Netherlands invests €245 million to get more commuters on their bikes

Local authorities and councils in the Netherlands have invested €245 million in a national plan to persuade an extra 200,000 to take their bike to work.

According to Dutch News, the plan involves the construction of 15 fast bike routes throughout the country in order to avoid delays at traffic lights, as well as 25,000 additional bike parking spaces.

Bike parks at Amsterdam’s Central Station, Heerlen Station and Rotterdam Central Station will be expanded, with another 53 existing parking facilities also being improved.

Junior infrastructure minister Stientje van Veldhoven said: “The Dutch Cycle a lot but nevertheless, more than half the car journeys we make are shorter than 7.5 kilometres. There is a lot to be won. If everyone who could cycle did so, it would make a tremendous difference, including to traffic jams.”

Although, research coming from the Netherlands has shown mileage by bike to be outstripping mileage by car in some 71 out of 76 surveyed municipalities on journeys of up to 7.5km.

In June last year, the government pledged €100 million to the project. According to the Dutch ministry, there are around 23 million bikes in the Netherlands, for a population of just over 17 million.