Bikes instead of cars: BYCS wants to halve car traffic in city centers by 2030
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Actually, I wanted to come by bike. Finally, I meet two Dutch people who want to revolutionize cycling around the world. But on this Friday in July it’s raining cats and dogs in Munich. Unfortunately, the bike tour in the morning had to be cancelled, but fortunately it is dry in her bike lab, on the windows of which „DIALOGKREATIV“ is written in large letters. In the room, in which there is only a table with flyers, two beer table sets and a few stools in front of a screen, I am now sitting with two nice gentlemen and a third one joins us.
„DIALOGKREATIV“ is an exchange between Amsterdam/Utrecht and Munich on the topics of health and mobility. This Friday in July is all about cycling. BYCS is a Dutch organization that aims to make 50% of all inner-city journeys by bike by 2030. Pretty ambitious.
But also very nice. The three Dutchmen are Floris Beemster, the project manager of the cooperation between Munich and Amsterdam, Maarten Woolthuis from BYCS and Sander Buningh from the company BAM Verkehrsmanagement, which works together with BYCS. Maarten hands me a cloth bag with flyers and an original Dutch biscuit waffle. During the conversation, it quickly becomes clear that the three are more than convinced. They’re bubbling over with ideas and talking excitedly, which with their Dutch accent is cute but not always immediately understandable. Each of them wants to convince me too, but in a way that is less intrusive and more charming and inspiring. What emerges is a well-rounded and relaxed conversation about their vision.
ZEITjUNG: What is BYCS doing to achieve the goal?
Maarten: We focus on people’s needs. We sit down and talk to each other. What are the challenges? What can we create together that we then test in practice? Our projects focus on solutions in the local context. We are also creating a global network of bike mayors who will be leaders in major cities, bringing together bike activists, business and public authorities. They are working on the question: How can we implement the goal in our city?
Sander: A good infrastructure is not enough. For example, you also have to take care of bike sharing or the signposting of the paths. And you also have to look at the different target groups. A businessman who has to come to work every day has different needs than a tourist who wants to visit the city. We work a lot with other companies to pool expertise.
Maarten: Yes, collaboration is very important. You also have to talk to people who know the politics and authorities in the country well. Or with construction companies that have a very innovative mindset and strategy. And then we are the ones who bring in creativity. This collaboration has existed in the automotive industry for some time, which is why it is so successful. We now see how much added value cooperation has.
How did you come to your strong interest and commitment?
Maarten: I lived in Cologne for a while and was one of the very few people my age who always rode a bike. In Germany driving a car is normal and cycling is special. The entire infrastructure is designed for this. But for me it is so normal to take the bike that I want to do it everywhere. But it is not possible everywhere and it is not safe everywhere. It cannot be that cycling is so unsafe, even though it is the first means of transport that gives freedom to a person from the age of 3.
Floris: Yes, maybe it’s this feeling of freedom. But in German cities it is difficult. I live in Berlin with my family and am afraid to let my daughter out on the street alone. We Dutch people notice in our cities that it is such a great advantage to be able to move around freely, be it on foot, by bike or by public transport. Germany could use this as a guide. But of course we can see that the cities here have a different DNA and that different solutions are needed. Because freedom is very important.
What does Holland do differently or better than Germany?
Floris: In Germany, a lot is about rules and laws. In Holland everything is organized much more pragmatically.
Maarten: I have the feeling that people think more in terms of roles in Germany. One thinks that politicians are responsible, so they have to change everything. Perhaps we in Holland have less confidence in politics. He laughs. In any case, we also see other concerns, such as the economy. And then we start just trying it out. We test and experiment. It can also go wrong, so let’s try something new. On the other hand, one has to concede to Germany that things work really well after they have thought about it well and thoroughly. We’re trying to introduce a more relaxed approach in Germany, and we’d like to ask people themselves what works for them.
Floris: I would like to add that in Germany there is also an „either or“ mentality and in Holland people think much more in terms of „and and and“. That’s why there are completely different discussions and more pragmatic solutions.
Sander: There is a very funny story in Holland. In the 1960s, politicians thought that there should be a car in front of every house. But the citizens didn’t want that because it would be less safe for their children. So the citizens stopped politics. The driving force is not always the politicians, but also the people who stand up.
Where do you see the biggest hurdles?
Everybody is laughing. And I quickly realize that I’m probably typically German after all.
Maarten: We don’t see any.
Floris: We Dutch don’t see any obstacles, only opportunities. That is perhaps also the difference between Germans and Dutch. Germans think much more in terms of limits than we do.
Sander: One challenge, for example, was that the distances covered by bicycle had never been long before. But then came the electric bikes, with which we now have completely new possibilities. Another example is the Fly & Bike concept, in which the routes between airports and cities should be covered by bike. The challenge here is that luggage can be a hindrance. But now we have heard that DHL, for example, wants to offer to collect and send the luggage. We notice something like that and discover completely new possibilities for ourselves. Some is coincidence, but also entrepreneurial spirit.
Maarten: We want to prove that the bike has great value in many ways. And in order to provide evidence, we are now doing more research.
What, for example, is researched then?
Floris: It has been researched whether the disappearance of parking spaces in front of supermarkets really has a negative impact on people’s buying behavior. It has been found that cyclists shop much more easily, so it is much more of an advantage. A lot of companies don’t think so. Of course, Media-Markt, for example, needs a car park, but the shops in the city centers don’t.
Now for a very practical point of view: what about cities with a different geographic structure to the Netherlands? And what about people who can’t show up to work sweaty?
Maarten: Of course there are climatological and geographical obstacles, that’s very clear. At this point, however, there is the possibility of using electrically operated bicycles. And the fashion industry could design clothes that cool. If you make it portable, it could even become a trend and also be used in sports. We never try to look for the solution only within the wheel industry. We try to look at the people and make the success bigger than for just one industry. This is entrepreneurship.
Sander: With bike sharing you can offer a good combination of public transport and bicycle. A year or two ago in Holland we still thought everyone had a bike, so there was no need for bike sharing. That has changed.
Maarten: And if you want to force it, you can pack a folding bike in the car and at least make sure that the city center is car-free. This could even win over the 33% who never want to think about a bike.
Floris: For example, BMW could sell an electric car together with a folding bike.
Maarten: And then the authorities could provide a Park & Ride concept and then the cooperation and combination will be right again.
And what about cities with completely different political and cultural backgrounds, e.g. in Asia?
Maarten: We are also in India, for example. The population is growing so quickly there, but there are good approaches there too. Indians are entrepreneurs and have a strong sense of digital development. There are a few bicycle mayors there and eight new ones are just joining. Then we talk about millions of people whose needs can be taken care of. Of course, in countries where the bicycle is not established at all, it is more difficult to find an entrance. But if we succeed there, it creates so much added value for life in these countries. If the bike can play a role in making you feel safer and more comfortable in your surroundings, that would be fantastic. Because everyone wants to feel good where they live.
What are the approaches there?
Maarten: We never try to show anything, but talk to the local people and find out something together. The bicycle mayors have the network and know exactly what can work. We’re trying to channel that. We say: Local for local with global expertise. We don’t want to impose our opinion on the cities, we want to work together with them.
Floris: Every city has its own DNA.
Sander: We want to build a knowledge network so that individual solutions can be found everywhere.
Do you already have a next goal?
Maarten: Not exactly. We want to fully focus on our 50by30 goal.
Floris: We don’t know what will change in 10 years. But there are some things you just know are going to work. In Germany, for example, the infrastructure needs to be expanded. Initiating that would change so much. It also helps to change the things that are already there. Then people see that something is being done for cycling. Cities are made for people, not for traffic. So everyone has to work together to create a livable environment. This goal is the same everywhere.
After the interview, the three invite me to the film presentation of „Why we cycle“, which takes place directly afterwards. I also learn so many new things there. Have you ever thought about the fact that we interact much more with other people when cycling than when driving a car? Or that without roads there would be much more space for housing and parks? The three convinced me. And the next time I want to go into the city, I’ll think twice about swapping the subway for a bike.
Image source: © Dialogkreativ
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