Cycling in the 1,5 m society

Our advice to the government of the Netherlands

Picture: Bas de Meijer

Safe cycling and walking is crucial in a successful implementation of the 1,5 meter society.
6,5 million people in the Netherlands do not have a driver’s license and 2,1 million
households do not own a car, that’s about a quarter of total households.

With the expected fallout in capacity of public transport, this enormous group of people are for a
large part designated to travel by bike or by foot. With the current walking and cycling network, this
group cannot cope within the boundaries of the 1,5 meter society. If we do not take measures,
millions of people are at risk of catching the Corona virus or unwillingly spreading it. To prevent
mass contagion of cyclists and pedestrians during travel, quick measures need to be implemented
in the coming weeks to increase space between people. This to ensure that by the end of April/start
of May, the same amount of cyclists and pedestrians can resume their journeys in the 1,5 meter
society.

We think it will help if the National Government informs lower governments about the necessary
change in policy to successfully implement a safe cycling and walking network in these new
conditions. Urgency is high, as small children represent large groups of cyclists and are most likely
to be on the road soonest. Not optimal accessibility, as usually is the case, but safety and health as
top priority in the next weeks. To make sure that all Dutch inhabitants can stay mobile safely when
society gets back up on its feet and people return to the streets.
First of all, we plea for bikes as the top priority means of transportation for distances up to 20
kilometers, and to propagate this fully:
• To prevent car use to grow in urban areas (including spatial effects) and to keep as much
space as possible free for the millions of people travelling unprotected.
• To optimally utilise the scarse capacity of the public transport system, and to not fill this
with people for which an e-bike would be an excellent alternative.
• Because cycling, with its relatively low costs and fast implementation results in the highest
gains in accessibility and thus extra capacity/mobility, can contribute to relieving the
shrinkage in public transport capacity.

Quick measures to be taken

1. Increase multi-modal use of space: lower maximum speed in urban areas within city limits
to 30 km/h or lower. This creates a larger network of usable cycling routes. More choice in
routes means a larger spread of cyclists which makes more space on existing cycling
routes.
2. Make cycle paths no longer the compulsory place for cyclists so that faster, wider cyclists
and mopeds can use the car lane where they interfere less with other, slower cyclists.
3. Traffic lights: to be turned off or to be made cycle-friendly so forming of traffic for cyclists
can be prevented. Clearly mark the 1,5 meter distance on cycle paths so people know how
to wait for green lights in a responsible manner.
4. Efficiently tackle parking issues, especially around busy cycling routes
a. Take out car parking spots (temporarily) to give cyclists space on longitudinal
cycling lanes
b. Move bike parking spots from the curb to car parking spots to make room for
pedestrians
5. Start an action plan “Cycle safely and healthy” where local road managers are helped to
take fast measures in small (maintenance) measures to widen cycle path space. Things like
hardened edges or widening existing cycle lanes, reducing traffic islands, removing poles,
equalizing curbs to the cycle path, and so on. The budget of the Strategic Plan of Traffic
Safety can be used for these measures, of which the fastest to implement should be tackled
first. Create a digital toolkit for municipalities and with these recommendations and take
care of communication via VNG/IPO so knowledge can spread quickly and continuously.
6. Provide nationally focused education and visualized behavior information to cyclists on how
to appropriately behave.

Flexible use of space on the streets

The core comes down to having multi-modal use as much as possible on busy routes. This implies
a redistribution of space.
• Where possible, implement 20 km/h (living streets, examples in Vienna, New Zealand) or
30 km/h zones, except those places where maximum speed is significantly higher than 50
km/h. Police will temporarily also enforce on roads that are not established as 30 km/h. A

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 call for responsibility is at place here: hospitals are busy enough as they are; drivers,
maintain your speed!
• Temporarily waive compulsory cycle paths so cyclists can choose where to cycle safest.
Especially in combination with lowering maximum speed to 30 km/h on grey roads this will
quickly give more space. It is important to make a national decree for municipalities to
implement this on multiple lanes.
• Clear car parking spots so the space can be used to cycle/walk or pass each other safely.
Free parking in garages en selected lowering of street parking spots to create more space
• Car parking only on own property (more enforcement, no more toleration)
• School zones and a ban on car park zones near primary schools to discourage car use due
to crowded areas around schools

On the cycle lanes

• Crowded cycle lanes
o Open up car lanes for cyclists (2x2 to 1x1 car lane and create protected pop-up
cycle lanes, look at manual Germany for municipalities)
o Develop new routes and promote these (spreading, look at example Zernike route
in Groningen)
o Crowd control measures and refer to other routes
o Closure
• Two way cycle lanes often are too narrow
o Make those cycles lanes one-way if there is a cycle lane on the other side of the
street, if not temporary cycle lane on car lane.
o Outside of city limits, cycle lanes often are one-sided two way lanes. If these are
smaller than 3 meters, these will have to be broadened or they will have to be
replaced by two-sided one way cycle lanes. This will require investment.
o Advise cyclists not to cycle too closely to each other on two way cycle lanes
o Change roundabouts with two way cycle lanes that are smaller than 3 meters to
one way cycle lanes.
• Temporary space on car lanes for cyclists
o Temporary cycle lanes (example Berlin)
o Open bus lanes (temporarily) to cyclists, combined with a lower maximum speed
o Reduce car traffic on lanes in tunnels and bridges and open those up to cyclists
o With too narrow bike/pedestrian tunnels:
§ only pedestrians
§ changing one way traffic with traffic signs, temporary traffic controls
• Recreational cycle paths
o Recreational traffic circulation plan to discourage two way traffic on narrow routes
o Close routes on peak hours

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 • One way streets
o Remove poles which separate curb and lane
o Cycling circulation plan
• Quick improvements (also interesting in terms of economic package for local construction
companies, possible speed up by using budget SPV)
o Remove poles on cycle paths so moving out of the way is easier and easier access
for emergency vehicles
o Widen cycle paths where is necessary and possible
o Adapt or remove speed bumps, traffic islands etc. to create more space on the cycle
path

At intersections
• Traffic lights:
o Turn off traffic lights and only to be turned on in case of complaints (successful
pilot in Utrecht & Amsterdam)
o A longer green light for cyclists to prevent traffic and bike traffic jams.
o More green light phases in the cycle to prevent traffic and bike traffic jams.
o Attach sign that says there is no need to push the button (automatic detection)
• Where cyclists cross, apply painted crosses so waiting cyclists do not block traffic and the
1,5 meter distance can be maintained

Bicycle parking
• Routes to bike parking facilities seem to be a mayor challenge due to their funnel effect.
o Traffic circulation measures to access paths (for example one way traffic)
o Extra bike parking to realize 1,5 meter distance
• At schools:
o More bike parking space on current car parking spots.
o Spreading starting hours of classes so there is no similar time of entry
• In urban areas and shopping malls
o Pop-up parking facilities, and more spread
• At supermarkets
o Extra front wheel racks
• Organizational improvements
o At train stations parking facilities:
§ Valet parking in facilities so people do not get in the way of each other in
the narrow paths
§ Block every other bike parking spot to secure the 1,5 meter distance while
parking.

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 o Bicycle parking off the pedestrian lane to increase space for pedestrians
o Fietsvlonders (“bicycle platforms”) or painted squares
o Open indoor bike parking facilities (for example vacant properties)
Behavior:
• Campaigns to focus on desired behavior:
o Cycle and walk as much as possible to relieve public transport and maximise
available space on streets for people
o Park on own terrain, do not block cycle paths/sidewalks
o Restaurants, bars, shops: remove street signs
• Campaigns about how to behave on the street with signs, messages in chalk.
o Passing each other, only if necessary and with 1,5 meters, etc
• Location-specific attention to desired behavior in parking facilities
o 1 person per row
o 1 space free for 1 space occupied
o Payment via pin/public transport chipcard
• Individually oriented
o Advise to attach poolnoodle to the back of the bike to keep people at distance
(Germany as an example to keep cars at distance)
o Cycle at off-hours and as government, spread a clear message of zones of time
(08:00-09:00; space is prioritized for children going to school, 09:00-10:00 is for
workers, etc.)
• Advice to car users
o Give cyclists 1,5 meter space (so they don’t have to cycle close together), and close
windows while driving

Secondary policies
Bike related
• Lower or remove VAT for 2-3 months on purchases of new bikes (bikes in bad condition
are often reason to cycle less and less far. It also helps the bicycle production companies.
• Longer opening hours for bike shops to spread the presence of customers, and priority to
repairs for people in essential professions
• Extra budget for municipalities to enforce corona rules on the streets (busy routes and
unwanted parking)

Additional
• Emphasize on working from home: companies who receive government aid should apply
20% of working time to working from home. Invest in facilitating services as fast internet
• Limit use of public transport chipcard for students until the new school year

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 • Strengthen use of bike sharing through more supply and a lower price (Discount on
Swapfiets/shared bikes/OV-fiets)
• Temporarily lower or block commute compensation to limit mobility, only 19 cents per
kilometer if traveled by bike
• More stops for Intercity trains to increase use of bikes
• Public transport buses from carpool spot to carpool spot, where the journey can be
continued by shared bikes.

Final remarks: interplay with other modalities

Public transport will have most likely experience a high decrease in passengers in the coming
months due to the 1,5 meter rule. For commuters, the bike and car will be the alternative. It is of
great importance that car use does not grow because it will impede the space for cyclists and
pedestrians, and it will make a safe network for a large group of people in the Netherlands
impossible.
Public transport, after walking and cycling, is the most space-efficient way of travelling and its
decrease in use must be accommodated. For the size and impact of the measures to be taken to
organize safe walking and cycling, it is essential that, within safe requirements, maximizing capacity
of the public transport is considered.

For that, we plea for unorthodox and creative thinking, and reasoning from within the whole
system: walking and cycling as the core, bus and train use prioritised to importance and necessity,
there where it is most of added value. This means that public transport should be made available
primarily to people in crucial professions, and people without an alternative way of travelling. We
recommend the government to think about a multi-year financial plan for public transport, so
concessions aren’t made in finding solutions for the coming months. We recommend the bicycle as
a primary means of transport for the first 10-20 kilometers as a structural part of the public
transport system. The fine-meshed transportation by bus can for a large part be replaced by
cycling (with taxi-use for people unable to cycle), thereby using buses for essential inter-regional
routes. In addition, the order (and financing) of clean buses could be accelerated to temporarily
increase bus capacity.

Translation by Dutch Cycling Embassy: www.dutchcycling.nl