Comments on: Eyes on the Street: Amsterdam

By: Shin-pei

Shin-pei — Tue, 10 Oct 2006 12:05:15 +0000

I miss Amsterdam! The streets have a careful and deliberate equilibrium that's calming in spite of all different types of transportation and the weather stops no one from enjoying the outdoors. A friend there boats to work every morning. He and other friends suggested that for young Amsterdamers, it's bicycles (and boats if you can afford it) and you do have to be careful about the tracks but everyone knows it. They also believe that trams are mostly for tourists.

By: Tuco

Tuco — Sat, 07 Oct 2006 20:14:23 +0000

Oh my God, that Amsterdam bike parking photo is gorgeous. I wish the Dutch or the Swedish would invade north america, take us over, and enforce bike commuting on all of us!

By: crzwdjk

crzwdjk — Sat, 07 Oct 2006 07:58:19 +0000

As a general matter, trams and bikes do okay together. Most on-street tram tracks these days are built to pretty high standards, and the flangeway is small enough that if your tires are fat enough, they won't get caught, and if you have thin tires it is assumed you know what you are doing. And in general, it's not like you're riding in the middle of the tracks, generally you're off to the side, and not on the rails. Trams do, however, behave somewhat differently from cars, in that they are much bigger, and constrained to move only along the track, though they generally are quicker than buses. It might take a while for cyclists to get used to the idea, but once they do a peaceful coexistence is certainly possible.

By: Mitch

Mitch — Fri, 06 Oct 2006 23:17:09 +0000

Do trams and bicycles have problems coexisting in Amsterdam? Do cyclists have to make an effort to keep their wheels from slipping or getting caught in the tracks? Does all the wet weather make things worse? If trams and bikes coexist well, is there anything the city has to do to minimize conflict?

I'm asking because Madison is thinking of building a streetcar system, and there is some concern that the tracks might cause problems for bikes.

By: Glenn

Glenn — Fri, 06 Oct 2006 20:56:30 +0000

That first car is nice and small, but why is it parked on the sidewalk?

Love the nice photos. It always helps to see how good infrastructure can achieve a public goal like increasing cycling.

By: ddartley

ddartley — Fri, 06 Oct 2006 20:54:45 +0000

YES to Light Rail/trolley systems. Maybe if they bring one back to Brooklyn, it will bring the Dodgers back...? Incidentally, you know that ESPN show, "Top 5 Reasons You Can't Blame?" There was one called "...Reasons you can't blame Walter O'Malley for moving the Dodgers from Brooklyn." Know what the No.1 reason was? Robert Moses.