Kevin Steinhardt steinhardt

A bidirectional cycleway (albeit without central road markings) through the Amstel Business Park estate in Duivendrecht, the Netherlands.

Double streetlights on the Waarderweg in Haarlem, the Netherlands. Even though this road goes through an industrial estate, it still has smooth wide cycleways. I really like cycling under these low-level streetlights, especially on a recumbent.

Location approximate.

A new cycleway and waterfront-thing (what's the damn word?!) has recently been opened along the Spaarne in Haarlem, the Netherlands. Very pleasant cycling or walking here on a sunny evening.

A summer evening view of the cycleway heading out of Bloemendaal aan Zee, the Netherlands. This cycleway is surfaced with smooth concrete and goes from Overveen (just west of Haarlem) to Blomendaal aan Zee and further. Very much a "cycle superhighway" in my opinion.

Waiting for the Langebrug to come down again in Haarlem, the Netherlands. The Netherlands has a lot of bridges but river traffic is generally quiet throughout most of the day - the likelihood of being delayed getting to work in the morning, for example, is very slim.

Bi-directional cycleway on the Schoterbrug across the Spaarne in Haarlem, the Netherlands.

Spaklerweg, Amsterdam with metro line 51 on the right. This cycleway is uni-directional (i.e. for northbound traffic only) and is a decent width at about 2,5 to 3,0 m. The surface could be considerably improved but unfortunately, some Dutch municipalities don't find this sort of slab paving surface as unacceptable as I do.

The cycle bridge which heads under the Buitenrustbrug in Haarlem, the Netherlands seen from the Buitenrustbrug itself. Compare with #42624 and #42625.

The Buitenrustbrug (Haarlem, the Netherlands) and the cycle bridge under it as seen from a different angle. Compare with photo #42624.

A cyclist heading under the Buitenrustbrug in Haarlem, the Netherlands. This cycleway's surface goes below river level to get under one of the river arches.

Wide (~3.0 m) unidirectional cycleway in Haarlem, the Netherlands. The cyclists coming towards the camera are actually riding against the flow of traffic, illegally.

The other carriageway of Parklaan in Haarlem, the Netherlands; cf. image #42617. Even though the cycle lane here is generous (~2.0 m), the cars parked at the side of the road present a "dooring" hazard to cyclists.

Parklaan in Haarlem, the Netherlands. The motor vehicle speed limit on this inner city street is 50 km/h (~30 mph); and the parked cars on the right-hand side of the road present a "dooring" risk. The cars on the left of the picture are parked in a small car park which occupied the central reservation, between the two carriageways of Parklaan.

Routes to different cycle parking areas signed in Haarlem, the Netherlands - zoom in (by clicking the image) to see the different symbols.

Most cyclists will want to turn left at this junction and head down Parklaan to reach the underground cycle park underneath the station. Bakfietsen (i.e. cargo bikes with large boxes on them) and mopeds have their own area, however, on the surface and should go straight on.

Cycle and moped parking at Keukenhof gardens, the Netherlands. The large tricycle in the foreground is called a bakfiets (≈ "box bicycle", hence the large box on the front).

Narrow bridge over the Binnen Liede. The wonky sign on the right means that both pedal cyclists and mopeds can ride on this cycleway.

The same junction as seen in photo #41226 on a sunny day in Haarlem, the Netherlands. This was taken after the junction had been remodelled to the benefit of cyclists.

The previous road design can be navigated below in the Google Street View pane, as of July 2012.

A junction being reconstructed in Haarlem, the Netherlands. The new cycle lane under construction can be seen in the middle of the photograph - wide enough to take a lorry! One side of the cycleway will be for turning left and the other "lane" will be for going straight on and turning left; both "lanes" will have their own traffic signals.

The Netherlands has a lot of bridges. Here's just one of them: the Prinsenbrug, Haarlem. The cycle lanes on the bridge aren't that wide (see far side and second lane from the right) but they are wider and more segregated on either side of the bridge.

This cycleway traffic island in Haarlem, the Netherlands reminds cyclists not to overtake around this almost 90° bend.

Strange junction arrangement in Haarlem, the Netherlands; where the Amsterdamsevaart meets Nagtzaamstraat. The main road (the N200) is to the left in this picture but cyclists can use the old road to Amsterdam, which has been converted for residential use. Motorists using this road can only turn right at this junction.

Crossing over into the village of Zwanenburg, the Netherlands - this white bascule bridge crosses the Ringvaart, which surrounds the Haarlemmermeer polder (on which Schiphol airport is situated). The bridge here is too narrow for two vehicles to pass, so traffic signals are used to control the traffic; the signals for the bridge are synchronised with a crossroads immediately on the other side of the bridge. Bicycles receive a steady green filter (centre right) at all times, but may be required to stop at another set of signals at the crossroads on the other side. Cyclists only cycle on the road for the duration of the bridge and are given a segregated lane before hitting their own signals at the crossroads.

Even though this road on the edge of Halfweg, the Netherlands has good visibility, the speed limit is still only 60 km/h (≈ 37 mph) as part of a "60 km/h zone". This is the norm for low-use rural roads, single track or not. There's room on this single track road for an estate car and bicycle to pass comfortably too.

The Koningstraat is a typical Dutch binnenstad (≈ "inner city") residential street with tall terraced housing. There's no car parking on this street (though loading/unloading is permitted at certain times); but there's also very little on-street cycle parking, which explains the bicycles parked on the side of the pavement. This street is protected by rising bollards and is only accessible by bicycle/moped or for those with pass cards (e.g. businesses on the street, public taxis).

Grote Houtstraat: a typical Dutch city shopping street. Bicycles are permitted and there's a decent level of cycle parking outside shops and other amenities.

A fietsstraat (≈ "bicycle street") in Haarlem, the Netherlands. The theory behind these fietsstraten is that cyclists have priority and are encouraged to cycle more dominantly on these roads. In practice, however, Dutch cyclists and motorists alike don't particularly like sharing road space on these roads. Fietsstraten usually come with no stopping restrictions (cf. reminder traffic sign in centre) and almost all residential streets in the Netherlands are subject to a 30 km/h (20 mph) speed limit - fietsstraat or not.

The map board at junction 86 of the Zuid-Kennemerland fietsroutenetwerk (≈ "cycle route network"). There are boards like this at every junction node on the Dutch nodal cycle network; the map shows the surrounding region and all junctions for about 10 km around.

At this junction in Haarlem, the Netherlands, cyclists are invited to come off to the right when turning left in order to safely cross parallel traffic. This is owing to a lack of space further up the main road, which prohibits the municipality from building a protective island for cyclists to turn directly left at.

Wibautstraat, Amsterdam used to be a railway alignment but the tracks were removed after the Amsterdam Weesperpoort station closed in 1939. The alignment is now a dual carriageway flanked by wide 3 m cycleways in each direction and plenty of pavement space.

Weesperstraat, Amsterdam early in the morning. This road is quite wide as are the cycleways - 3 m wide in each direction.

Early morning bicycle traffic by the ferry piers behind Amsterdam Centraal railway station (building right).

The front end of a Challenge Hurricane recumbent, heading up the travelator at Amsterdam Zuid/WTC cycle park. Some underground cycle parks in the Netherlands have travelators (i.e. inclined moving walkways), but sadly not all of them - most are accessed by shallow steps with grooves for one's bicycle.

Bi-directional cycleway navigates through a junction in a residential area, the Netherlands.

Getting lost in the Netherlands is quite difficult. This style of fingerpost is the norm, and lists at least the next large town on it (Amsterdam and Alkmaar on this one) - this means even long-distance journeys are also possible as long as you know the names of large towns along the route you want to take.

A cyclist crossing the Nassaubrug (Nassau Bridge) in Haarlem, the Netherlands. This bridge has a single central lane for motor vehicles which is flanked by an advisory cycle lane in each direction.

Bicycles locked outside houses aren't so pretty and are easy to steal, so this bicycle locker stores the bikes of the terraced houses to the right of this frame.

Not all junctions in the Netherlands are as safe as they could be. Even on a pushbike, it would be difficult to see through the hedge to the right - the light brown building sticks out further than it should, making seeing oncoming trams difficult. The dogleg layout of this junction also makes things a little harder - see the map for an overview. Nieuwe Amstelbrug (to the left of this shot) is about 50 m south of Ruyschstraat (to the right). This junction has been like this for over a century but it remains unchanged and, frankly, a little dangerous; but that doesn't stop the thousands of cyclists who cross over it every day.

Cycle and public transport ('openbaar vervoer', usually abbreviated as 'OV') signal heads at a pedestrian crossing just south of Haarlem railway station.

This bus-only road in Haarlem has not rising bollards, just prohibitory signs and a few road markings. The with-flow cycle lane (on the right, of course) is segregated from the road by means of a humped reservation.

An average inner city street in Haarlem, the Netherlands.

Cycle parking at IKEA Amsterdam. While I've only visited IKEAs in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, I don't think the situation at other countries' IKEAs is too dissimilar.

The main entrance for people returning to the Station Zuid fietsenstalling ('cycle park' in Dutch) - bicycles arrive and leave via a travelator about 20 m left of this staircase. The first 24 hours is free and then the cost increases sharply from there, to deter long-term parking. A small ticket is attached to your bicycle when you arrive with the date printed upon it, so the staff can see how long you've been parked for. The bicycle park is open 24/7 (not sure *yet* what happens on public holidays) and is always staffed; one can also get simple repairs done during daytime hours.

Never an excuse not to use lights at night in Amsterdam but plenty (and I mean plénty) do. This vending machine is stocked with simple university-branded white and red LED lights - I assume they'd be called 'lichtjes' in Dutch.

Clear(er than no lanes) lane markings when one needs to turn across Van Baerlestraat. This layout is used at similar crossings all over Amsterdam, and I assume it's designed to deter people from waiting perpendicular to the cycleway (and also the road they're about to cross) with their back wheel sticking way out into the path of cyclists going straight on.

Nice wide area for waiting for the lights in, as one crosses Mr Treublaan, Amsterdam. One can queue (not that the Dutch tend to queue) two bicycles deep without blocking the cycleway in the very foreground.

Cyclists waiting for the signals to get across Mr Treublaan, Amsterdam.

Rush hour cycling in Amsterdam, between the Phillips Electronics building and (I think that's) a FE college on the left. Mopeds are allowed to use most cycleways in the Netherlands but, by god are they irritating...

Instead of waiting at lights to turn right (and instead of a 'turn right on red' exception), cyclists simply give way to traffic coming from the left at this junction in central Amsterdam.

Sixty centimetres of available space, I estimate, on the shared-use path adjacent to the A1309/Hauxton Road. These bushes could really do with a trim.

Even on cycleways, village and town borders are signed: here, I was leaving Duivendrecht and entering the suburb of Diemen, Amsterdam. This cycleway ('De Slinger') runs parallel to a secondary road called Van de Madeweg - bicycle access to Van de Madeweg is prohibited, but this is for a good reason: fast-moving motor vehicles hurt - if the cycleway here was below standard, I would feel very differently about being prohibited as a cyclist from using what I would consider a direct and quick route but, since there *is* a direct and quick route (cycleway; pictured), I'm not too bothered. The bridge pictured crossing De Slinger carries the S112: an urban 'autoweg' (nearing motorway status) with, I think, an 100 km/h speed limit.

Cycle parking under construction at Hollandsche Rading station, Nederland.

Simple no-nonsense road closure in the Netherlands: permeable by pedal cycles, mopeds (bromfietsen) and pedestrians.

At this junction in east Hilversum, motor vehicles must turn right (cf. small blue rectangular sign, centre-right of image) but cyclists may pass over the central reservation to either turn left or continue straight-on.

The Hoge Naarderweg in Hilversum, the Netherlands is a fietsstraat (lit. "bicycle street") - cyclists have supposed priority and signs state that "cars are guests". In practice, it's not that much different from a 'normal' 30 km/h road through a residential area.

This Dutch traffic sign reads "except for access to house numbers 1b, 3a, 3b and 5". A lot, lot clearer than the British "except for access" signs which read... "except for access"---which is confusing and open to interpretation.

I'm not sure but I think the darker-that-the-pavement tarmac where those two white vans are parked is going to become some sort of hybrid cycle lane. Either that or it'll be a pavement with foliage in between it and the pavement further towards the left of the image, and those new houses to the far-left. Location very approximate.

Eleven taxis (five overranking) and a reversing vehicle make for difficult times on St Andrews Street, Cambridge. Take atop a Citi 1 bus.

The 'gateway' to one of the Netherlands' many many "60 km/u zones": two all-vehicles lanes become one central lane flanked by two advisory cycle lanes. While this is very common in the Netherlands, the UK has lagged behind on these so-called "cyclist priority routes" - #27378 is the only example I can find on CycleStreets c. April 2011.

Quite a busy scene but I'll take you through it. The bridge in the background is a cycle bridge---for pedestrians and cyclists only; it takes them over the Schie, south of Delft. The moped on the cycleway (far left) is legally entitled to be there: most rural cycleways in the Netherlands allow bromfietsers to share the path with cyclists. The rising bollards (by the traffic signals, centre) deter rat-running and allow legitimate road users to access properties without taking a massive detour.

Best viewed large; click to enlarge photograph.

Lovely smoothly-surfaced cycleway next to a provincial road north of Soest, the Netherlands. A little narrow but one can certainly get one's speed up on this kind of surface.

Cycle path through the Maartensdijkbos, the Netherlands. While it's only 1.5 m wide for bi-directional cycle and foot traffic, it still gets the job done of connecting the tarmac'd roads of Lage Vuursche and Hollandsche Rading.

Cycle parking at Hollandsche Rading station, the Netherlands. This station and its cycle parking serve a settlement probably no larger than Foxton in Cambridgeshire; but Hollandsche Rading has 1250% more cycle parking than Foxton's railway station.

The standard Dutch roundabout design caters for both motor vehicles (though they do have to slow down rather excessively to navigate them) and cyclists. The roundabout design in this photograph is slightly less common: the cycleway visible is bi-directional, so cyclists can head both clockwise and anti-clockwise around the junction. Motorists are required to give way when leaving or approaching the inner roundabout (right), and cyclists approaching the roundabout are required give way to cyclists already on the roundabout (bottom right).

Rather narrow shared-use cycleway over the M11, junction 12. Whilst I can appreciate that there is limited room on bridges, the planners could have at least earmarked an extra 50 cm of space when they were planning the upgrade of what I assume must have been a footway.

Parcelforce van LK08 EPO parked in the Regent Street southbound mandatory cycle lane, Cambridge. Anyone who knows this part of town knows that there's a loading bay to the photographer's right and, on this occasion, the loading bay was empty. The driver had/has no reason to inconvenience cyclists turning left onto Regent Terrace like this. Shambolic.

ClearChannel-owned van LD59 ACX parked on the Trumpington Road cycleway, Cambridge, contravening Road Traffic Act section 21(1).

Wheelbenders advertised as 'secure' cycle parking at Burwash Manor, Barton: a small out-of-town shopping village in Cambridgeshire. Location approximate.

"Cyclists please dismount" signs at roadworks on Riverside, Cambridge. Unlike the "dismount" sign in image #29809 taken earlier on the same day (1st April), this sign does have a legal backing (though it's the very badly-poorly worded Highways Act 1835)---cyclists are being diverted onto a pavement.

Cyclists are being asked to dismount (in both directions) on St Andrews Street, Cambridge---owing to what looks like a small amount of roadworks, but local news has suggested that central Cambridge will soon be being ripped-up to repair (I think it's) gas mains. There is no obligation for cyclists to dismount (why should they?; it's a public highway with no Order prohibiting cycling in either direction), but I fear some motorists or maybe pedestrians will be abusive to any cyclist who doesn't dismount---even though this sign and the one in the opposite direction on the other side of the roadworks have no legal authority.

Some edging-out has been done recently on the shared-use joke of a cycleway adjacent to the A10 south of Trumpington and the M11 junction but it's still too damn narrow for practical purposes. Don't be fooled by this picture's distortion (damn camera-phone): the cycleway at this point is something like 60 cm across, only just wide enough for handlebars. On a recumbent with under-seat steering, when the nettles rise in the Summer, this can make for severely-damaged hands. Luckily, I almost never use this farce-ility: I almost always cycle on the main carriageway of the A10, though not when the wind was as strong as it was yesterday (1st April). Location approximate.

And as usual, the signs are in the cycle lane; the camber of the pavement does provide some reason as to why this has happened ...but a reason isn't an excuse and it would be nice if these things didn't happen. Location approximate.

Reasonable width cycle lanes down Gilbert Road, Cambridge. Location approximate.

W582 EOO, whom I've caught here before, parked-up in Emmanuel Road's contraflow cycle lane. There's a loading bay fifteen metres in front of him. Location approximate.

Slalom of cones and barriers, on the cycleway adjacent to Trumpington High Street.

Track north of Dairy Farm, de jure Newton. Strictly mountain bikes I think, but the track is a permissive bridleway: open to pedestrians, cyclists, equestrians and authorised vehicles. Location approximate.

Riverside 'promenade' plans up on a board on Riverside, Cambridge; this is currently under construction or at least the promenade is (orange on plan, curving along the edge of the River Cam). Note the quite poor cycle provision (very narrow cycleway 'links' plus bollards) on what is currently a decent cut-through. Click image to enlarge.

Google Translate attempted to translate the Latin and produced "there were two of the wheel here left to extinguish"; I couldn't translate the Greek. Signage further down Portugal Place in a similar style and typeface speaks of bicycles being removed if attached to the fencing; I think that's what this is on about. Location approximate.

This is a duplicate of #13002

Cycle 'slip' allowing shared-use path users to rejoin main carriageway before busy ring-road TOTSO (turn off to stay on) junction.

Decent width shared-use path on the north side of Madingley Road, Cambridge.

AK05 CKP (South Cambs private hire vehicle 177) waiting on St Andrews Street---further reducing the width of the road available between the taxi rank on the far left of the frame and the eastern side of St Andrews Street.

V493 LHR parked (note: no driver) half in a mandatory cycle lane on Kings Hedges Road, Cambridge and half on said road's pavement. Location approximate.

PJ04 YHZ overranking on St Andrews Street, Cambridge. Location approximate.

KX07 MXL overranking on St Andrews Street, Cambridge. Location approximate.

The best 20 mph sign in Cambridge. The Council(s) wasted money (I'll find a quote) installing this sign which (a) faces the wrong way up Sidney Street---a one-way street and (b) even if pedal cycles were allowed to contraflow down Sidney Street, the speed limit wouldn't apply to them (cf. [1]).

[1] RTRA 1984 section 84: www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1984/27/section/84

LL04 GYA (rather grubby reg plate but that's the joy of long-distance typefaces): the driver who overtook me because I was obeying the law ([1] and [2] --> [3]). He subsequently blocked the box junction but traffic was still able to flow, as seen at the right-hand side of the frame. Note also KV04 KEN.

[1] TSRGD, regulation 29: www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2002/3113/regulation/29/made
[2] TSRGD, part II of schedule 19: www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2002/3113/schedule/19/made
[3] Road Traffic Act 1988 section 36: www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1988/52/section/36

AK02 LPX at Murkett's Corner---over stop line and ASL stop line, owing to driver's inability to judge box junction exit.

Oh: we do love a good shared-use path in the UK(!)

Bollard madness.

Not the best photo but ... 'token' cycle parking near (not exactly "at" per se) Royston railway station.

The capacity of Grand Arcade cycle park is around the 200 mark. During most of the day, it's difficult to find a space (especially if you've got an awkward bike like me); this photo was taken at about half seven in the evening; compare with #19293 (a photo taken at 16:15 albeit several years ago).

Croft Holme Lane, Cambridge used to be a quiet back street but today, it forms part of a mind-paralysingly illogical gyratory system.

Not exactly cycling-related but Angel Pavement, Royston is undergoing roadworks c. late January 2011.

Road works at the city end of Riverside, Cambridge; cycleway closed but as I (Kevin Steinhardt) always use the road just to the south, this closure isn't affecting me. May affect you though.

Cycleway upgrade preparation just north of Harston on the A10. Quite a few road works signs already up; 40 mph temporary speed limit will be enforced. Work starts 17th January for 70 days, according to signage.

Bad photograph; bad cycle parking situation. Harston Surgery (of NHS fame) has zero (0, nil) cycle parking stands, hoops, 'benders; ... nothing.

Highlighted is the sentence "[Jackson Civil Engineering] will [...] lay a [tarmac] surface on the cycleway [beside the Cambridgeshire Guided Busway] between Milton Road and Longstanton"; Jackson will also tarmac the southern section of the busway. Excellent news; printed in Cambridge News, 30th December 2010 edition. CDPA 1988 §30(2) permits fair use.

Not the greatest photo in the world ... cycleway tunnel under Long Road, Cambridge; constructed, lit at night but 'closed'.

Cycling with my father up the busway. The southern section is a superb way of getting into town from Trumpington; no way would I have got him to cycle into town along the A1309---horrid road with an awful shared-use farce-ility.

"High-speed tests" could be running as of tomorrow (13th December 2010) on the northern section of the guided busway. I think the Cambridge News published the date of Thursday, which would be Thursday 16th December. The cycleway (left of frame) is still in an unsurfaced state.

"High-speed tests" could be running as of tomorrow (13th December 2010) on the northern section of the guided busway; as shown in this frame, the busway proper has been taped-off to deter cyclists from using it while tests are being conducted. If the cycleway had been surfaced before now, this taping-off would not have been required.