HOW THEY DO IT: Just the facts

Upon arriving in Amsterdam, it is easy to overlook how many ways the city serves its residents. For the newcomer, the number of bikes (and the outrageous parking for them) is the most obvious difference. But underlying that, is a multi-faceted infrastructure - from street design, to vehicles and parking, to taxing and regulations - where every piece works together. These observations are strictly my own, that of my camera, and a few natives I got to know along the way and to whom I made myself a complete pest. And while many of you may have long known a lot of this, here is what I saw:

PARKING (the biggest enabler of cars in cities):
The hourly price for on-street parking in Amsterdam’s city center is 5 Euros. A day- ticket goes from 30 to 45 Euros. The further you are from the Old City Centre, the cheaper the parking is.* Cars are charged electronically, and can park in designated areas like this below (the X is a loading zone)

OWNING A CAR
Want to buy a car? Go ahead: the tax for that will be 50% of the total cost. Gas is $6.48 a gallon.**

SPEED LIMIT/LIABILITY
I was shocked at gas prices - and also surprised to find the speed limit in Amsterdam is higher than NYC’s: 30mph. But I rarely saw that - and when cars were moving fast, there was no close-passing. Drivers are careful because of the liability laws: if a driver hits a cyclist or pedestrian, the driver is automatically deemed liable. In NY, the reverse is true and our fatalities are proof.

Also reversed: where in NYC we cyclists are constantly in danger of losing our bike lanes to cars, in Amsterdam, cars are considered “Invited guests” on the street, with rights that can be revoked at any time. Right of way clearly prioritizes pedestrians and cyclists, and you feel it.

The oddest experience is to ride in a painted bike lane, without expecting to be “doored.” Fearful of losing my NYC habits, I never counted on this, tho clearly the natives do. 

But much of the time, bikes and cars ride separately

The only possible exception to right of way for peds and cyclists is trollies; always yield to trollies. But cyclists are not above the law. A cyclist who texts or rides looking at their phone, is automatically fined 95 Euros - this is common knowledge. And cops can catch them because they're also on bikes. 

BIKE FATALITIES
Sadly, there are still fatalities. While in Amsterdam, I was introduced to a couple who live there, knew my interests, and brought with them a heavy book about cycling in the Netherlands. If you look at this chart (the yellow is bikes)...

You’ll see that with 73% of the population taking 665,000 daily trips,*** there were three bike fatalities in 2013 (if I’m reading that correctly). Feel free to check my stats - I never claimed to excel at math -  but even if I'm way off, those numbers don't come close to New York which at last count had 450,000 daily trips**** - and 19 dead since January of this year (it's now Labor Day). That's more than 6 times the fatalities of Amsterdam with far fewer cyclists, making it overall 800% more dangerous to ride a bike in New York than Amsterdam. New York should be ashamed.

AND NOW THE OBVIOUS:
All of this adds up to far fewer cars on Amsterdam’s streets, leaving room for lots of alternatives, like car-free streets for walking, dining, shopping…

And don't forget partying (for which Amsterdam has long been famous)

As well as a healthy Red Light District.

Without all those cars, public transportation actually moves.

And people with disabilities ride with impunity on the sidewalks, in the bike lanes, but just as often in the streets.

All of which ends up creating a city with streets that more of its residents can share. But what is rarely mentioned is the difference in noise level. This for example, is a pile of ear plugs I carry in every pocket of clothing while walking on the streets of NY, and which stayed in my hotel room in Amsterdam. 

In NY, I sleep with a fan on at night all year round, to block out the noise. In Amsterdam, I awoke to the sound of seagulls, and went to sleep to the sound of trolley clangs and and bicycle bells. In two weeks, I heard 3 car horns total.

I wish I could say that for New York.

Next Entry;
HOW THEY DO IT: Bike Infrastructure
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*Parking: 
https://www.amsterdam.info/parking/

**Gas: 
https://www.google.com/search?q=how+much+does+gas+cost+in+the+netherlands&oq=how+much+&aqs=chrome.0.69i59l3j69i57j0l2.1591j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

*** Number of cyclists in Amsterdam, courtesy of the Rijks Museum exhibit

**** Daily cycling trips in NYC
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/30/nyregion/new-yorkers-bike-lanes-commuting.html