Shared-use paths where pedestrians and cyclists occupy the same space are becoming more common in Amsterdam. The Dutch Cyclists’ Union (Fietsersbond) has raised concerns, arguing many of these spaces are making the city less accessible for cyclists and less safe to walk and cycle in.
More places on Amsterdam’s main cycling network become shared-use paths
Florrie de Pater from the Amsterdam department of the cyclists’ union has noticed that more and more spots that are part of the main cycling network of the city are being turned into mixed-use paths. “These shared spaces make it more difficult for cyclists everywhere,” said De Pater to AT5. “In the centre, for example, the route from east to west is almost impossible. A few alleys that used to be very accessible to cyclists are almost closed.”
Examples of this include Damstraat, where it is “almost impossible” for cyclists to get through, and alleys such as the Nine Streets which are becoming more difficult to traverse for people on bikes. The passage under the Rijksmuseum, which has been a shared-use area for over a decade, has recently become “unsafe” in the eyes of the cyclist union.
The bicycle tiles warning pedestrians of bike traffic in the passage were removed in July and signage puts more emphasis on the underpass being a pedestrian zone. There is a note in a smaller font on the sign saying “Cyclists allowed on the carriageway”, but this can be hard for tourists to understand. Because of this, it is quite a common occurrence to have people walking in the middle of the path causing dangerous situations.
Cyclist zones in Amsterdam determined by tourists
To some, it may appear that where you are allowed to ride your bike in Amsterdam is determined by where the tourists are. “Shared space is fine, but not on the main network. In addition, I must say that tourists nowadays seem to decide - especially in the centre of Amsterdam - where cyclists are allowed to ride,” said De Pater.
The issue is not only in the centre though, as many paths through parks in Amsterdam are also multi-use. Some parks such as Noorderpark have narrow lanes that appear to be bike paths but are marked as pedestrian zones. “Look, we can live with it in the Vondelpark, it usually goes well there, but here in the Noorderpark, it's incomprehensible to us,” De Pater said. “The municipality has made a policy and that it immediately applies to all parks. It does not look at where it is safe and where it is unsafe. It's just not safe here.”
Maintenance work on many of the roads has also had an impact on the situation, leading to many closed cycling paths. Some closures have even lasted over two years, forcing cyclists onto narrow roads with cars.
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