Descrição

‘I want to ride my bicycle, I want to ride my bike’. Queen’s ‘Bicycle race’ could easily be the
Dutch national anthem. That’s how much and how often we use our bicycles.
Why? Because cycling means arriving at work, school or the gym in a more alert frame of
mind, feeling creative and positive. So I hope that this brochure will help boost the number of
kilometres cycled worldwide.
The Netherlands has a great cycling reputation, but cycling is currently trendy all over the world.
In many countries, the bicycle is becoming more and more important, in traffic as well as in
transport policy.
Here are some very good reasons why:
One: it improves the flow of traffic in towns. The bicycle does not take up much room, either on
the road or when parked and travels flexibly from door to door. The bicycle oils the wheels of the
municipal traffic system. Two: cycling and walking are by far the most sustainable way of getting
around. No emissions, no noise. Three: cycling is healthy, making it easy to get your vital daily
exercise. If you cycle, you not only combat obesity, you also help prevent heart disease, diabetes
and cancer. It makes people fitter and more alert.
Other countries regularly ask the Netherlands to help them shape their own bicycle policy.
We welcome such requests, because we want to contribute to a more sustainable, cleaner,
healthier and more efficient transport system. With this brochure, for example, which introduces
you to cycling in the Netherlands.
After the successful last edition, we now present the new, updated edition. We also invite you
to visit the website www.fietsberaad.org or www.bicyclecouncil.org where you will find lots of
information about cycling in the Netherlands and experiences in other countries, presented in a
clear and well organised way.