Quote:
Originally Posted by Xringer
Back about 1967, my ship stopped in Rotterdam and we walked north about a mile before hitting farm land.
That was the only time I saw the kids who worked in the fields, with wooden shoes.  |
I lived in Groningen, in the north. Holland, like most of W Europe has builtout an extensive network of high speed rail to get from city to city. Within the city is standard mass transit (buses, trollies), plus many cities have free bikes.
In Groningen, about every block is a bike stand with 3 speed 36" wheel ugly grey bikes. When you want to ride, just grab one, ride to your destination & put it in the bike stand at your destination. It is that simple. Yes sometimes idiots throw them in the canal, but that is a rarity.
It is a totally different experience when you live in a place with no cars. You children can play in the street without fear of getting run over. The bike lanes are separated from pedestrian sidewalks which are separated from the few access streets where autos are permitted. They sometimes have "jersey" barriers segregating the bike traffic from the pedestrians.
You don't feel afraid to bike because the bikes & cars & people are always separated. Here are some pix
15 Things I Loved about Living & Bicycling in Groningen (the Netherlands) +25 Pictures
All it takes is a little positive planning.