“Get in loser, we’re going shopping”

Look if I could fit Denmark and The Netherlands in my bicycle basket and take them home with me, I would. Although, customs might have an issue with that.

From the walking street in Copenhagen

So what would I take and bring back to the U.S. from each country?

First, the green space found in Copenhagen! There was so much green space in Copenhagen. Streets were quieter at night (except for the high school students celebrating their recent graduation) because people seemed to swarm to the park to meet up with friends, be with their families, or get in some evening exercise. No matter the time of day, someone was in the park.

Secondly, I would take the timed traffic light system in Copenhagen, there was no need to press any button to ask to cross the street, a timed light controlled all the different forms of traffic.

Third, the metro system from Amsterdam! I did not ride much of the metro much in Copenhagen, so I had to go with the Netherlands. Recently, transportation experts have foregone rowed seating in their metro cars and transitioned to having benches along the sides and the center free for more standing space. There are no more doors between cars, so passengers can see all the way down to find a place to sit.

Fourth, I would say the soft medians found in Utrecht. When roads where made to be more bicycle centered, designers created a ‘soft median’ or a bump in the road used normally to separate two way car traffic, for cars to pass over if a bike is in the road.

Fifth, the cycling highway that we saw in Nijmegen. Something that I witness was much of Denmarks’s bike networks tended to drop off or stop at certain roads, and you didn’t know how bike friendly a road was. In the Netherlands this isn’t really a problem, paths continue longer, and connect to rural towns easier. Bikes are more welcome on roads because it is so engrained into the culture.

Sixth, the people in Denmark. The people seemed to be much kinder and willing to strike up conversation in Denmark, especially in Copenhagen. However, I would say that in the Netherlands, there is a lot more eye contact and acknowledgement of bikers on the road.

Seventh, the traffic lights in Copenhagen. In Copenhagen, the bike traffic lights are located in front of you, and right where you wait before crossing a street. There are at least two lights located at every point that you may cross a street. The light will also turn yellow before turning red. In the Netherlands, there is a light located at your eye view where you press the button, so the person waiting at the intersection has to look down at the light instead of ahead.

While both countries have so much in common, they do have their own way of doing things. Biking in each country is so different, but an experience that I will never forget. It is not even equatable to biking back in the U.S. The bicycle infrastructure offered in both countries is truly incredible.

Nothing is perfect, but people that care about sustainability and accessibility are working on viable design solutions. I am so aware of what is possible now and what can be accomplished with successful design.

With Love,

McCall