Outdoor USA Magazine

Eleven Bay Area civic leaders—representing San Francisco, San Jose and Marin County—recently traveled to four Dutch cities to study transportation methods and learn of solutions that might improve and increase bicycling in northern California.

Forty percent of all trips Americans make are shorter than two miles, yet only a small fraction of these journeys are pedal powered. The Dutch, on the other hand, are known for more frequent biking. By meeting with city planners, traffic engineers, and politicians, these U.S. leaders will hopefully be able to incorporate European ideas into American cities.

The U.S.–based Bikes Belong Foundation led the tour through four Dutch cities, including Utrecht, The Hague, Rotterdam and Amsterdam—where up to 50 percent of urban trips are made by bike. In Utrecht 95 percent of students arrive to school by bike, and are taught as children to travel safely on two wheels.

Decreasing carbon dioxide emissions and traffic congestion, urban bicycling is on the rise. With safety, accessablility and exercise in mind, politicians are doing thier part as representatives to respond to this positive trend.