Creating dedicated bicycle lanes

Summary

Providing cyclists with high-quality routes can contribute to promoting the use of bicycles as a cheap, clean and attractive means of transportation into the city centre.

Implementing sustainable mobility

A 2003 survey indicated that the rate of bicycle ownership in Rotterdam was lower than in other cities in the Netherlands. The lack of continuous high-quality bike paths was identified as a major barrier to bicycle use: only 21 percent of short trips in Rotterdam were being made by bike. The measure was therefore designed to promote cycling for short trips of up to 7 km into the centre of the city and to the central railway station.

The initial idea was to design four new routes: route 1 running from the central railway station/city centre to Schiebroek (north of Rotterdam); route 2 running from the central railway station/city centre to Carnisse Lande/Barendrecht (south of Rotterdam); and two additional routes. The work would involve improving the quality of the track surface and ensuring cyclists’ safety by separating the path from other traffic and installing better street lighting.

Progress

A 2003 survey indicated that the rate of bicycle ownership in Rotterdam was lower than in other cities in the Netherlands. The lack of continuous high-quality bike paths was identified as a major barrier to bicycle use: only 21 percent of short trips in Rotterdam were being made by bike. The measure was therefore designed to promote cycling for short trips of up to 7 km into the centre of the city and to the central railway station.

The initial idea was to design four new routes: route 1 running from the central railway station/city centre to Schiebroek (north of Rotterdam); route 2 running from the central railway station/city centre to Carnisse Lande/Barendrecht (south of Rotterdam); and two additional routes. The work would involve improving the quality of the track surface and ensuring cyclists’ safety by separating the path from other traffic and installing better street lighting.

Outcomes

Work on route 1 began in August 2002 and was completed in summer 2005. The route was constructed from red asphalt, which is continued at junctions where the bike path has right of way. About 40 percent of the route is located in a 30 km/h zone, and along the remaining section of the route the maximum speed is 50 km/h. In the 30 km/h zone, the route is not physically separated from the traffic, although it is designed so that cyclists have their own space.