I can tell so the bus will stay behind the cyclists in front, and the cyclists behind the bus will stay behind the bus. When busses do come to a bus stop, there is almost always a dedicated cycle lane to the right of the bus stop so that the busses are nowhere near the cyclists. Hope this clarifies it a bit :)
@@Murkelsable interesting. Because in the states bike paths are always in the path of a bus stop. When a bus passes the cyclist (and they usually do), they literally cut off their line of sight. And when that bus makes it stop, it either forces the cyclist to stop or go into more dangerous traffic to maneuver around the bus. The cyclist never want to pass a bus on it right. So a cyclist have to be really experience dealing with buses, because buses have so many blind spots. And they often kill cyclists without knowing after it is too late.
@@qolspony The biggest problem in the states is, that the car (including busses) is the main thing. Although there are enough "flat" places to try to make the bike more popular, the car and gasoline lobby is to strong.....to change anything.....
@@qolspony In the Netherlands streets are designed a bit differently than in the US. Here the main priority is safety for everyone. It's so ingrained in our society, that when there is a traffic accident (not even necessarily a fatal accident) often a group of specialists is sent out to the accident site to analyse if they can make the road/intersection safer in any way to prevent further accidents. What you're describing is not safe for vulnerable road users. Therefore situations like that are rarely seen in the Netherlands. Bus stops and lanes are usually to the left of dedicated cycle lanes which are separated from the cars and busses by a divide (car parking, raised median or greenery usually). In places where bikes busses and cars do mix on a single road, speed limits are low (30 kph or 18.6 mph) and there is usually not enough space for traffic to overtake cyclists. Usually the busses won't have any stops in those types of roads for safety, and if they do, there is usually a safe way around the bus for cyclists and pedestrians. Of course there are always exceptions, and I'm certain there are also situations in my country that are unsafe when it comes to motor traffic and cyclists, but it's definitely not the norm.
It is a mess in the UK also.Many streets double parked no safe room for kids to play.Forget about cycling you will take your life in your hands.We communicate everything.Face book and all the other media's.But we still don't have the basic right.How to live in an environment.t we all feel safe in.Her in Hull Yorkshire we have a cycle lane in a bus lane.Councelor's who have lost the plot no clue.
How do you pronounce the name of that city? What does it mean? Forest? I've seen it on maps but it's such a strange spelling. Beautiful civic improvement.
The red paved streets in the Netherlands are bicycle streets where cars are allowed as “guest”. That means cars must drive slowly and cars may not hinder cyclist. In case of an accident the one driving the car is always the guilty party.
@@williamhuang8309 No, rubberish... and the foot had a 'jack in the box' spring. But because of lots of traffic the rubber around the spring gave way, the spring was stretched, so the bollard didn't go vertical anymore. They already had a local nick name and the municipality didn't want the international fame... and removed them quickly.
Such a great improvement, we need more of this. By the way, I want to make a video about the last mile in the Netherlands, and especially include bikes as well, would you be interested in a collab on this topic? I'm a big fan of Donkey Republic by the way, especially because of their subscriptions.
Why do all the new buildings in Netherlands look “modern”. Like I understand not using the same red brick style copy and pasted everywhere but like…look at a place like Zurich. So much diversity in architecture.
Most new architecture in Zurich looks more "modern" (white, boxy, slick, cold) in than 90% of new builds in the Netherlands. Of all the negative things you could have complained about comparing 's-Hertogenbosch to Zurich, the modern architecture really isn't one of them... In fact, plastered exterior facades here, like the one in the video, are actually very rare here (because of the climate and upkeep) while they are the norm in Central Europe. It's what makes a modern building look stark, square and boring (if you don't add details and decorations, which most new builds around the world generally don't). Googling 'neubau zurich' versus 'nieuwbouw den bosch' shows you that immediately. But you didn't google, you used assumed based on footage of 1 street lol.
Because every building was build as modern in the days it was build. Through centuries you get a variation from the 12th to the 21st century. This street, at the edge of the walled town, had a few temporary buildings. With the neutrality of NL in 1870 the defense works had to be flattened. This created an even surface between canal and remaining wall. This also enabled building outside the walls, so the street was planned to connect two new bridges. Around 1890 on both sides a row of houses were build for the 'lower middle class', with shops on the corners. But because of the unstable soil, the earth works had just been moved, the houses started to show cracks, even became that bad that they had to be closed for occupation. So they were demolished and new buildings in 1990's style were erected. Again on both sides in a single block. They have parts of brick, but also a lot of concrete. They scream 1990! When you cross the draw bridge, new housing has been build after a 1970 hospital was demolished, that area shows 2020 architecture, which is again different. Walking towards the market you can see 19th, 18th, 15th, 17th century buildings. This mix makes the city attractive. All those styles from different time periods. Looking at a building you sense when it was build. With all the 'modern' things of those days.
The new buildings definitely look bland and boring but that might just be a problem with modernist and brutalist architecture which I'd say makes sense since Brutalism was defacto invented by a French-Swiss communist called Le Corbusier and his base design inspired modernist architecture which has since taken over the world with it's largely ugly but utilitarian building design. Luckily where I live in London, GB I am not yet confronted with ugly modernist or brutalist architecture since most buildings were built before 2nd world war, cannot say the same for other places though e.g. most of the Netherlands Mainland...
The UK will follow... eventually.. and allow E-scooters & E-unicycles to join the bicycles... eventually... But we just don't have the infrastructure... or the imagination...
Better than before most definitely. This sort of change in street design is very lucrative for businesses because far more people will notice their shop and decide to step in if they walk or cycle than when they drive in a car, so the shops will increase in revenue not to mention the land value in such environment increases automatically.
Would have preferred for the metal structures used for the climbing plants to have been a different color. I realize it may have been chosen to look like a tree trunk, but to me it just looks like the structure is rusted. Apart from that it's pretty nice
I think it's cortensteel, so it ìs rust what you see (but stays like that, it's a thin protecting layer). It's pretty popular here, in all kinds of applications.
Is there a system of parallel streets for motor traffic? So not really taking away streets from drivers, but separating bikes from cars and give each their own route?
@@roemerderuiter9003 Because it's safer for everybody? Cars don't have to pass bikes, so can stay in their lane instead of partly heading into oncoming traffic. Bikes aren't pushed to the side of the street by close by passing cars.
Yes and no. There's a design policy/strategy to separate traffic types and make biking and public transport more practical: ua-cam.com/video/c1l75QqRR48/v-deo.html They do take away space from drivers but if you absolutely won't be swayed you can still reach most places (except the very busiest city centers) by car.
I love the 1 warning letter for drivers. It shows that the government/council/police want to teach people to drive better and understand that sometimes innocent mistakes are made and doesn't seem like a money grab. In the UK there are cameras everywhere for everything, especially in London and they can't wait to fine you the instant you make a mistake. I had 2 tickets in 1 day last week for misreading a parking sign and accidentally driving in a bus lane for 30 seconds because I didn't even see the sign! Crazy.
When you make the normal paths feel so unsafe, it's hard to convince someone that a shortcut is actually worse than the hazards faced by going around. At least here in the US.
@@rianfelis3156 in the netherlands the alternatives are usually pretty safe and sometimes you're even faster than trying to push your way along a broken up street, but people just refuse to take an alternative route.
Oh God ja, je bent er zo één. Fiets je ook op de markt tussen al de mensen? En natuurlijk is het niet erg om op de stoep te fietsen, want daar is het voor, niet om te lopen uiteraard. Je mag inderdaad ENORM trots op jezelf zijn. Applaus.
In 2012 the CROW (Dutch Infrastructure Regulation Organisation) actually published a guideline to help reduce the use of bollards in cycling infrastructure. Yes, bollards are a very cheap and easy way to block cars from cycling infrastructure. But in many cases it really isn't necessary to place them. Or there are better alternatives available, like the licence plate cameras seen in this video. We try to use less bollards because they can actually be very unsafe. A lot of one-sided crashes involving cyclists are caused by bollards. Because if it's dark, misty or busy people might not see them in time. Another issue with bollards is that they also block acces for salt spreading or emergency vehicles. Now to help emergency vehicles pass these bollards they have actual keys laying in their vehicles so they can remove the bollards by hand. But the problem is that this takes up valuable time. And there are still a lot of different types of locks circulation, so sometimes an emergency vehicle might not even have the correct key on hand. We do have retractable electric bollards with emergency vehicle, or public transport sensors. But they are quite expensive to place and maintain, and also not reliable a 100% of the time (since electronics can always find a way to misbehave). So we use these mostly in city shopping centers, where there are big cyclist/pedestrian-only zones.
@@christaaah Cycling two fellow cyclists separated just in front of me, there I was flying without a bicycle... I had pain in every part of my body after landing on the pavement, bicycle damaged, all because of a bollard to stop cars. It was raining and the bollard was placed there only a week before, didn't know it, didn't see it, but felt it. Because of intense bus traffic the electric bollards must be fast, quickly down, quickly up. There is a YT video of a car trying to follow a bus on 'de Heuvel' in Tilburg with a bollard piercing its motor block.
@@rutgerb simple car drivers arent considered people, but when you take the same person on a bike, wow a person appeared. Its this bullshit with dehumanizing car drivers, and doing pro bike changes telling that you are giving back space to people. Did the local residents got more space? Can now kids play on street? No so there is no more space for real people
Important thing to note, and needs to apply everywhere and not just on this street, that if the punishment for breaking the law is a fine, then it is illegal only for the poor. Fines need to be assessed according to income. The poor mother of 3, making min wage and have took the wrong way a couple of times, or needed this short cut, is not the one deserving of a $100 fine. The corporate manager brining home 120,000 a year who uses this because he can, deserves that and more. A fine equal to 1% of your income? Well, thats a nice $1,000 fine we just got from some jackass.
You shouldn't accidentally take the wrong way here several times. And need the shortcut is no excuse. If everyone has some kind of excuse to try in the bikeline then it would stop being a bike lane.
@@sevret313 You totally missed the point here. If the consequence is a fine, then it is legal for the rich and debilitating for the poor. It is an inequality that perpetrates poverty, even if they need to be an asshole and do everything wrong to drive down this path. If you fine something, it needs to scale or be linked to an income, not be a flat rate.
These buildings are required to have a rear entrance/exit in case of a fire. Which means that there is also a road behind these buildings. Tradesman will be able to use that entrance instead of this one. It is not like they did all this without taking delivery trucks into consideration. There are months of preparation before they actually start tearing up the road, so be not afraid.
@@gijs_k3737 Real people drive cars. If you see someone on a bike or a bus, it's because they are too stupid to operate an automobile. Why are we removing roads to put in a bike path? These city planners need to be hung by the neck until dead in the town square. If you live on that street, I still double your rate. Don't be afraid, just shut your face and pay up.
Valentin, believe me i live about 10 miles away from that street and used to work there. It ain't crippling anyone it might just look that way. The dutch thought like you did once to. The retailers send death treaths to politician who wanted this. Now they send send them if they don't do it 😉. Traffic all around flows better so even in a car you are faster then when everything was grid locked and its easy for public transport, cyclist and pedestrians. Besides the kwality of living and being there improved dramaticly. So just suck it up youre comment is plain wrong.
I live in one of the first bike friendly cities in france. But you, dutch people, are the best for cycling infrastructures. You're leading europe for that !
It's not just great for cycling. I had a family reunion yesterday and it was funny to see the big and diverse fleet of mobility vehicles the elderly and infirm parked. Elderly people living 0-10km from the location were all able to come and go as they pleased thanks to this infrastructure. It great for the independence for kids but it's even more important for the independence of the infirm. It's such a no brainer (certainly if you take the low cost into account).
I can confidently say the Dutch are undisputed masters in the built environment. Their engineers would have a really illustrious future of saving mankind from their manmade disasters: cars and rising sea levels.
Plenty of UK towns could learn a thing or two from this. We're not part of the stroad family, but we're still at the "there's a drop of paint on the dual carriageway, go cycle" stage. Hoping we go this way soon
Absolutely. ‘We’ve build hundreds of miles of cycle lanes’ … basically… We’ve pointlessly painted hundreds of miles of bicycles in the gutters that people can drive and park over.
The flex post didn't last long. The street was closed for 2 years, but the bollard lasted a month before the city took it out. If I remember correctly 1 time a bus driver tried to avoid it and ran into the concrete blocks, and an other time it was torn out with a bus. Furthermore it also could damage the underside of the bus.
The blocks and the bollard forced the buses to the center, but the street is bidirectional for buses, and they had to pass each other in the middle. The tail of the bus swiped bicyclist, like me, onto the side walk. Now they can only go straight forward and have to stay behind a bicycle, in theory...
![Stroads are Ugly, Expensive, and Dangerous (and they're everywhere) [ST05]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/ORzNZUeUHAM/mqdefault.jpg)
![Stroads are Ugly, Expensive, and Dangerous (and they're everywhere) [ST05]](/img/tr.png)
I can't imagine the anxiety the bus drivers had the first time they had to go over the fake road blocker pillar
Iirc there's a video of that on this channel too
[edit] Found it ua-cam.com/video/wTKVslYHgHo/v-deo.html [/edit]
I assume it's not fake and the bus driver has to unlock it remotely. Otherwise car drivers would find out very quickly and do the same "trick".
@@PatrickScheips no unlocking mechanism, it only looks solid but can be pushed down by any vehicle which wants to enter; Imagine if only buses and local service vehicles were equipped, but out of town vehicles which need to go into that street as well, wouldn't have a chance to enter it - like e.g. an ambulance, fire truck or tow truck
@@EnjoyFirefighting their are lots of places which have real locked poles, so I assumed they just use the same system across city/province borders and it would just work. So it would work in this case too.
@@autohmae most poles we have here have a uniform pole opening mechanism, however there are also poles which have an individual mechanism. In my response area alone there are like 5 different pole and gate locks which all require a different approach: keys, telephone numbers, pin codes , transponders etc
Dutch road designers and engineers really do lead the world with their innovative thinking. The emphasis on making urban environments pleasant for all is laudable. A proper 'hat tip' to all involved.
we've slowly designed a national standard design manual that evolved into a guide to build the perfect street.
I love how the street looks so much more beautiful, calm, and inviting after the changes. The new greenery will make it even nicer!
There are some seemingly small things that dutch road designers do correctly but are ignored here in the US, like putting the manholes in the middle of the street instead of middle of the bike lane. It makes riding bike much more comfortable.
I don't think that's the biggest problem when it comes to american cycling infrastructure lol (i get what you mean tho)
Agreed, this is like luxury but it can be easily implemented in the new infrastructures being made.
I have never seen a manhole in the middle of a bike lane. You're gonna have to link a pic, because that it such an illogical thing I think you're lying.
Please for the love of people can you Dutch export your ideas to the US? Send consultants! Send bikes!
@@TheRedStarman Lol, no I don't have to post a pic to convince a random commenter on YT. But if you really want to see, you're more than welcome to check out the bike lanes in San Francisco.
So many things to appreciate.
1. The prioritisation of walking and cycling ahead of motor vehicles in a central retail area.
2. The planning of a well thought out cycle infrastructure.
3. Greenery that is linking to the locality rather than just a contractor shoving whatever wherever.
4. A warning for drivers rather than an immediate fine along with a threat of higher fines if not paid quickly.
I like the one letter warning for naughty motorists. I really don't understand why we don't do it in Italy, it would help changing things for the better.
cause there isn't enough political power, people in the netherlands protested in a really hard way and eventually got attention and so did the ridiculous laws that're now changed for good.
Italians in general don't adhere to rules, so a single letter won't change that. It requires a general mindset change from Italians where they genuinely believe that it's not ok to get away with things if no one is looking.
@@XEinstein You are right. The all mentality has to change, but to receive a letter that says "You did this which is against the law. This is a warning, next time you'll be fined" it's a start and takes away the possibility to say "I didn't know", even if in Italy the law doesn't accept ignorance.
If only we could get Dutch guidelines in Australia.
Perth is the only major city that has taken direct inspiration from NL, as Bicycle Dutch has reported.
Since then, Melbourne and Sydney have changed a bit over the pandemic (mainly in CBDs), and they have better strategies for the future (not enough yet), as well as Hobart (which has stalled forever, but finally asked for federal funding because it is quite poor), Canberra (which is changing its planning policy now) is similar to Perth (but smaller) and has good goals but isn't yet as committed money-wise as Perth, and Brisbane just is quite slow.
I swear in Sydney they just reduce speed limits and had speed humps every 100 metres. In the end we have drivers going over speed limit bc speed limit is so not self enforcing and the speed humps are such a pain in the ass when they are every 100 metres…..
@@cityplanner3063 Yes, the whole country needs to establish national standardised guidelines so that our urban infrastructure designs aren't just haphazard or arbitrary, or like they've always been, reactionary within a closed framework.
Traffic calming is a lot of things, and it needs to factor into the transport network of a region as a whole, such that the section of traffic calming is consistent with the goals of the surrounding areas, and it can sufficiently achieve them.
Bicycle Dutch does have a lot of videos on traffic calming, and indeed, lots are based on human psychology and designing around, not just the car, but around people.
If only here in the USA too. The Dutch have it substantially figured out and yet our cities and states act like they are reinventing the wheel - often a really out of true, flat one - project by project, if at all.
@@JC-vq2cs I know, the whole destruction and contortions have been normalised so much.
If it weren't for our collective domination of the automobile, racism, and then the boom of subsidised mass-produced housing for soldiers, then we may not have turned our cities into massive sinks for money and well-being.
Now, since people know nothing else, it's defended like the status quo is always better (logical fallacy) and extreme selfishness is acceptable.
Not to mention the USA...never ending kingom of bigger and bigger cars and texting drivers.
1:12 Seeing that bus run over that pole was a trip. What an ingenious solutions to keep private cars out.
I cycled on that street a few months ago! It was already closed to cars, but only with the temporary measures. I can confirm that it was not the most pleasant of streets for cycling, but I am happy for the improvements that have happened since.
I felt more safe in the old situation than in the temporary one. Was knocked twice from my bicycle, once by an illegal car at high speed, once by the tail of a swerving bus. Did everything to avoid this street, even a detour that doubled the distance from home to center.
1:12 I though that metal pole was going to destroy the bus when it looked like it was going to run over it.
I was expecting it to drop down. I think the bus driver assumed the same!
One bus did try to run over the concrete block on that road. Did not go well for the bus...
I loved seeing those cyclist use the sidewalk when the road was closed, and the cars ignoring the sign if it's not enforced. It shows that pleasant street are the result of good infrastructure and not cultural differences. So it can (and should) be applied everywhere.
1:12 I got a little scared for a second.. was not expecting that!
Love the automatic ticketing, will help pay for the street.
It pays for itself. The reduced number of vehicle accidents is a huge win for society.
There is really no reason for cars in city centers, except for some logistics outside of peak hours.
In an ideal world, motorists would park their car at the edge of the center, which should be well connected with public transport, bike sharing, walking routes, etc.
Yes, yes, there are some rough edges but those are solvable if we start thinking outside of what we're used to.
"will help pay for the street"
Nah, taxes pay for the street. The fine is just there to deter people.
Bike infrastructure is dirt cheap by the way. The Netherlands pays about €30 per person per year on bike infrastructure. That's not a lot of money, and the healthcare benefits of the added exercise alone already more than make up for it.
I am a great fan of cycling and pedal anywhere and everywhere in this notoriously crowded city of Mumbai. Trust me, it's so different to cycle everyday in a tropical climate, but yes, I enjoy every bit and save myself a lot of valuable time.
It took two months to complete? In Tucson, AZ that's at least a two year project.
The sign at 0:30 says: road closed from march 9th till april 22nd that means 6 weeks....😀
cause it's a city. most of the street project in the netherlands also take more than 1 year.
You mean the actuall work on the ground? It isn't that difficult with an exsisting road. You plan everything in advance make sure al the peaces are made and ready to be delivered on site and the actual work is done quit fast. Of course it took about 2 years from planning to completion so the project time was about the same. The pain for the citizens just a couple of weeks.
@@arturobianco848 In Arizona we got to tack on another year for environmental studies and add six months for utility relocation to take place. Then two years for the actual work. Other states and municipalities take up a lot less time on projects. It still takes time for the environmental study.
@@garcjr Those are important, thats the environmental studies. They can take a long time to here in the Netherlands. Fortunatly most of the current plans are basicly upgrades from existing roads so they just have to update the old ones takes a lot less time.
Doens't mean that everything here goes as fast as this project. The replacement road around my town was delyaed for over 10 years because of civic procedures..
Fortunaltly the main complainer died and they could start.
Strak straatje, moet maar weer eens een Bosche Bol gaan scoren en een rondje binnenstad meepikken.
I watch the "likely future" of my city in this channel. Thanks for you inspiration and work
Looks like the residents campaigned to have it changed, and the government listened. See the poster on the left at 1:05
Language Police reporting for duty - This street has been OPENED to people :) This street was CLOSED to people before now it is OPEN
Love the channel, especially when you explain what's going on .
I rather like those metal structures for the climbing plants to ramble over. Probably better than trees that can get broken when people are in "high spirits" after coming out of pubs and clubs.
Amusing that both cyclists and car drivers are breaking the law, but the car drivers get the fines! I would have thought the bike white painted cycles on the red surface would have been a clue that it wasn't for cars, even if a visiting driver didn't notice the no vehicles sign (which isn't an excuse).
I can understand car drivers making the mistake, since there are many cycle streets in the Netherlands where cars can enter, but bicycles have priority. Therefore I think it's a very good idea to send car drivers a warning letter when they enter the street for the first time
Trees are not out lawed. Damaging a tree can cost you ten thousands of euros.
Trees don't get damaged by drunk people in the Netherlands though. That is what busstops are for
This is what we need in Canada. At least in Gatineau Québec where I live. I use a motorised wheelchair. The sidewalks, bike paths are a disaster.
A very very expensive toll road for cars ;-)
yes some will probably treat it as that. The rich waste so much $ because I guess they can.
Que seja feito cada vez mais investimentos para facilitar esse espetacular meio de transporte
Falta o Brasil seguir esse modelo né
Beautiful, greetings from your southern neighbor!
This was done on a road near me too, it connect to the city near by, of course the city announced immediately they would not allowed their half of the road to be redone this way and said police will not enforce the rules there. My town now also doesn't care about their own half anymore and cyclists end up having to yield for cars on a road prioritized for cyclists.
Awesome transformation! Congratulations!
What's sad is that the 'before' footage looks like a slow side street I would use on a bike to avoid car traffic here in North America 😕
I have like two streets in my college town that sorta meet the "before" situation, which is very pleasant for biking by USA standards. We are way behind here.
Look how pleasant that street has become! I'm curious how this effects the businesses there.
they answered that in the video...
It will probable improve There are several parking earias close by and everybody likes to walk in a nice place. It used to be real shitty street when the hospital was still there now it looks like a part of the centre so people will go there more naturally. Edit i think its just over Het kanaal. that was street no cars really needed thats a real improvement.
I don’t think it will really decline. There was no parking in that street in the old situation so you had to walk there anyway.
In most pedestrianised (?) parts of the cities in NL businesses are doing better than before. In some cities business owners even asked the city to change their 'normal' streets into pedestrian area's.
it looks so nice :)
I wished they fixed the: "Zoutmanstraat" located in the city The Hague.
Its a nightmare since the 60's or even earlier.
But is it not uncomfortable to have big buses in the same lane with bicycles? I like bus but I am only thinking from safety perspective.
A bus should stay behind the bicycle and go the same speed. The street is short, the delay minimal.
And just like illegal cars, bus drivers should get a ticket for overtaking bicycles.
The new design is safer than the temporary one, because buses swerved to the sides to avoid each other in the center lane, pushing bicycles to the edge, even crushing them against the side walk.
There arent buses 24/7
Way to go!
It’s so much calmer and quieter… peace…
All Western countries need to coppy the Nederlands in regard to city design. But not achitecture, modernism sucks.
Their are lots of world known Dutch architects though, it's just about what you ask them to design I guess.
@@autohmae And from my expirience they suck. Id be fine with coppying medival duch architecture not modern one.
Modern buildings have no charme and soul, i agree with you on that.
Way forward
More space for people and green? The Dutch are truly mad!
We should’ve bulldozed those buildings and made a 6 lane road for cars only, but this okay I guess
I understand they want to promote public transportation. But a lot of the problems bikers have is with public transportation, specifically buses. It is when they are off/on loading. They have many blind spots. And their turning radius 1:99 such they are such large vehicles is unfavorable to bikers. So maybe they should use smaller buses and restrict larger buses to bigger streets.
This is not really an issue in the Netherlands. This street has no bus stop as far as I can tell so the bus will stay behind the cyclists in front, and the cyclists behind the bus will stay behind the bus.
When busses do come to a bus stop, there is almost always a dedicated cycle lane to the right of the bus stop so that the busses are nowhere near the cyclists.
Hope this clarifies it a bit :)
@@Murkelsable interesting. Because in the states bike paths are always in the path of a bus stop. When a bus passes the cyclist (and they usually do), they literally cut off their line of sight. And when that bus makes it stop, it either forces the cyclist to stop or go into more dangerous traffic to maneuver around the bus. The cyclist never want to pass a bus on it right.
So a cyclist have to be really experience dealing with buses, because buses have so many blind spots. And they often kill cyclists without knowing after it is too late.
ua-cam.com/video/2Pvhkx0153k/v-deo.html
@@qolspony The biggest problem in the states is, that the car (including busses) is the main thing. Although there are enough "flat" places to try to make the bike more popular, the car and gasoline lobby is to strong.....to change anything.....
@@qolspony In the Netherlands streets are designed a bit differently than in the US. Here the main priority is safety for everyone.
It's so ingrained in our society, that when there is a traffic accident (not even necessarily a fatal accident) often a group of specialists is sent out to the accident site to analyse if they can make the road/intersection safer in any way to prevent further accidents.
What you're describing is not safe for vulnerable road users. Therefore situations like that are rarely seen in the Netherlands. Bus stops and lanes are usually to the left of dedicated cycle lanes which are separated from the cars and busses by a divide (car parking, raised median or greenery usually).
In places where bikes busses and cars do mix on a single road, speed limits are low (30 kph or 18.6 mph) and there is usually not enough space for traffic to overtake cyclists.
Usually the busses won't have any stops in those types of roads for safety, and if they do, there is usually a safe way around the bus for cyclists and pedestrians.
Of course there are always exceptions, and I'm certain there are also situations in my country that are unsafe when it comes to motor traffic and cyclists, but it's definitely not the norm.
It is a mess in the UK also.Many streets double parked no safe room for kids to play.Forget about cycling you will take your life in your hands.We communicate everything.Face book and all the other media's.But we still don't have the basic right.How to live in an environment.t we all feel safe in.Her in Hull Yorkshire we have a cycle lane in a bus lane.Councelor's who have lost the plot no clue.
"Fietsers moeten afstap"... it's me, I'm the idiot who glides through.
You actually did?.
@@Zoza15 Not in this video, but yes in life.
@@amcaesar Burgerlijke ongehoorzaamheid.
Can't translate it well enough.
@@dutchman7623 Citizen/Civil disobedience.
@@dutchman7623 Hah! Yes...
Look my Strava !
So now it's a ludicrously expensive toll road.
Wow only the dutch
Good thing they did this but to be honest i hardly recognized it anymore haven't been there since the andemic
Llke dutch people cycling. From thailand.
How do you pronounce the name of that city? What does it mean? Forest?
I've seen it on maps but it's such a strange spelling.
Beautiful civic improvement.
''s-Hertogenbosch, the Duke's Forest...
Or shorten it and say it the Dutch way; Den Bosch
Dutch pronunciation: ˌsɛrtoːɣə(m)ˈbɔs
Hooray! :D
Please send some of those cameras to the US, we desperately need them
Wouldn't work in the USA.
There you are allowed to drive without a registration plate on the front, and the one on the rear can't be read.
Kapan ya indonesia jg spt ini.pasti bebas polusi en udara bersih..d indonesia malas berjalan atau bersepeda.smua pke sepeda motor..😪
The red paved streets in the Netherlands are bicycle streets where cars are allowed as “guest”. That means cars must drive slowly and cars may not hinder cyclist. In case of an accident the one driving the car is always the guilty party.
Here is just had a forbidden sign so cars are not allowed at all.
1:15 that bus just yeets the bollard out of the way
It was a flexible rubber 'thing' that lasted a few weeks.
@@dutchman7623 I initially thought it was a normal bollard that was mounted on a hinge.
@@williamhuang8309 No, rubberish... and the foot had a 'jack in the box' spring.
But because of lots of traffic the rubber around the spring gave way, the spring was stretched, so the bollard didn't go vertical anymore. They already had a local nick name and the municipality didn't want the international fame... and removed them quickly.
@@dutchman7623 for some reason, I can imagine what the local nickname for a limp bollard would be! 💀
It looks like the exceptions plates are too small.
Great vid
Such a great improvement, we need more of this.
By the way, I want to make a video about the last mile in the Netherlands, and especially include bikes as well, would you be interested in a collab on this topic? I'm a big fan of Donkey Republic by the way, especially because of their subscriptions.
1:14 Poor bollard.
That is meant to happen...
🙋🏼♀
Why do all the new buildings in Netherlands look “modern”. Like I understand not using the same red brick style copy and pasted everywhere but like…look at a place like Zurich. So much diversity in architecture.
Most new architecture in Zurich looks more "modern" (white, boxy, slick, cold) in than 90% of new builds in the Netherlands. Of all the negative things you could have complained about comparing 's-Hertogenbosch to Zurich, the modern architecture really isn't one of them...
In fact, plastered exterior facades here, like the one in the video, are actually very rare here (because of the climate and upkeep) while they are the norm in Central Europe. It's what makes a modern building look stark, square and boring (if you don't add details and decorations, which most new builds around the world generally don't).
Googling 'neubau zurich' versus 'nieuwbouw den bosch' shows you that immediately. But you didn't google, you used assumed based on footage of 1 street lol.
Because every building was build as modern in the days it was build. Through centuries you get a variation from the 12th to the 21st century. This street, at the edge of the walled town, had a few temporary buildings. With the neutrality of NL in 1870 the defense works had to be flattened. This created an even surface between canal and remaining wall. This also enabled building outside the walls, so the street was planned to connect two new bridges. Around 1890 on both sides a row of houses were build for the 'lower middle class', with shops on the corners. But because of the unstable soil, the earth works had just been moved, the houses started to show cracks, even became that bad that they had to be closed for occupation. So they were demolished and new buildings in 1990's style were erected. Again on both sides in a single block.
They have parts of brick, but also a lot of concrete. They scream 1990!
When you cross the draw bridge, new housing has been build after a 1970 hospital was demolished, that area shows 2020 architecture, which is again different. Walking towards the market you can see 19th, 18th, 15th, 17th century buildings.
This mix makes the city attractive. All those styles from different time periods. Looking at a building you sense when it was build. With all the 'modern' things of those days.
The new buildings definitely look bland and boring but that might just be a problem with modernist and brutalist architecture which I'd say makes sense since Brutalism was defacto invented by a French-Swiss communist called Le Corbusier and his base design inspired modernist architecture which has since taken over the world with it's largely ugly but utilitarian building design. Luckily where I live in London, GB I am not yet confronted with ugly modernist or brutalist architecture since most buildings were built before 2nd world war, cannot say the same for other places though e.g. most of the Netherlands Mainland...
@@wclifton968gameplaystutorials A too idiotic comment to respond to.
They don't but this fits in nicely with some of the other buildings that are build latly
The UK will follow... eventually.. and allow E-scooters & E-unicycles to join the bicycles... eventually...
But we just don't have the infrastructure... or the imagination...
I hope that there is a bridge close for drivers to use.
I wonder how businesses are doing?
Better than before most definitely. This sort of change in street design is very lucrative for businesses because far more people will notice their shop and decide to step in if they walk or cycle than when they drive in a car, so the shops will increase in revenue not to mention the land value in such environment increases automatically.
I wish the was a street only for skippyballs.
Your closed street is no match for my bike! I'll just pick it up and walk trough the sand, ha!
Would have preferred for the metal structures used for the climbing plants to have been a different color. I realize it may have been chosen to look like a tree trunk, but to me it just looks like the structure is rusted. Apart from that it's pretty nice
I think it's cortensteel, so it ìs rust what you see (but stays like that, it's a thin protecting layer). It's pretty popular here, in all kinds of applications.
After a couple of years it will be totally overgrown, so you won't see the majority of the metal structure anymore! ✌🏼
👍😉🚲💙💛🌻
Is there a system of parallel streets for motor traffic? So not really taking away streets from drivers, but separating bikes from cars and give each their own route?
But why?
@@roemerderuiter9003 Because it's safer for everybody? Cars don't have to pass bikes, so can stay in their lane instead of partly heading into oncoming traffic. Bikes aren't pushed to the side of the street by close by passing cars.
Yes and no. There's a design policy/strategy to separate traffic types and make biking and public transport more practical: ua-cam.com/video/c1l75QqRR48/v-deo.html They do take away space from drivers but if you absolutely won't be swayed you can still reach most places (except the very busiest city centers) by car.
There are through streets for cars within 700 m on either side
I love the 1 warning letter for drivers. It shows that the government/council/police want to teach people to drive better and understand that sometimes innocent mistakes are made and doesn't seem like a money grab. In the UK there are cameras everywhere for everything, especially in London and they can't wait to fine you the instant you make a mistake. I had 2 tickets in 1 day last week for misreading a parking sign and accidentally driving in a bus lane for 30 seconds because I didn't even see the sign! Crazy.
Warning letter? Are you kidding me? They should fine immediately, not send a warning.
I love how these cyclists ignored the closed streets. So dutch. And yes, im also guilty of this. If there is a way to take a shortcut, I will take it!
When you make the normal paths feel so unsafe, it's hard to convince someone that a shortcut is actually worse than the hazards faced by going around. At least here in the US.
@@rianfelis3156 in the netherlands the alternatives are usually pretty safe and sometimes you're even faster than trying to push your way along a broken up street, but people just refuse to take an alternative route.
Oh God ja, je bent er zo één. Fiets je ook op de markt tussen al de mensen? En natuurlijk is het niet erg om op de stoep te fietsen, want daar is het voor, niet om te lopen uiteraard. Je mag inderdaad ENORM trots op jezelf zijn. Applaus.
What about some bollards?
dangerous
In 2012 the CROW (Dutch Infrastructure Regulation Organisation) actually published a guideline to help reduce the use of bollards in cycling infrastructure.
Yes, bollards are a very cheap and easy way to block cars from cycling infrastructure. But in many cases it really isn't necessary to place them. Or there are better alternatives available, like the licence plate cameras seen in this video.
We try to use less bollards because they can actually be very unsafe. A lot of one-sided crashes involving cyclists are caused by bollards. Because if it's dark, misty or busy people might not see them in time.
Another issue with bollards is that they also block acces for salt spreading or emergency vehicles. Now to help emergency vehicles pass these bollards they have actual keys laying in their vehicles so they can remove the bollards by hand. But the problem is that this takes up valuable time. And there are still a lot of different types of locks circulation, so sometimes an emergency vehicle might not even have the correct key on hand.
We do have retractable electric bollards with emergency vehicle, or public transport sensors. But they are quite expensive to place and maintain, and also not reliable a 100% of the time (since electronics can always find a way to misbehave). So we use these mostly in city shopping centers, where there are big cyclist/pedestrian-only zones.
@@christaaah thank you!
@@christaaah Cycling two fellow cyclists separated just in front of me, there I was flying without a bicycle...
I had pain in every part of my body after landing on the pavement, bicycle damaged, all because of a bollard to stop cars. It was raining and the bollard was placed there only a week before, didn't know it, didn't see it, but felt it.
Because of intense bus traffic the electric bollards must be fast, quickly down, quickly up.
There is a YT video of a car trying to follow a bus on 'de Heuvel' in Tilburg with a bollard piercing its motor block.
And bollards with a big yellow sign at the top and reflectives?
There are not really more space for pedestrians
How much more room do you need for walking? I mean it looks like its around 1,7 meter
@@nickvdb9196 whole street, they didnt give any room to people just switched space from cars to bicycles.
@@KubicaMr that is an unique perspective you have there.
@@rutgerb
simple
car drivers arent considered people, but when you take the same person on a bike, wow a person appeared.
Its this bullshit with dehumanizing car drivers, and doing pro bike changes telling that you are giving back space to people. Did the local residents got more space? Can now kids play on street? No so there is no more space for real people
@@KubicaMr everything you write is wrong. Have fun with yourself.
Important thing to note, and needs to apply everywhere and not just on this street, that if the punishment for breaking the law is a fine, then it is illegal only for the poor. Fines need to be assessed according to income. The poor mother of 3, making min wage and have took the wrong way a couple of times, or needed this short cut, is not the one deserving of a $100 fine. The corporate manager brining home 120,000 a year who uses this because he can, deserves that and more. A fine equal to 1% of your income? Well, thats a nice $1,000 fine we just got from some jackass.
You shouldn't accidentally take the wrong way here several times. And need the shortcut is no excuse. If everyone has some kind of excuse to try in the bikeline then it would stop being a bike lane.
@@sevret313 You totally missed the point here. If the consequence is a fine, then it is legal for the rich and debilitating for the poor. It is an inequality that perpetrates poverty, even if they need to be an asshole and do everything wrong to drive down this path.
If you fine something, it needs to scale or be linked to an income, not be a flat rate.
Well now that you've blocked all the tradesman from driving a work truck down your street, I hope your toilet plugs up solid.
How green indeed.
I found it! The dumbest comment!
Dunno where you got that from, such trucks either get permission, or don't have to park that close.
@@Erik-ou3tl If I need to get permission, my rate just doubled. It's green after all.
These buildings are required to have a rear entrance/exit in case of a fire. Which means that there is also a road behind these buildings. Tradesman will be able to use that entrance instead of this one. It is not like they did all this without taking delivery trucks into consideration.
There are months of preparation before they actually start tearing up the road, so be not afraid.
@@gijs_k3737 Real people drive cars. If you see someone on a bike or a bus, it's because they are too stupid to operate an automobile. Why are we removing roads to put in a bike path? These city planners need to be hung by the neck until dead in the town square.
If you live on that street, I still double your rate. Don't be afraid, just shut your face and pay up.
The solution for people wanting this is to move to the Netherlands, not to cripple the entire world with these 'innovations'.
Valentin, believe me i live about 10 miles away from that street and used to work there. It ain't crippling anyone it might just look that way. The dutch thought like you did once to. The retailers send death treaths to politician who wanted this. Now they send send them if they don't do it 😉. Traffic all around flows better so even in a car you are faster then when everything was grid locked and its easy for public transport, cyclist and pedestrians. Besides the kwality of living and being there improved dramaticly. So just suck it up youre comment is plain wrong.
@@arturobianco848 Exactly! I hear the Netherlands is one of the best countries for drivers, as well!
I love this
seeing the bus run over the bollard threw me off for a sec, clever.
I live in one of the first bike friendly cities in france. But you, dutch people, are the best for cycling infrastructures. You're leading europe for that !
It's not just great for cycling. I had a family reunion yesterday and it was funny to see the big and diverse fleet of mobility vehicles the elderly and infirm parked. Elderly people living 0-10km from the location were all able to come and go as they pleased thanks to this infrastructure. It great for the independence for kids but it's even more important for the independence of the infirm. It's such a no brainer (certainly if you take the low cost into account).
''You're leading europe for that !''
Nope, the world.
I can confidently say the Dutch are undisputed masters in the built environment. Their engineers would have a really illustrious future of saving mankind from their manmade disasters: cars and rising sea levels.
Plenty of UK towns could learn a thing or two from this. We're not part of the stroad family, but we're still at the "there's a drop of paint on the dual carriageway, go cycle" stage. Hoping we go this way soon
Absolutely.
‘We’ve build hundreds of miles of cycle lanes’
… basically…
We’ve pointlessly painted hundreds of miles of bicycles in the gutters that people can drive and park over.
Wonder why they didn't keep the flex post as a signal for cars to stay out...
Fines are more profitable.
It ist still a security hazard for bikes. In the middle of a bike street...
The flex post didn't last long. The street was closed for 2 years, but the bollard lasted a month before the city took it out. If I remember correctly 1 time a bus driver tried to avoid it and ran into the concrete blocks, and an other time it was torn out with a bus. Furthermore it also could damage the underside of the bus.
@@dennisverweij4817 I'd imagine it would be pretty bad if the bus reversed while on top of the bollard!
The blocks and the bollard forced the buses to the center, but the street is bidirectional for buses, and they had to pass each other in the middle. The tail of the bus swiped bicyclist, like me, onto the side walk.
Now they can only go straight forward and have to stay behind a bicycle, in theory...
Bravo!
Bruh it's just one street in the entire city