Dave
Assen....my favourite town in Holland (well, next to Amsterdam), and one
I've lived and worked in since the mid-70's.
I went on Dave's tour earlier this year, the first one he'd organised, as I
recall. Those tour's were pitched more to the cycle campaigner than
academic or planner. That said I talked through some ideas which I believe
he's taken on board.
There's some wider planning perspectives that are useful, including that
fact that Assen has achieved progressive improvement in the urban and
transport environment despite the population growing from ca. 25,000 in the
60's to the present 62,000. This must also be set against increases in
wealth and car ownership in the Netherlands over the period.
There's a fair amount of information, including pictorial, of the changes in
the town centre, and the general town environment, over the years which make
visual comparisons with the corresponding development of town centres in the
UK very telling.
I'd also directed David to Greg Ashworth, a Brit. who is Professor of
Planning at Groningen University, which I hope he's taken up on. There's
also some interesting stuff on funding including what looks like a dutch
version of the Cycling Towns kind of scheme....although it's a much wider
concept over there.
It's a trip to be commended and a really nice area...but don't go in the
depth of winter, it's cold!
Cheers
John Meudell
-----Original Message-----
From: Cycling and Society Research Group discussion list
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Dave Horton
Sent: 04 August 2008 11:51
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Dutch Cycling Study Tour
I thought this might be of interest to others.
(And if you're connected to a cycling demo town or city, you might want to
suggest the leaders of your councils go along - I've no doubt it'd be money
well spent.)
Dave
****
> CYCLING STUDY TOUR
> A Study Tour for transport professionals, politicians, campaigners and
> journalists with an interest in sustainable transport. 19th - 21st August
> 2008
>
> There have been many words spoken about reducing CO2 emissions to tackle
> climate change, increasing the amount of exercise taken by the population
> to
> fight obesity and about the streets becoming threatening places where
> people
> don't feel safe, and where motor vehicles are more important than people.
>
> However, few countries yet invest sufficiently in cycling, the one truly
> sustainable practical mode of transport. New infrastructure is still
> designed very much like it has been for most of the years since the second
> world war, emphasizing flow of motorized traffic above all else, reducing
> opportunities to take exercise as a part of everyday life, and decreasing
> the freedom of people to make use of the space outside their home. As a
> result, in many countries cycling continues to decline, obesity is growing
> and children are not given the freedom to get sufficient exercise.
>
> It doesn't have to be this way.
>
> Having made different policy decisions since the 1970s, the Dutch reversed
> the fall in cycle usage and now travel by bicycle more often than by car.
> Decades of investment have produced a universal well designed
> infrastructure
> which makes cycling an appealing option for most people. As a result, most
> people cycle. Cyclists feel safe and their journeys are efficient and
> direct. Virtually all children cycle to school daily, incidence of obesity
> is comparatively low and reliance on fossil fuels for travel is also
> smaller.
>
> The Dutch success is very real. It could and should be copied.
> Quick Facts: In Britain, under 2% of all journeys are made by bicycle. In
> the Netherlands the equivalent figure is around 30%.
>
> In Britain, most journeys under 2 miles are made by car. In the
> Netherlands,
> more journeys under 5 miles are made by bicycle than by any other means.
>
> In the Netherlands, older people are also mobile. The over 65s made 24% of
> their journeys by bicycle.
>
> Virtually all Dutch school-children cycle to school.
>
> Dutch cities spend around 27 Euros per person per year on new cycling
> infrastructure (e.g. Assen, 1.8M Euros per year with a 65000 population).
> The quoted figures do not include maintenance or cycle training which come
> under different budgets.
>
> There is far greater potential for reduction in fossil fuel reliance by
> encouraging cycling than by subsidizing public transport.
>
> Cycling has additional fiscal benefits such as reduced fossil fuel
> dependency and lowered injury rates and health benefits for society such
> as
> an increase in fitness and a reduction in noise and fumes.
> Who are we ? We are a British family who have lived and cycled in many
> parts
> of the UK including London, Cambridge, Somerset and Yorkshire. Our cycling
> experience includes commuting, shopping, tours with and without children,
> a
> little racing and even riding Land's End to John O'Groats.
>
> We now live in the green city of Assen in the North of the Netherlands.
> Winters are cold here and headwinds are fierce, but the population of
> 65000
> makes an average of over 70000 cycle journeys per day. We make our share
> of
> those journeys.
> What are we doing ? We are organising Study Tours for all interested
> parties
> to show how much has been achieved in this country. We will be showing
> participants the result of design for people rather than for motorised
> vehicles. We will show the practical results of putting into action long
> term plans to achieve a more mobile and fitter society.
>
> Over 3 full days we will show commuting routes, school routes, city
> centres,
> residential areas, links between villages. We will see how cycling has
> been
> made the priority in older areas of the city as well as how it is central
> to
> the design of new developments. We also have a presentation from a local
> expert giving the rationale.
>
> The cost of participating has been kept low in order that it will be
> accessible to as many people as possible.
>
> Full details of the Study Tour, including photos and feedback from
> previous
> participants, can be found on our website:
>
> http://www.hembrow.eu/cycling/studytour.html
>
> Our first two Study Tours in May this year had participants from around
> the
> UK, including Avon, Bromley, Cambridge, London, Manchester, Sheffield and
> Southampton. We are now taking bookings for the third Study Tour which
> runs
> from the 19th to the 21st of August.
> References: Articles in English about Dutch cycling policies:
>
> http://www.hembrow.eu/cycling/articles.html
> Photos: Photos and videos of Dutch cycling conditions can be found here:
>
> http://www.hembrow.eu/cycling/photos.html
> Contact details
> David and Judith Hembrow
> Vechtstraat 19
> 9406 PM Assen
> Netherlands
> 0031 592 854808
> [log in to unmask]
> www.hembrow.eu/cycling
|
